Imagine a pot of live crabs being cooked in boiling water. Fighting for survival, all of them would surely try to escape. Each crab is intent on pulling down the crab who is a bit higher up the side of the basket. But this is not easy, because the other crabs beneath him would not let him escape. In the end, very few of them, if any, make it out the container. Applying this kind of thinking to a real world this is a very dangerous and deadly attitude. It is not an attitude of which we should be proud. It is not that you did something bad why others necessarily pull you down; it is just the way it is, or so we convince ourselves and accept it as part of the culture. Crab mentality has become a norm in our society. It is a trait common to many Filipinos, the first instinct when seeing someone succeeding is to feel inggit.

An unfriendly competition among individuals that involves back-biting, envy and trampling on another to get ahead. This mentality is probably relevant to almost anyone’s life. Seems like some can never just be happy for your success, always trying to find reasons why you don’t deserve it.
Isn’t it possible for everyone to just do their own thing, and use their intellect to work things out when they get in each other way? Let’s not be divided, as crabs that attack-instead of helping-one another and thus, fail altogether to get out of the bucket. Let us overcome crab mentality in ourselves. Let us do away with backbiting and backstabbing. Instead of harboring envy or jealousy against one another, let us fill our hearths with love. Let us trust one another, uplift one another, and free ourselves from doubts!

By: Aileen A. Opiniano | AA-IV | Bataan National HighSchool