Agree or Disagree?...
By aseretdd
@aseretdd (13730)
Philippines
November 27, 2008 12:20am CST
What do you do when someone say not so good things about your country or your countrymen...
Do you:
1. Immediately agree with them and give examples of how it sucks to be in the Philippines or to be a Filipino?...
2. Defend your country as hard as you can with valour worthy of a best oration award?...
3. Stay cool and give examples of the best thing about being a Filipino and living here in the Philippines?...
4. Give examples of how other nationalities are even worst off than us?...
5. Just stay silent and not join in the conversation?...
In my case... i usually do number 3 and number 4... but if i am not in the mood... i just do a number 5... but i think it would always help to say something nice about one's country and the people living in it... since nothing is perfect in this world... and we must love what we have... if not... who else will?...
8 people like this
43 responses
@loxion (1553)
• India
29 Nov 08
If what they are saying is true then i will say that is correct because then i know my country very well obviously because i live here and should know about it, if someone is talking bad about it then i know that they are telling the truth then there is no way i can defend it, in-fact I'll add even the other things he/she left out.
I mean there are things that you people all around the world should know about our countries, for example, if someone come and talk about the level of crime in my country...that will interest me because i know how bad my country is in and how the government don't care or careless about the situation.
For me I'll definitely agree with what i know is true and disagree with what i know is not true.
2 people like this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
2 Dec 08
I hope you will not only concentrate on talking about the negative things... because no matter how bad the government officials are in your country... there are still some positive things you will see... like the good side of the people... and your country's natural resources...
Thanks for the response...
1 person likes this
@loxion (1553)
• India
2 Dec 08
Yes there are lot of things like natural resources as you said, but who enjoys them the most? those idiots in parliaments are the ones who always come on top, even little things that do not want the involvement of the government they will be all over wanting to know everything
2 people like this
@Roseo8 (2947)
• India
27 Nov 08
Well if some one says something bad about my country,I try to correct them,by clarifying things.But if they deliberately say humuliating things which are not at all correct I strongly object and reprimand that person for saying such things....But if I feel there is heated debate giong on,followed by rudeness or impotileness,then I stay away hoping mylot will ban such controversial discussios dealing with untrue facts.
2 people like this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
28 Nov 08
Mylot bans such discussions most of the time... especially if they are reported by some concerned members... i usually stay away from them because some members tend to make it personal... and write rude and not so good things... usually such discussions will not go anywhere...
Thanks for the response...
1 person likes this
@andak2007 (3229)
• Philippines
1 Dec 08
i always do number 5 because if i will join in the conversation it will create more disagreements and if i am in the mood also i do number 3 because there is always two sides of the story...i know we can hear many negative stories and comments about our country and our people so it is up to us to take on the challenge and prove them all wrong.
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
3 Dec 08
There are times when it is indeed best to just keep quiet... especially the the person who started the arguement is in a warpath... or would not accept any other opinion... arguing will most likely be futile in that case...
Thanks for the response...
1 person likes this
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
30 Nov 08
I am not from the Philippines but if I was I would do number 3, that is stay cool with a smile on my face and give examples of positive things about the Philippines. I could mention the friendly people, the tropical climate, the opportunity for island hopping, the amazing snorkeling and the lovely wildlife. I would suggest the each country in the world has its advantages and its disadvantages. Whilst Australia has adorable animals like Koalas and Kangaroos it has dangerous spiders. The huntsman is large but harmless and the red back is tiny but can be deadly. New Zealand has a beautiful landscape but its weather in winter would be as cold and miserable as my home country. When I was in Australia people said things about my country and I took it all with some amusement because they didn't mean any harm.
2 people like this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
3 Dec 08
What a good way to handle the situation... i know that you are well traveled so you have a lot of knowledge of the positive and negative sides of the countries where you have been to... and that makes you quite a reliable person when it comes to such information...
Thanks for the response...
1 person likes this
@sheenshaukat (2617)
• Pakistan
30 Nov 08
Philippine is a country for those who are not Philippines. But it is homeland for people living there. Similarly my country is homeland for me. And I believe that there is no beautiful place on this planet like my own home and my own homeland. Philippine is one of the beautiful countries decorated with beautiful people. I have few Philippines friends. One is cutie and she is really cutie. I like here very much and I think her country could never be bad.
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
3 Dec 08
Thank you very much for that... but there are also bad things about the Philippines... and that mostly is about politics... but i agree that my country is beautiful... with a lot of beautiful people... and i am glad that you are friends with some of them...
Thanks for the response...
1 person likes this
@tiara50gorgeous (212)
• Indonesia
30 Nov 08
Well, when what they say is true then I will answer yeah it's true but you just know about one side and it's the bad side, you don't know the good things about my country such as ........ , you don't know about it, do you?
so like people say don't rate a book from the cover :)
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
2 Dec 08
That is a good way of putting... never judge a book by its cover... and in case of a country... never judge a country with what you are hearing or watching in the news... because they tend to report only the events that will get a lot of attention...
Thanks for the response...
1 person likes this
@roniroxas (10560)
• Philippines
30 Nov 08
this is case to case aseretdd. i am a singer and been in and out of some countries in asia. and i can say that there a few filipino who are really nakakahiya. but i can not generalized it as in every filipino. we all have different traits and different ways how to carry and express ourselves. if a am talking to a person who is open minded then i will explain that there are more good qualities of filipinos, but if i am talking to someone who is not welcoming any good words then i would just rather keep my mouth shut. when i was woking in japan a man told me that filipino people are liers. lol. i told him that we filipinos knows japanese people for raping our ancestors during the war. hahaha. he was shocked. i told that until now teachers tell that to students. lol. it was a funny cinversation but the japanese was shocked. lol
2 people like this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
2 Dec 08
That is a very clever way of stunning that japanese... and what you said is so true... some Filipinos can be nakakahiya... but there are more that we can be proud of... it is not nice to make generalizations because there are millions of filipinos... and only a fractions of that number are bad...
Thanks for the response...
1 person likes this
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
27 Nov 08
Well it depends on the opinion. So If I see a need to defend then I will, but if in my feeling it is not worth depending, then I would go for number 1. In other words, there are things that I can be proud of my country but there are also those that I really hate.
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
28 Nov 08
That is so true... there are a lot of negative things... but also a lot of positive things about our county... but i hate it when some people tend to just look at the bad side... never taking into consideration the good ones... and they tend to always generalize... which i think is unfair...
Thanks for the response...
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
27 Nov 08
You could stay silent and stay out of the debate, that is the easiest thing to do. But if you decide to speak up, speak from the heart. Say what you feeel. If you agree then feal free to agree. If you don't then feal free to either say you prefer not to talk about it, or tell them why you think your country is so great. Just be true to yourself. You don't have agree with someone in words if you do not truly beieve what they are saying in your heart.
2 people like this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
28 Nov 08
Thank you for all the suggestions... but if you are in the situation... are you also going to do the things that you wrote here... i am not exactly asking what i should do... but what you would do if faced with that situation...
Thanks for the response...
@mokbul (616)
• Singapore
28 Nov 08
Probably I shall do something different from the 5 points noted in your discussion. It is rather a combination of the points.
I shall go for right things, if someone say something bad about my country and that is fully correct I shall agree and discuss ways how can improve those deficient areas, If if it is not a correct allegation I shall defend with all the examples to defeat the wrong comment.
I have feeling for my country that does not mean that I shall disagree to something which is not good but still happening, similarly agree to some comment from someone out of grudge against my country.
2 people like this
@Nhey16 (2518)
• Philippines
27 Nov 08
Usually, I do number 3, coz obviously the person saying bad thing about others are usually ignorant people who just based their findings on something they heard or seen or read in one situation. so i just feed them some information so they would learn something they haven't known yet.
2 people like this
@carmelsuarez (329)
• Philippines
27 Nov 08
No way....
I am a Filipino and I stood up for my filipino people. Who is better anyways... everybody has his own worst to tell.
Can you disown your own country and color yourself red so that people wont recognize you as a Filipino? well, if anyone can do that... do it then.
Filipinos are not all bad anyways... there are some who stil fight for goodness sake.
Nope... but... if needed why not. It is a honoable thing to do to depend your country anyways. (Its says in the Philippine National Anthem.)
Its better if needed. arguing sometimes are nonsense.
2 people like this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
28 Nov 08
True... arguements sometimes are just nonsense... especially if both parties refuse to reconcile their differences... so... there are time that it is much better to just keep silent... but then it is still good to defent what is right form time to time...
Thanks for the response...
@employmentdep (126)
• United States
27 Nov 08
I do the 3th too, I do try to show the best things of my country, but sometimes is hard, just we have to think everywhere you go, always you will find something really good and bad too....
2 people like this
@employmentdep (126)
• United States
27 Nov 08
Well, i guess i´ll do number 2 and number 3 because is important to stress on good thing that my country have, and is also important make them know that every country has trouble the important thing is focus on the problem and solve things.
I´ll also tried to defend my country as hard as i could do it. We should be thankfull of the place that we were born because god sent us there or here to a mission is in our hands go for it !!!
2 people like this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
28 Nov 08
Seems like some people think that our country is the only one suffering from corrupt politicians... where in fact all countries are experiencing this problem but with different degrees... and you are right... we should focus on the problem and how to solve it... and not just go on a litany on how our country sucks...
Thanks for the response... welcome to mylot and i hope you enjoy every minute of your stay here...
@riyasam (16556)
• India
27 Nov 08
i believe people have their freedom of expression.i love my country and my countrymen.some problems are bound to arise and no country is an exception.i would like to have a friendly debate.but if people are on the warpath,i would opt for option 5.
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
27 Nov 08
The word warpath made me smile... and i remember the times when i met people who provoke others to have heated debates that will never go anywhere... and i like your attitude... people on the warpath shouldn't be dealt with... since i believe it is useless arguing with them...
Thanks for the response...
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (92789)
• United States
27 Nov 08
Oh I get so sick of that! It annoys me. And it is quite amusing since the people complaining about my country live in their own country with a ton of problems, messes their own country made. And they always have to tell me why my country is worse, when all they know if what they see on the news. Which is like taking the word of a blind man on what the world looks like.
2 people like this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
28 Nov 08
This is why news companies should not only concentrate on reporting about the bad thing happening... they should also give time to those good events that help people... the environment... and even other countries... but sad to say that the worst the news is... the more media attention it will get...
Thanks for the response...
1 person likes this
@julyteen (13252)
• Davao, Philippines
27 Nov 08
if we do not depend our country if somebody make any wrong comments maybe we are not a filipino. It is our task to promote our country. Being connected with the tourism office in our locality we are encourage to promote our country. If we compare our country to others, we have a better community than other. I talk many people who came from different places in the world. They conclude that filipino is the best.
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
28 Nov 08
I also worked with other nationalities... and they have high respect for Filipino workers... and if they can praise our countrymen... why can't we... since we have a lot of good qualities worthy to be emulated by co-filipinos...
Thanks for the response...
@moonight (249)
• United States
27 Nov 08
i would go with number 3 even tho i am not from the philippines, or number six, sorry to go out of the numbers, i would combine 3 and 5. i would keep silent to listen to whoever person that has to say about how my country is not that great. and i would try to see what he/ she meant. then after that i would go for 3 and give examples of my side. i think is good for everyone to see both sides of things, since nothing is perfect why not take it others bad talking about own country as some outside advices and new information
2 people like this
@burnek (101)
• Philippines
27 Nov 08
I'd probably give him a good punch in the face if he happen to say it to me personally. But if i just overheard it somewhere and I'm not really involved in it I wouldn't even dignify it with a response. I'm confident that whatever bad things he said about my country is just an isolated case. And it's just his personal opinion. I've lots of friends from different countries and they have nothing but good praises about us.
2 people like this
