Have you ever helped someone in our culture that was in dire need and that person not was not only empowered by your help but used the help you gave them to discredit your person?
Here are two cultural scenarios , and I say cultural because I am yet to see it in another culture. Not that it doesn’t exist but Jamaicans have a special way of doing it.
-You decide to help someone financially, the person was unable to provide for themselves but while they were in that place and needed that extra hand they were polite, caring and helpful. The help you give / gave, is/was constant and of course it causes personal growth. The person then changes from what they were before (has no manners, dont care and still has their hand stretched out). Not only changed but asking for more help, not working but wanting more help, wanting house money, car money , when in fact they did not have food before. It makes you wonder how did this person get here, what about your help that caused this…Is there a way to fix this?
We see this kind of behavior played out in various parts of our culture. Older Jamaicans wonder if Jamaicans have changed and if this is just a new breed of Jamaicans culturally.
They are prideful without ambition
Pride is a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.
The new breed as per social media are pleasured and satisfied by nothing substantial from a coherent person’s point of view but we know culturally, Jamaicans are prideful , what is missing is the need to better one’s self. They have lost the drive to be greater, to excel and to secure substantial achievements. For example ; The women of our culture have always relied on their bodies as a source of income and it may not have been the best way but it has been a part of our culture. The difference then and now is that, the women then who sold, found the highest bidders and quickly built or secured a foundation for themselves. This generation sells randomly , to any and everyone without taking the time to fully processes the true income of these men ..and now women. The person they sell to has money only for that week or month so within the next six weeks they have to be looking for another man to sell to. Selling without an aim or cause, ambition out the window. When did we get to feeling that ambition isn’t a necessary part of survival?
Very good question writer. And it seems that the spectrum of things that people are proud about has been severely warped.
Blame globalization because it seeks to remove not just all borders to trade but to culture too.America and European powerhouses have always promulgated that their lifestyles,values and culture is the best the world has to offer.
Jamaicans leave here in droves to pursue their AMERICAN Dreams.In order to assimilate they’ve adopted questionable qualities n abandoneD our heritage that served us well throughout history.How else u explain our ppl worshipping n glorifying negativity n infamy. Kim Kardashian would have to leave Jamaica n bow her head in shame if her sex tape got out here,now we have girls wanting to be the next Kim K n Trap Queens here in jamaica.
Blame the Cable companies first, next blame the internet,most importantly Blame the Parents who are a generation of Likes head.
My always said cable come in and turn the youngsters them in a beggars, worthless and greedy.
On the other hand you have some men that tell lies and exaggerate make up stories on the women to just bring down ar profile. In this case you could share what you have and live in his house and he doesn’t share with you you buy every necessary thing for yourself and share everything with him ..help pay bills to balance even believe in him to invest ones money to build a solid foundation for us and the negative words that comes out of him mouth it’s just a put down mentally and then the physical abuse even while being intimate
With him . Some people are all for themselves and if you don’t mind some man them kick you out and tcompare you about withpast relationships……. it Really makes you wonder what Jamaican culture is coming too!???
True thing. Mi see it first hand fe me self. Help a yute sort out him papers,we got a child together and everything and the man try every way fe put me dung suh til me left him. Now him a walk a tell ppl bout me a keep him child from him when him done move on and a do him own thing. Opportunist nah nuh ambition a that’s why Jamaican culture so f**ked up nowadays cause most ppl just a use others fe get weh dem wah.