Toxic Positivity versus Optimism for Filipinos
Donnalyn Bartolome, a vlogger and social media influencer, recently received backlash from netizens after posting about how people should be thankful for having a job instead of being sad over the reality that after the holidays, they should go back to work.
The netizens highlighted the vlogger's toxic positivity or the belief that no matter how dire or difficult a situation is, people should maintain a positive mindset.
It has been known by other cultures and nationalities that Filipinos are truly happy people and that they still remain positive in the face of challenges. This trait, which is one of the things we love most about our countrymen, is called optimism. Optimism, coupled with planning and the right amount of work, is a basic formula for any Filipino faced with hardship. Filipinos are resourceful and are always thinking of solutions rather than prolonging discussions over the problem. With optimism comes hope that all efforts would be towards the achievement of the goals.
On the other hand, toxic positivity is a mindset which often downplays a real challenge or situation in a sort of unintentional gaslighting. Toxic positivity has been frequently done by people speaking from a position of privilege or those who did not have an experience over the challenge, thus, refusing or even ignoring that the problem is valid.
Toxic positivity is a problem in the Filipino society. However, at the end of the day, what is important is overcoming this culture by reinvigorating Filipino optimism.
Revisiting the Forgotten Values of Respect and Humility
Recently, a video of an actress and socail media influencer went viral in the social media. In said video, the actress was celebrating her birthday and was approached by a restaurant staff who was carrying her birthday cake. As a tradition, guests sang the birthday song and the actress blew her candle. However, something out of the ordinary happened - the actress suddenly swiped the cake with her hand and smeared the icing on the waiter's forhead.
This incident enraged a significant number of netizens, as the waiter was observed to have been humiliated but was not in a position to react since everything was being recorded.
The sad reality that we are facing right now is the seemingly forgotten value of respect and humility, which is often seen among those who are more well-off than others. However, we also see this among those who are unsuccessful and frustrated in life.
Let us revisit the meaning of respect and how we, as human beings, should treat others with kindness. From our younger years, we have been taught in school the importance of goodness and kindness. We are also taught that relationships are built on our core values. One's status in life is irrelevant when we practice respect. Each individual deserves kindness and we are instruments to its fulfillment.
Let us also revisit the definition of humility and how each of us are capable of apologizing when we have wronged a person. Humility is about reaching your dreams and goals without sacrificing human relationships along the way. Humility is seeing yourself in the situation of others and being able to do your part in making said situation more comfortable and convenient for others.
May this incident spark a positive change especially to our social media influencers and celebrities. The kind of influence that our society needs is the one that promotes goodness and consciousness of the situation of our fellow human beings.Revisiting the meaning of Respect and Humility