‘Pa-woke!’: Why do Filipinos have a toxic smart-shaming fixation?
By Jewyz Ann Bunyi
“Oh, edi ikaw na ang matalino!”
Sounds familiar? Most knowledge-inducing conversations won’t be complete without hearing this comment. While it sounds like a compliment, it is actually a sarcastic remark meant to taunt someone with a high level of intelligence.
Anti-intellectualism is defined as the act of displaying mistrust or hostility towards intellectual views. Anti-intellectuals perceive themselves as the advocates of ordinary people against academic elitism. For them, intellectuals are viewed as a threat to normality; outsiders who lack empathy for the majority. This exemplifies the widespread stereotype that intellectuals and opinionated people are elitist, overly analytical, and arrogant.
But first, let’s come clean here, and acknowledge that at some point, we did make comments meant to belittle someone smarter than us. It’s as if they have committed a terrible crime for them to deserve any demeaning innuendos and mocking looks across the room when they state facts, share their opinions, or even correct someone’s grammar and pronunciation.
The act of bringing shame to educated people for imparting their knowledge has been prevalent to the point of deeming intelligence as a negative trait. Instead of allowing someone to share an insightful idea, they are abruptly pushed to the curb just because their thoughts are intimidating rather than stimulating people’s curiosity. To make it worse, intellectual success is even downplayed and should not be flaunted.
Remember when Atty. Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo was chosen as a Hauser Leader at Harvard Kennedy School, and when she obtained her honorary doctorate from Ateneo de Manila University? Her achievements are something Filipinos should be proud of. Yet, some opted for negative backlashes and dubbed the former vice president slurs like “madumb” and “lutang.” Some government loyalists even questioned and recanted Harvard and Ateneo’s credibility for granting Robredo these opportunities. No one is safe from being smart-shamed that even renowned historian Ambeth Ocampo received flak from apologists for discussing history.
It boils down to the sense of camaraderie
Dr. Virgilio Enriquez explained in his book Sikolohiyang Filipino that the concept of togetherness or pakikisama is at the core of Filipino social behavior, prioritizing conformity, empathy, and going along with the majority.
Julia Jasmine Madrazo-Sta. Romana of GMA News elucidated that the colonialization of the Spaniards and Americans in the Philippines triggered Filipinos to develop this notion of hostility against individualism and elitism; since quality education was only accessible to a few Filipinos, especially the elite. This created a rift between ordinary Filipinos and Filipino intellectuals, who are perceived as elitists. To bridge the gap, intellectuals conform with ordinary Filipinos to enhance this sense of camaraderie. It is the togetherness we value, not ignorance.
Talking about pakikisama, fear of missing out can also be a factor in smart-shaming. In today’s time, catchphrases like, “Talaga? Edi wow!” and “Share mo lang? Edi sana pina-billboard mo!” are commonly used on a daily basis. In desperation to sound funny and keep up with the latest trends, Filipinos use phrases meant to jeer at someone whenever they share an insight. And since modern society views educated people as boring and arrogant, many intellectuals struggle to act dumb just to fit in. To save their faces from embarrassment and mockery, they conceal their intelligence under the rug and maintain their silence.
While Filipinos consider being intelligent as something to be embarrassed about, being foolish is also not an option. If someone cannot correctly spell the word “bouquet,” they immediately receive a single raised eyebrow. If they mispronounce a word, they get all the laughs. There are times when we look up to our role models for being intelligent, yet when it comes to the people we personally know, negative slurs to mock their intelligence just spew out of our mouths right away.
If we really do value camaraderie, why not engage and learn to uplift each other instead of dragging them down to fit in?
Hardest pill to swallow: accepting mistakes
Filipinos are quite competitive, and we are all aware of that. Owning up to mistakes or losses is a battle of pride that although we are wrong in the first place, waving the white flag shatters our well-protected ego. Instead of admitting defeat, Filipinos prefer to call names like “bida-bida” just to prove their point that that person does not have the upper hand for being analytically smart. This regards knowledge as a gasconade, not as a tool to foster curiosity. Some just do not want to be overshadowed intellectually.
When someone tries to correct them, some Filipinos choose to unveil the “sorry na, ang bobo-bobo ko kasi” card rather than acknowledge their mistakes. Okay, apology accepted. But there is no need to degrade oneself for not knowing every concept or idea. In owning up to one’s mistake, there should be accountability, and throwing insults at oneself can be a form of gaslighting towards the other party, as if it is their fault for knowing the correct information.
But in most scenarios, the way of imparting knowledge or correcting people plays a big role, since it might sound condescending to others. Fixing the tone and manner of speaking makes knowledge-inducing conversations more interesting, meaningful, and less susceptible to name callings and petty fights.
Eyeing education as a threat
Historically speaking, dictators utilized anti-intellectualism as a propaganda tool against intellectuals to silence their criticisms and opinions about dictatorial regimes — for instance, Martial Law. It illustrated a picture that masked dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s true intentions. And the intellectuals and critics who saw through this facade were brutally executed and harassed for speaking the truth, challenging the status quo, and opposing his tyranny.
The harsh reality is that Filipinos nowadays are fine with mediocrity. We tend to be complacent about our established social norms and orthodox beliefs that we reject development and hesitate to fix the system. Consider how our country normalizes impunity, corruption, and poor governance. The term “pa-woke” is even used to disregard an individual’s (especially youth’s) critical views on certain social and political issues as if they are not necessary to address them. Family members commend UP and its scholars for their brilliance while insulting and dehumanizing them for being activists who are fighting against oppression. They are even labelled as communists or anti-government for criticizing the administration and demanding accountability.
And as critical thoughts on issues slowly vanish, we tend to overlook the bigger picture due to fear of the truth. Jeepney drivers are reprimanded for raising minimum fees, while farmers are condemned for food shortages and high-priced products. We mostly refuse to engage in discussions that involve critical thinking that will open our minds. A college dropout made his way to the throne as the president because of the mountain of deceit, excuses, traction, and the people’s refusal to acknowledge the truth behind his fabricated credentials.
The point is, education must be cultivated to feed our curiosity and practice our critical thinking, also our rights. Dismissing knowledge and intelligence can make us more vulnerable to authoritarian and faulty systems; since dictators prey on the weak, especially those who continue to turn a blind eye to the truth. Never forget what our history has taught us: never again to oppressive regimes and fascist dynasties.
Value education for growth
We Filipinos live by the mantra, “Education is the road to success,” but what is education for us? For some, it is a portal towards a great quality of life — an avenue for inner peace and a financially stable life. Since the majority lack access to basic education, they have to crawl their way towards education so they can attain improved living conditions. However, we must recognize that while it is great to be driven by this reason, it is also vital to prioritize gaining knowledge as the ultimate goal.
As people in power continue to focus on questionable and unnecessary initiatives that impede the proper quality of education, now is the crucial moment to cultivate knowledge and value learning. This can be the gateway to becoming more vigilant on bigger issues that go beneath the surface, and that includes the quality of life.
We are all entitled to quality education, regardless of our socioeconomic background or varied privileges, because it is our fundamental human right. Since intellectuals hold the upper hand, they must act on making education more accessible and instil in the general public the need to foster knowledge despite adversity. And as Filipinos, we must reject the notion that, on the whole, intellectuals lack compassion for the majority, as well as the nepotism that dictates who gets credit for intelligence. It’s alarming and hinders character development. Like what Nadine Lustre would say, “Come on, it’s 2022!” Let us take this time to immerse ourselves in meaningful conversations meant to ponder and voice out our critical thoughts rather than satirizing them.
