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Bahala Na Mentality
Bahala Na Mentality
Isa itong pagpapadamang pampilosiya ng mga Pilipino Ngunit, sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino, ang ibig sabihin ng
na naglalahad ng pananaw na "Haharapin ko ang "Bahala Na" ay "hindi natin hawak ang bukas, hindi
anumang mangyari pagkatapos" ng isang pangyayari o natin mailalagay sa ating palad ang kapalaran
gagawing kilos at hindi ang karaniwang patalistiko o ninuman, kung kaya’t dapat nating ipasa -Diyos ang
mapagmatalong pahiwatig. Ayon sa Pilipinong magaganap." Ito'y simpleng pagtanggap ng na aayon
manunulat na si Paraluman S. Aspillera, maaaring kapag nagawa na ang lahat ng makakaya ng isang
nabago ang ekspresyon sa loob ng pagdaan ng indibidwal, kapag na -ubos na ang lahat ng kanyang
panahon. Maaari itong nagmula sa " Bathala na!", na kakayahan, at kapag wala nang posibleng magagawa sa
tuwirang nangangahulugang "Kung gugustuhin ng pagkamit ng layunin na iyon.
Diyos", o ni Bathala, ang Diyos ng mga
HALIMBAWA
sinaunang Tagalog, subalit nabago sa isang punto ng
panahon. Maaari itong banggitin ng isang Pil ipino na Kapag natapos ang isang estudyante sa pagsagot ng
ginawa na ang lahat ng posibleng kaparaanan para kaniyang pagsusulit at ito'y na-ibigay na sa guro, wala
makaalis sa isang mahirap na katayuan, kalagayan, o na siyang magagawa pa sa pagpapataas o pag -iiba ng
suliranin sa buhay. Isang makabagong bersiyon nito ang resulta ng pagsusulit na iyon, kaya naman magtitiwala
mas buong bersiyong "Bahala na ang Diyos!" at ang nalang siya sa Diyos at aasa na mataas ang makuha
mas nakakatawa at nakapagpapasiyang bersi yong niyang marka.
"Bahala na si Batman!".
Kapag ang isang binata ay umamin ukol sa ka niyang
ETIMOLOHIYA nararamdaman para sa babaeng liniligawan niya at
ibinuhos na niya ang kaniyang buong puso sa harapan
May kaugnayan ang pariralang ito sa salitang bahala na
ng dalaga, wala na siyang magagawa pa kung hindi
nagbabadya ng pananagutan o responsibilidad, kaya't
magtiwala sa kapalaran na ang babae ay ganoon rin
singkahulugan din ito
ang nararamdaman para sa lalaki.
ng pamamatnubay o pamamatnugot. Sa payak na
kahulugan, ito ang tiwala ] at pagbabantay o (nasa) pag-
iingat. Maaari ring pamalit ito sa mga panawag pan -
taong tagapangasiwa, katiwala, patnugot, The root word bahala as a noun refers to responsibility,
at tagapangalaga. care, management, as well as apprehension. An older
version of the term refers to God and the aptitude of
Dito nagmula ang salitang pabahalaan, katumbas augury. In Enriquez’s value structure bahala na is
ng trusteeship o board of trustees sa Ingles. Nag-ugat defined as “determination in the face of uncertainty.” 2 8
din sa salitang bahala at bathala, sa kasong ito, ang
salitang pamahalaan (gobyerno), na ayon sa mga pag - This Filipino coping mechanism deserves a closer
aaral pang-linggwistika na nagsasabing ang look. Bahala na was long misinterpretated as as
pamahalaan ay ang pinagsama - passivity whereas it challenges people to act in their
samang unlapi o prepiks na pang-, salitang bathala, at best capacity regarding problematic situations. This
ang hulapi o supiks na -an. Kaya't. sa katunayan. value inspires confidence via gathering experience
nangangahulugan ang terminong "pamahalaan" na through the effective mastering of all kinds of
"Mamamanginoon sa ibabaw", "Maging panginoon sa challenges. Thus spurring the growth of an individual’s
ibabaw", o "Maging bikaryo ng Diyos." experience potential, this concept stimulates
resourcefulness and the creativity to improve, master
Ang karaniwang tumatatak sa isipan ng karamihan pag and survive.
narinig ang "Bahala Na" ay ang pagtalikod sa mga
responsibilidad, ang paggawang mga pagdadahilan, ang Like a double-bladed sword, bahala na involves both
hindi pagsisikap para tuparin ang mga kinakailangan, taking a risk in the face of possible failure and accepting
atbp. the nature of things, including one’s limitations. It
operates in uncertain and uncharted situations. Faced
Dahil dito, ang ugali ng " Bahala Na" ay tinitignan at with an obstacle, a person is impelled not to run away
kinikilala bilang isang negatibong ugali ng mga but to utter “Bahala na” and brave the confrontation.
Due to the improvisational character of this value, it The colonial construct bahala na misinformed another
correlates with fields of chaos and complexities rather generation of young Filpinos about their indigenous
than with linear prediction and control. values until it was redeemed as “determination in the
face of uncertainty” by the Harvard -trained Filipino
Examples of bahala na-propelled behaviors are: buying
psychologist Alfredo Lagmay. Bahala na, in his
a one-way ticket to a previously unknown destination as
interpretations, is indicative of the improvisational
many overseas contract workers do; checking into a
personality of the Filipino people which allows them to
hospital without sufficient funds; or taking an exam
cope and thrive even in unstructured, indefinite,
despite a lack of preparation. Such situations require
unpredictable and stressful situations. As an
guts and confidence in one’s ability to cope with the
improvisatory skill, bahala na! provides a person with
difficulties as they arise.
the ability to face life’s challenges in a creative way. As
28Lagmay, A.V. “Bahala Na” in Ulat Ng Ikalawa na an existentialist, down-to-earth orientation, bahala
Pambansang Kumperesiya sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino. na facilitates coping by allowing one to accept things.
Quezon City: PSSP, 1976. The Filipino value in itself is subversive, as it challenges
“the intolerance of ambiguity in psychology,” said
p85 Lagmay.
The meaning of bahala na, as Filipino confrontative …Risk taking in the face of possible failure is
value, was given as determination in the face of whatbahala na is all about. but there is more to it.
uncertainty with the root wordbahala, referring to care Lagmay saw in this Filipino concept and “anti-thesis for
and being responsible. The confrontative nature of this surrender.”4 Attributing to bahala nasuch qualities as
value does not grow from the black sort of hatred. courage and determination.Lagmay traced the roots of
Rather it thrives on a tacit confidence in the creative this value to a social structure that challenges people to
potential of human beings, a kind of confidence that use their inherent abilities to cope with constant
only grows with mastering tribulations. challenge. This flexibility, he believed, developed as a
response to living along the earth’s firebelt which is
The oldest known form of bahala
where the Philippines is located. Erupting volcanoes,
na, the alibata[baybayin] version of the term, renders
tidal waves and tropical storms —this restless
its root word as “God.” … and bahala is made up of the
environment has taught its inhabitants to be
three letters B, H, L, spelled BA -HA-LA. The syllable BA
resourceful and creative in order to survive: “ Bahala
stands for woman (babae), LA for man ( lalake), the
na is a mirror of Filipino people in their process of
central HA for “breath” [ hinga or ginhawa] or
dealing with nature, opposed to the Western ways
“wind“[hangin] (both of which signify God [or
which are more like a conquest. (Bahala na) is a kind of
Spirit]). 3 These three glyphs BA-HA-LA represent an
accepting the very nature of things,” Lagmay said.
ancient Filipino trinity where woman and man stand
side by side on the base of a triangle and God unites Lagmay, A.V. “Bahala Na” in Ulat Ng Ikalawa na
them in the elevated midpoint. Bahala na then is a Pambansang Kumperesiya sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino.
unique Filipino expression which could loosely be Quezon City: PSSP, 1976.
translated into “Leave the final outcome up to
God!” [also see The Baybayin for Bahala and Improvisation is the ability to switch in an instant to a
Bathala]… search for cures in the surroundings that would expand
what is already known about a certain situation, the
3Odal, G. “On the Word Bathala”. Unpublished position scholar continued. Such a mindset has accepted that no
paper. Quezon City: University Philippines, 1996. future can ever be completely ascertained. It
acknowledges the primacy of natural happenings.
…This proclaimed submission to a force larger than
However, it also assumes that in the folds of
humankind was thoroughly misinterpreted by American
unforeseeable events hide infinite opportunities. It
social scientists who mistookbahala na as fatalism.
recognizes that such situations can teach one to adapt
[and many of us Filipinos believed them! Time for us to and eventually turn unfortunate events into
disbelieve them…] advantages, making defect into effect.
Filipino social scientists never quite agreed with the …Filipino city dwellers are increasingly shifting away
colonial interpretation of bahala na. As early as the from being-in-the-here-and-now to a lfiestyle based on
1940s, they suggested that the term combined both long-term planning. The latter outlook is at the source
fatalism and determinism, like when the anthropologist of the Western education.
Camilo Osias noted: “It is an expression of courage and
fortitude, a willingness to face difficulty and a
willingness to accept the consequences.”
Come what may I gave up completely trusting in myself, money, society,
jobs, relatives and friends only because it failed me
Lately, I have been very interested in studying about my many times. There are times I have so full confidence of
faith. I am not interested in other topic but more on this the people around me, the one I mingled with believing
topic. they are completely harmless but then you will be
I learned abou t this in school--- the attitude of Filipinos surprised that a once sweet smiling face at you has
known as "Bahala Na" attitude. In school they teach us turned the most wicked smile you have ever seen.
about the negative thing about the use of this attitude.
In fact, whether they teach it in school or not, I always I mean Bahala Na attitude can be a good attitude if you
use this attitude in life whenever appli cable. don't make it as an excuse to be lazy and totally
Bahala Na term, they say revolved in the expression careless. It can help you actua lly survive in this life. If
you have already do the best that you can do, just relax,
"Bathala Na" where Bathala means God, therefore it sing Carrie Underwood's Jesus take the wheel,
means, Let God take control. something like that.
Some believe it is not a good attitude because as they For me, right now lots of things in this world is
believe it makes Filipinos careless, irresponsible, easy disappointing. I cannot put my complete trust to
go lucky, fatalistic and lazy. anything in this world because I might get disillusioned.
When you cannot seem to see the outcome of events
As for me, I can see, if I use this attitude in moderation, and your totally helpless, hopeless, and nowhere to go
it is not bad actually. For me, I applied it in many just apply this attitude but exert some effort then just
incidences of my life. I really want to panic and I really say-your will be done Lord not my will be done.
want to get nervous and tense but if I say Bahala Na, I
get relieve instantly. My stress and my tension
somehow reduce. When I feel I have done my best
already or prepared myself in the best of my knowledge,
I just leave the rest of my life in God's hand.