https://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Crab_mentality

Crab mentality, sometimes referred to as crabs in the bucket (also barrel, basket or pot), is a
way of thinking best described by the phrase, "if I can't have it, neither can you."[1] The metaphor
refers to a bucket of crabs. Individually, the crabs could easily escape from the bucket, but
instead they grab at each other in a useless "king of the hill" competition which prevents any
from escaping and ensures their collective demise.[2][3][4][5] The analogy in human behavior is
claimed to be that members of a group will attempt to negate or diminish the importance of any
member who achieves success beyond the others, out of envy, spite, conspiracy,
or competitive feelings, to halt their progress.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/o
pinion/capturing-indian-crab-behaviour/article4570414.ece

Capturing Indian crab behaviour

An attempt to maximise ones own utility can lead to the Indian crab mindset.

Crabs pulling one another down is touted as a typical Indian trait.

A few years ago, someone told me a story about an Indian businessman, who made big bucks
exporting crabs in containers with no lids.

A cost-conscious rival who just couldnt bear the suspense finally asked our gentleman how he
managed to export his crabs in lidless containers. Didnt those crustaceans simply crawl away?

Prompt came the response: These were Indian crabs, after all. There was nothing to worry here
because the moment one crab tried climbing up, the others would pull him down. So long as he
ensured the crabs were Indian, the exporter did not have to spend on lids for the containers. The
savings from that were seemingly significant enough, in a business where incremental cost
advantages mattered.

Why are we crabs, after all?

I cannot vouch for the storys veracity, but crabs pulling each other down is definitely a powerful
metaphor for what is often touted as a very typical Indian trait of not letting the others forge
ahead. Forget helping each other, Indians are apparently predisposed to even pulling others down
at the slightest hint of their doing better.

In casual conversation, jealousy is what is suggested as the usual motive for the above behaviour.
However, I am not sure that this may be the only, or even the most likely, explanation.

One can examine the crab problem from two different viewpoints.
The first is whether this has to do with Indians primarily caring about how they are doing
relative to others the jealousy-type argument.

The second is whether they engage in such behaviour, not because of any concern over how
others are doing, but the possibility of it adversely affecting their own well-being.

I will start with providing two explanations that seem to vindicate the relative-outcomes
argument.

That argument can very well hold in countries with high ethnic, linguistic or religious
heterogeneity. One way to capture it is using an ethno-linguistic fractionalisation index,
measuring the probability that two persons drawn at random from a country's population will not
belong to the same ethno-linguistic group.

One such exercise, carried out in 2000, developed three separate measures capturing such
heterogeneity based on community, language and religion. For India, the corresponding index
values were 0.418, 0.806, and 0.326.

The inference from it is that the highest diversity was in language the probability of any two
Indians drawn randomly from its large population not having the same linguistic background is
0.806 whereas heterogeneity along community and religion lines wasnt as marked.

In general, the more heterogeneous a society is, the higher are the efforts by people of one group
to pull down those of others. But this hypothesis assumes Oriya crabs will not pull down one
another, just as Malayali crabs surely wouldnt with their own brethren. That, however, may not
be the case always. An alternative explanation supporting the relative-outcomes argument could
be that people actually are more bothered about how those from within their circles, as opposed
to outsiders, are doing.

In this case, it is the felt need to keep up with the Singhs that pushes them to emulate, if not
surpass, the attainment levels of their cohorts. The envy stemming from not succeeding on that
count, in turn, induces crab-like behaviour.

But I seriously doubt whether this can be seen only as an Indian trait. People in many other parts
of the world would also, perhaps, lay claim to this unenviable trait.

Crabs sans envy

Instead of looking at relative arguments to account for crab-like behaviour supposedly unique to
Indians, one could also postulate envy-free explanations. This can arise from individuals simply
caring about their own well-being, rather than comparing themselves with others be it insiders
or outsiders.

Imagine, for instance, a team in which every single member has a specialised skill
complementing that of the others, with each of these separate skills jointly contributing to the
success of the team.
This lends itself to a situation where the team just cannot afford losing any member.

So, if a certain member of the group starts climbing up by doing better in life the sheer fear
of that individuals exit pushes everyone to pull him down. Here, it is not envy, but concern for
own well-being, arising from reduced group performance, that induces the crab mentality.

Next, consider another scenario, where you have a group of friends from whom you seek help. If
one or more of them plans to move elsewhere, it means a smaller friend circle to rely on and,
hence, a lower probability of getting help.

Another way of arguing the same is that if one of my friends starts doing well, he may not need
me anymore and, therefore, wouldnt be all that inclined to help me either in future.

It, then, induces in me desire to pull him down back to my own level, where I will have peace
of mind from the knowledge that he will need my help. To use another nautical analogy, I want
to scuttle his boat and still want him to help me. That admittedly sounds incredulous, but my
rejoinder to that would be that I am also game to go out on a fishing expedition with him when
he wants me to.

Thus, it is not relative comparison, but an attempt to maximise ones own utility that can also
lead to the Indian crab mindset.

Hopefully, these alternative explanations will help assuage the guilt of some who have pulled
other crabs down!

(The author teaches industrial organisation and applied game theory at Louisiana State
University. He is also a Visiting Professor at the School of Management, KIIT University,
Bhubaneswar.)

(This article was published on April 1, 2013)

Related
https://retiringtothephilippines.com/living-in-the-philippines/crab-mentality-is-all-around/

Crab Mentality Is All Around April 24, 2013 by Gary McMurrain 5 Comments

What goes up, must come down! Crab mentality is a popular saying among Filipinos and it refers
to behavior associated with envy and jealousy. If I cant have it, neither can you and I will pull
you down! I have heard many foreigners over the years complain about crab mentality while
living in the islands or spending time visiting the islands. However, I have experienced far more
crab mentality from expats over the past 13 years than I have from Filipinos over the past 27
years! I spent 9 years teaching English in another Asian country before my family and I moved
to the Philippines. Another foreign teacher attempted to push me down the stairs because I was
chosen by the University Administration to be a judge in the Provincial English Speaking
Competition over him. Due to my wifes experience in the same Asian country, when dealing
with many expats, she said many expats will be the same way in the Philippines. Crabs! She was
right. There are many crabs among expats who are living in the Philippines. However, not all, of
course. Jealousy, envy and conspiracy are not part of my character. When my friends and family
are successful, I am happy for them, and I do not covet what they have achieved. Ever since I
was 19 years old, I worked to get what I wanted. If someone had something I liked, then I got it
myself, without trying to destroy them or take away what they had earned through hard work and
diligence. I also put my nose to the grindstone and achieved what I wanted. I had failures in my
life but I wasnt a failure because I kept at things until I was successful. I never quit! A bucket of
crabs and crab mentality are phrases attributed to the Filipina human rights activist, political
prisoner during the Marcos era, author, feminist activist and journalist, Ninotchka Rosca. She
witnessed crab mentality among some people in the Philippines, who had short-sighted thinking
and king of the hill attitude that is not long term. The Future is today Shooting yourself in the
foot and cutting your own throat are similar phrases with crab mentality. There is no long term
vision with crab mentality! A number of expats go into business with their wives in the
Philippines and because they failed, they tell everyone else that they will also fail. I have heard
foreigners say that it is impossible to succeed in business in the Philippines. This is far from the
truth. I guess my wifes three successful businesses are a mirage? The businesses have profited
every year since 2009 and the Pesos are real. We can spend them. Ever since I heard about The
Power of Positive Thinking as a young man, I applied it to my life and I do not enjoy being
around people who are always saying negative things about everything under the sun. I am a
glass half full kinda guy, especially about the Philippines. The positives far outweigh the
negatives and that is how it has been during my experiences since 1986 in the Philippines. Even
though I come in contact with many foreigners in the Philippines with crab mentality, they
cannot pull me down, no matter how hard they try. I am locked in on my agenda in life. If I have
to see something first before I believe it, it is not faith at all. We all put our faith in one thing or
another. This is my rant for the week!

Read more at: https://retiringtothephilippines.com/living-in-the-philippines/crab-mentality-is-all-

around/

https://365orbits.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-science-of-crab-mentality.html

Crab Mentality
Are you familiar with those people who love to criticize you even for the pettiest things? Do you
sense that they're talking about you behind your back? There's one good explanation for it: crab
mentality. Crab mentality is a social epidemic. It is characterized by people's action of pulling
others down so they can get on topjust like crabs that are beating one another on who gets to
go out from the pail first. For any person who is a victim of crab mentality, it's a terrible stressor.
Your reputation and everything you worked hard for are suddenly in great jeopardy. Moreover,
you cannot help but ask yourself the question, "Why me?" You should be aware that most likely
there's nothing wrong with you. In fact, you have plenty of good attributes, forcing others to feel
intense insecurity.

Nonetheless, you should be ready just in case the stress and anxiety of crab mentality get hold of
you. The mentality can strike at all levels of life. Some charitable organizations are sometimes
accused of it, with members of the organization failing to think ahead or refusing to support
certain initiatives in a way that ultimately drags the whole charity down. In office environments,
the crab mentality can be particularly devastating, as coworkers snipe at each other to bring each
other down, rather than congratulating someone who earns a promotion. This way of thinking is
a reflection of the famous saying we all like to see our friends get ahead, but not too far ahead.
People who learn to recognize it in themselves can often find ways of counteracting it, which is a
very good idea, especially for those who work or live in a highly competitive environment.
Crab mentality is an idiom that describes an envious (and to an extent, destructive) behavior. Its
the tendency to outdo others at their expense. It takes its name from the supposed behavior that
crabs display when placed in a kaing. As the crabs struggle to climb out, some crabs hold on to
the legs of other crabs who already reached a certain height clawing on the holes of a basket
made of bamboo. The weight on their legs eventually pulls them down and no matter how the
crabs try, they cant get out. Our long-held view of crab mentality not only reflects how jaded we
are, as a people, but also our inability to see things as they are. We assume too much and in some
cases use such assumptions as premises for assumptive conclusions. Then we eventually hold
these notions as truth by sheer familiarity. In effect, we look at things the way we want to see
them and fail to understand them for their value. When, based on our assumptions, our hopes
fail, we become more jaded and will continue to see things based on our dismal perspective of
the world. In the process, we get trapped in a vicious cycle of cynicism. Some people, however,
tend to end up in a different cycle. Those whose assumptions are positive tend to look at things
ideally or at least mechanically hopeful. But because such, however encouraging, are still
assumptions, I would consider it a vicious cycle of optimism, a quixotic perspective that is prone
to be out of touch with reality. Admittedly, I have been trapped in one in many aspects of my life
and for long periods and I still have the tendency to whirl around it.
The term crab mentality is used to describe a kind of selfish, short-sighted thinking that runs
along the lines of if I can't have it, neither can you. This term is especially widely used among
Filipinos, who use it specifically to refer to people who pull other people down, denigrating them
rather than letting them get ahead or pursue their dreams. As a general rule, an accusation of
having this type of mentality is a poor reflection on someone's personality. This concept
references an interesting phenomenon that occurs in buckets of crabs. If one crab attempts to
escape from a bucket of live crabs, the others will pull it back down rather than allowing it to get
free. Sometimes, the crabs seem almost malicious, waiting until the crab has almost escaped
before yanking it back into the pot.

All of the crabs are undoubtedly aware of the fact that their fate is probably not going to be very
pleasurable, so people are led to wonder why they pull each other back into the bucket instead of
helping the clever escape artist. When someone has a crab mentality, it means that he or she is
unwilling to allow someone to get out of a situation or to get ahead. People who are attempting
to get out of bad life situations often find themselves foiled by friends and family members who
keep sucking them back in. For example, a Latina immigrant in the United States who decides to
pursue a college education in the hopes of securing a good career may find herself discouraged
by family members who do not approve of education or who fear that she will become distanced
from her family after going to college.
Crab mentality is a human habit similar to what crabs do when put in a basket. If the basket is
left with no heavy cover, the crabs inside it will all have gotten out fast in less than an hour. If
the basket is weak, they go to one side and cause it to fall toward it, thus freeing them all. If the
basket is designed against their escape, they cannot all go out. They all try to get out of where
they are, and in that process pull each other down, whether they succeed in getting out or not.
For them, pulling down or stepping on others is a fact of their existence. It is natural for them in
the quest for success or when confronting failure. Crab mentality is also part of humanity. It
simply is envy. (Crabs do not envy one another; they just want to be free.) Humans envy and try
to outdo each other because of selfishness and greed, but not all the time.

When one envies somebody, one of his natural reactions is to knock him down, but this does not
always happen. Each one of us may envy, yet we do not always pull others down. We usually
just keep to ourselves those envious feelings and then let them go away. Neighbors defaming
neighbors, reporters inventing stories about celebrities, businessmen performing unfair
competitions, and professionals dislodging fellow professionals are among the crab mentality
practices. Of course, there is the timeless neighborhood rivalry: If a resident buys something, his
neighbor will try to outdo him by purchasing a similar but more expensive item. And when
politicians fail to deliver their electoral promises of better lives, they chastise the people for not
cooperating and rather pulling down others, hence the general failure. Is that worth it. Think
about it.
Posted 13th May 2014 by Dr. Roohi

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/intense-emotions-and-strong-feelings/201103/envy-the-
emotion-kept-secret

Envy is a secretly held emotion. If you are envious of someone it's unlikely that you will admit it
to anyone, except perhaps to someone who might also be envious of that other person and will
participate with you in denigrating them. The circumstances in which you might be envious will
always involve a social comparison or competition between yourself and another person. Such
competition and comparison with others are a part of the yardstick by which you measure
yourself--your self-evaluation. Since envy is triggered only when you come up short, that's part
of the reason why it is experienced as such an "ugly" emotion. In order to adjust the
measurements that will neutralize your envy, you will have to diminish the source, elevate
yourself, or do both. Envy makes you work hard and it seems as though you keep coming back
again and again to measuring your self-worth against that of the other person.

Given that emotions have evolved to help us, what could possibly be the purpose of envy? As an
emotion that enables survival of the species, envy is related to competition and social
comparison between yourself and others that are a part of your self-evaluation. Consider first the
thoughts and feelings that envy creates: you want what someone else has, whatever it is that you
envy in another person has limited availability, and the envied quality gives the person who has
it some advantage or power. Secondly, the thoughts and feelings that are evoked when the
emotion of envy is triggered in your brain can make you experience animosity toward that
person and anguish within yourself. If you were a caveman you might either defer to the envied
other, do something to eliminate him, or find a way to possess the desired quality. Although we
are no longer cavemen, some variation of the same solutions seem to occur in the contemporary
human mind.

Envy has to do with feeling unhappy about the success of someone else, or about what they have
and, at the same time, secretly feeling inferior yourself. Instead of finding success for yourself or
improving yourself, you may be envious and want what another person has or find yourself
wishing that the other person would lose that quality or possession in order to make things seem
fair. If you are envious of someone you may want to put them down, as though this will raise
you up or lower everyone else's opinion of them. But it just doesn't work! Instead you may want
to consider that you are feeling inferior or not good enough yourself. We really can't know what
another person's life is like, but an envious person just assumes that the other person is happier or
better. So in a strange way, when you envy someone else, you are giving them a compliment.
But it's a compliment that can harm you and how you feel about yourself.

Envy has many manifestations, and some of them are hidden dragons. For example, it is possible
to mistake attraction to another person for what is actually your envy of them. The hostility that
you might experience with envy of a competitor is missing in this instance because the
expectation is that you will get the envied attribute by association. Thus, you can "fall in love"
with what you want for yourself that another person has--status, money, power, family ties,
or intelligence--rather than with who that person really happens to be. You can imagine that you
will get what you need by being attached to someone who has it. But the fate of an initial
idealization is usually later disappointment. By the time you come to your senses you may
experience some animosity toward them that you hid from yourself.

Your envy does not always belong to you. Your own envy of others can originate from what
your parents envied or admired. For example, if your parents struggled financially and wished
for more money, you might envy those who have it. Or if a parent idealized a
college education that was impossible to obtain, you might admire intellectual pursuits.

People idealize when they are envious. You can imagine that a quality or something possessed
by someone else would bring you happiness or fulfillment. Typically, envy comes
with fantasies of having what you are lacking, and often what you might be lacking is admiration
that is similar to the high regard you have for the person who has the desired attribute or
possession you envy.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT

A significant way in which you define yourself has to do with your ideals, ambitions, and what
you value. Your ideal self is what you aspire to be; the best that you think you could or should
be, and often this ideal comes from social comparisons. Your sense of self is constantly
measuring itself against your ideals and coming to various conclusions. If you measure up, you
feel good, excited, and even elated. If you don't measure up you may feel depressed, or
ashamed. Self-esteem is determined to a great degree by your own comparison of your sense of
self to your ideal self. However, it is sometimes easier to project that ideal onto someone else in
the form of envy.

The values against which your self is measured are likely to change as you mature and as you
learn to evaluate your potentialities and accept your limitations. If you have realistic ideals and
can generally live up to them, your self-esteem will not be threatened. If your ideals are
exaggerated and you cannot reach them, your good feelings from successes may be short lived
and you may feel that you are never good enough and will envy others. The continued hope for
the impossible, the expectation that you will or can be unconditionally loved and adored, is not
facing reality but rather holding on to an idealized image of yourself and an idealized version of
what others can provide. If this is the case, you will need to protect your sense of self from
experiencing shame, depression, disappointment, and envy.

http://www.emotionalcompetency.com/envy.htm

Envy
You want what they have

They have it, you want it, so you feel envy. Envy is not only felt for material possessions,
more often we envy people who are well regarded, admired, influential, and successful. We
wish we had their stature. At its root, envy is feeling bad because a colleague has now
achieved a higher stature than you. It is an egocentric and selfish view of fairness.

Definitions

1. Wanting what someone else has [laz]

2. Desiring other's stature objects
3. Displeased about an event desirable for another [OCC]
4. Feeling inferior to another person.

Envy is caused by a dissatisfaction with self-imageyour perception of your actual stature.

This dissatisfaction is also called low self-esteema poor self-appraisal of your actual
stature. Because you feel inferior to the person you envy, envy is related to shame. Envy
encourages you to achieve higher stature.

You believe that if I had what you have, then I would be happy.

Note that envy and gloating have parallel structures. Envy is when you feel bad because a
rival did well, and gloating is when you feel good because a rival did badly.

Related Terms

Jealousy and envy are closely related, and some writers regard them as synonyms. In envy
you want what you never had. In jealousy, you are threatened with the loss of something
you have (or thought you had). Envy is a two-person emotion; I want what you have.
Jealousy is the three-person love triangle, I want who you have.

Coping

Wishing the best for your rival may be an effective way to cope with envy. Reassess the
situation to determine if you truly need or deserve the envied object. If you want what you
have you will prevent envy. In any case, exercise the good judgment and self control to
avoid hostility.

Listening to our envy

While becoming consumed with envy is destructive, listening carefully to our envy can be
instructive. If you envy that fit person you see at the gym, the singing voice of your cousin,
or the entrepreneurial success of your neighbor, perhaps it is because these
represent goals you would like to achieve. Think carefully about what sincere desires might
be triggering your envy, use that insight to carefully reexamine your goals. Revise your
goals if doing so will better align with your authentic self.

Other stature-Related Emotions

Envy is one of several stature-related emotions. Contempt and gloating are kinds of reverse
envy. While we envy those with higher stature, we feel contempt for those with lower
stature. We gloat when we see others suffer a drop in stature due to their own mistake. We
feel compassion or pity for unfortunate people with low stature caused by misfortune.

Intense envy can turn into hate, anger, or violence if it is not constructively coped with.

Paths of Envy

Understanding what can trigger our envy, what separates envy from jealousy, and how we
can resolve our envy helps us to cope with our feelings. The following figure illustrates
choices we have and paths we can take to either prolong or resolve our envy. Use this like
you would any other map: 1) decide where you are now, 2) decide where you want to go, 3)
choose the best path to get there, and 4) go down the chosen path.

You may wish to print out this one-page version of the Paths of Envy and Jealousy map.

This diagram is an example of a type of chart known by systems analysts as a state

transition diagram. Each colored elliptical bubble represents a state of being that represents
the way you are now. The labels on the arrows represent actions or events and the arrows
show paths into or out of each state. You are at one place on this chart for one
particular relationship or incident at any particular time. Other people are likely to be in
other places on the chart. This is similar to an ordinary road map where you plot where you
are now, while other people are at other places on the same map. Begin the analysis at the
green OK bubble, or wherever else you believe you are now.
OK: This is the beginning or neutral state. It corresponds to yourself being free of envy or
jealousy. The green color represents safety, tranquility, equanimity, and growth potential.

I want what you have: You see what someone else has and you desire it. You believe that
if you can get what the other person has, your stature will increase and you will feel more
satisfied. You may be desiring their car, house, boat, vacation, or more likely their
recognition, stature, looks, health, fame or other personal attribute. Be careful here. Make
certain: 1) that if you had it it would increase your genuine stature, not just your futile
stature seeking, and 2) you could actually get it.

Envy: They have what you want and you will be unhappy until you get it. You are feeling
badly about your low self-esteem and you believe if you can get what they have it will
increase your stature and you will feel better. Maybe it will, but probably it will not. stature
is more often earned than acquired. A lot of energy is wasted in this type of futile stature
seeking. It is better to understand your true needs, recognize you cannot substitute material
goods for well being, and work to meet your actual needs. The yellow color represents the
discontent you feel.

Needs not met: It is likely that your needs will not be met by by your envy. Perhaps what
you are seeking can't be transferred to you. This is true of health, fitness, good looks, and
many other non-material items. It is also true of many material objects. Another common
problem is that even if you are able to acquire the object you are seeking, it may not
increase your stature. stature is more often earned than acquired. Staying stuck here is
destructive; reappraise and move on.

Needs Met, or Reappraisal: Either you get what you want and you feel better, or you have
increased your stature to that of your envied peer, or you reappraise the situation, recognize
you don't need what they have, and you feel better. Try wising the best for your rival and
see if you any feel better. Sour Grapes describes an insincere disparaging of the object
you originally sought. This allows you to walk away and avoid a public humiliation.

http://clashdaily.com/2015/02/envy-jealousy-crab-mentality-someones-always-pull/

Written by Angel Rodriguez on February 19, 2015

ENVY, JEALOUSY, CRAB MENTALITY: Someones Always Out There to Pull You Down

I have always said that jealousy, and envy are probably at the root of most evil. Some people say
that money is the root of all evil, but what is it that money creates in people? It creates jealousy
and envy!
Recently, there was a story out about a man who had to commute and partially walked 21 miles
to work everyday. James Robertson, who is 56 years old, had such a touching story, that many
were moved to donate money to help him. Ford even donated a car for Robertson to help him out
with his commute.

This is a pretty amazing story, dont you think?

Well, that is until the haters start come out. See, the moment these parasites started to smell the
money; some of his associates started to come out of the woodwork to get a cut. It is mind-
boggling to me how quickly, and shamelessly these leeches respond. Apparently, the man had to
get a police escort to pick up his belongings and move out after allegedly receiving death threats.
He claims that a man who boasted about winning the lotto was killed shortly after announcing
that. As such he feared for his own life, considering that he just won a publicly sponsored lottery.
I have never been able to understand why people respond in this fashion to someone elses good
luck. This reminds me of the time we treated my sister to a limousine ride as part of her
graduation present. The people in our block were jealous, hateful, and began to throw items at us
and the vehicle while hiding behind their window curtains. We literally had to move the car, and
circle around because we feared an escalation of violence if we stayed there waiting for my
family.
This crab mentality is exactly what Robertson is dealing with. These people are jealous that he
is receiving some help, a lucky break of sorts, and they are trying to pull him down. They want to
take what is rightfully his due to the generosity of these people who donated their money.
Granted, I dont know if there is more to it that I am not aware of. Perhaps these people provided
money to him, favors, or something else? I dont know. However, by the sound of it, this doesnt
seem to be the case.
It is such a shame the way things are, my friends. Weve seen the athletes get robbed. Some of us
experienced this growing up. You see it on the news all of the time, and nowadays even winning
the lotto abroad can get you hate! As was recently the case with the Puerto Rican power ball
winner! I guess that Ill close out with this: watch your six, because there is always someone out
there trying to take what is rightfully yours!
https://www.quiettimeswithgod.com/crab-mentality/

Crab Mentality
Nov 07 2008

Crab Mentality
OPM (Original Pinoy Mindset) series: CRAB MENTALITY.

For as he thinks within himself, so he is Proverbs 23:7a (NASB).

A persons mindset dictates the way he behaves. This behavior brings about actions which in
turn, bring about consequences. Every mindset has its spiritual implication.
CRAB MENTALITY is a trait common of many Filipinos. This concept is a metaphor of a
bucket of crabs usually found in wet markets wherein the crabs pull each other down and trample
each other to be able to escape. Crab Mentality is an unfriendly competition among individuals
that involves slandering, back-biting, and trampling on another to get ahead. It is a trait that dates
back to the Spanish colonization wherein the Filipino Indios heavily depended on the favor of
the Spanish Insulares and made ways to damage each others reputation to be able to step up.

The bible tells of the story of how an encounter with God has brought about the transformation
of one of its greatest characters: Jacob.

The name Jacob literally means deceiver or supplanter (One who wrongfully holds the place of
another).

The Stages of Jacobs Crab Mentality.

1. UPBRINGING.

When Jacob was born, his hand was grasping his twin brother Esaus heel who came out before
him (Genesis 25:26). This assumingly indicates that even from the womb, Jacob did not want his
brother to get ahead.

Growing up, Jacobs father, Isaac, favored Esau more than Jacob. Esau was a skillful hunter and
was an outdoorsman, wherein Jacob, who was white-skinned and was more adept indoors, won
the favor of his mother. This may have, somehow, brought about a mindset in Jacob that Gods
resources are limited.

2. BIRTHRIGHT. Genesis 25: 29-34

The eldest sons birthright gives him the authority to manage everything that the family owns.
Jacob capitalized on Esaus hunger and need for food to acquire for himself his brothers
birthright.

3. STEALING OF BLESSINGS.
When Jacob and Esau were still in their mothers womb, the LORD said to Rebecca that there
were two nations in her womb (Genesis 25:23). Instead of praying and hanging on to Gods
promise, Jacob hung on to what man can give him. In connivance with his mother, Jacob tricked
his father Isaac on being given him the blessings that was intended for Esau (Genesis 27:19-23).

The effects of sin are: Poverty and Greed. Poverty says, I dont have enough, while Greed
says, I want more.

THE TRANSFORMATION OF JACOB.

1.First Encounter with God (Genesis 28:12-16).

Jacob fled to Haran to escape the wrath of his brother, Esau. On his way to his uncle Labans
house, God gave him a picture of heaven in a dream. Through the dream, God blessed him just
as he had blessed Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 28:15).
Jacobs perspective was changed. When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, Surely the
LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it Genesis 28:16.

Many times, we are more conscious of what God is doing in other peoples lives that we miss out
on Gods faithfulness in our own.

2.Second Encounter with God.

After the initial encounter, Jacobs blessings followed him. He was blessed with a wife he loves
(Rachel), he was blessed with children (Genesis 29), he was blessed with properties, and God
appointed a time for the restoration of his relationship with his brother, Esau.
On his way back to his fathers house, a servant informed him that his brother Esau was coming
to meet him with 400 men. Jacob was distressed, reminded of his past sins. God reminded him
again of His promises in his life through another encounter (Genesis 32:24-28).

Then the man said, Let me go, for it is daybreak. But Jacob replied, I will not let you go
unless you bless me. The man asked him, What is your name? Jacob, he answered (Genesis
32:26-27).
Jacob wrestled with God. When God touched his hip, Jacob never walked the same way again.
When Jacob uttered his name when he was asked, it was an act of surrendering to God, an
admission that he has been doing things his own way.
In Genesis 46, God reminded Israel (Jacob) of his promises again. God acted on Jacobs behalf.
Ultimately, it is the faithfulness of God that will promote us.

CRAB MENTALITY VS GOD MENTALITY

1. Crab Mentality: Motivated by selfish ambition.
God Mentality: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider
others better than yourselves (Philippians 2:3).

2. Crab Mentality: Damaging other peoples reputation.

God Mentality:Consider others better than yourself (Philippians 2:3b).

3. Crab Mentality: Born out of envy and jealousy.

God Mentality:Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the
interests of others (Philippians 2:4).

HOLD ON TO GOD, NOT MAN. Crab Mentality is grabbing on to what man can do for you,
but God-mentality is looking to what God can do for you.

No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame. (Psalm 25:3)

The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6).

Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.

The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Psalm 85:11-12.**

http://www.semidoppel.com/anatomy-of-crab-mentality-most-filipinos-do-it-on-festivity/6000

Anatomy of Crab Mentality: Most Filipinos Do it on Festivity

Semidoppel January 23rd, 2012

What are the common things you observed when reading Yahoo news comment or feedback
section? Well to hit straight on my point, lets specify the Yahoo Philippines News Yes, youll
be annoyed just like what happen every time I open my web browser though I cant help not to
read the comment section since theres like a magnet that pulls me through (and very forceful I
guess) and read it anyway possible.

Usually youll get this feeling you read something good happen to a certain personality and
youll feel aloof for them for their success then suddenly annoyed when you read most of the
comments are all negative towards certain individuality. Im not going to say it since I feel
ashamed though I should They call it Crab Mentality.

Crab Mentality is a way of thinking best described by the phrase.If I cant have it, neither can
you. Its a metaphor referring to a pot of crabs in which one of them tries to escape and instead
is pulled down by the rest of them. The point in referring crabs in the pot it has to do with the
fact that if youre in a situation like dont try to squeeze your way out of it because everyone else
will just pull you back into the problem but even deeper than before.

Lets dig in a much deeper accounts, I did research online on the idea and line of crab mentality
and it is so repulsive that crab mentality is often associated with Filipinos worldwide. Yes, if
its twitter we Filipinos are the undisputed top trending worldwide for the hash tag
#CrabMentality.

The term crab mentality is used to describe a kind of selfish, short-sighted thinking which runs
along the lines of if I cant have it, neither can you (referred to previous phrase). This term is
especially widely used among Filipinos, who use it specifically to refer to people who pull other
people down, denigrating them rather than letting them get ahead or pursue their dreams.

As a general rule, an accusation of having a crab mentality is a poor reflection on someones

personality.

This concept references an interesting occurrence which happens in buckets of crabs. If one crab
attempts to escape from a bucket of live crabs, the other crabs will pull it back down, rather than
allowing it to get free. Sometimes, the crabs seem almost malicious, waiting until the crab has
almost escaped before yanking it back into the pot. All of the crabs are undoubtedly aware of the
fact that their fate is probably not going to be very pleasurable, so people are led to wonder why
they pull each other back into the bucket, instead of congratulating the clever escape artist.

Factors proximity to being a Crab Mentality State

1 Envy and Jealousy These is the major factor I guess so I dont have to explain it.
2 Redefining Individuality in a way that somebody negates others in order to define h/she is
different from that certain individual.
3 Resentment planting hatred to somebody and never have the time to forgive, thats
certainly a not lost cause.
4 Greediness This explains if I cant have it, neither can you! in a worst way.
5 Selfishness and Self-indulgence its just that there are people who just feel happy and
indulge when they pull someone downward.

Achievement equals pride, and pride involves pleasure on the part of the achiever. Self-
actualization is a human necessity accordingly, it is normal. The questions that must be
involved with these behaviour or way of thinking: How happy are you scrutinizing others
achieve their goals? How do you sense seeing people thrive in their deeds? Do you appreciate the
accomplishments of people around you? Are you glad with someone elses success?

Whether we agree to it or not, if we self-assess today and reflect that we actually or secretly feel
sorry about seeing nice things happening to people, chances are, we are guilty of the loathsome
trait of crab mentality!

https://brightside.me/article/the-one-simple-reason-why-you-should-rely-only-on-yourself-
12905/

The one simple reason why you should rely only on yourself
There is this wonderful idea known as the crab bucket theory. To put it briefly, the crab bucket
theory runs as follows: crabs are such primitive animals that, although they could easily escape
from a basket one by one, they instinctively claw each other away from their escape route when
any single one of them tries to do so. Because they all try to get out of where they are, they pull
each other down. For them, pulling down or stepping on others is a fact of their existence.
It is natural for them in the quest for success or when confronting failure.
Crab mentality is also part of humanity. Its simply envy.
Humans envy and try to outdo each other because of selfishness and greed, but not all the time.
When one envies somebody, one of his natural reactions is to knock him down, but this does not
always happen. Each one of us may envy, yet we do not always pull others down. We usually
just keep to ourselves those envious feelings and then let them go away. Crab mentality
is a universal attitude happening in every corner of the world.
When someone tries to give up smoking, his friends might say, Hell never manage it, at the
same time as proffering a cigarette thats the crab bucket theory in action. When you get your
second university degree, and your work colleagues ask you what you needed that for when you
ended up doing the same job as them, thats it again. When your own parents tell you that your
stupid, have no talents, and nothing good will come of you there you go, the universality
of the crab bucket theory has been proved yet again.
This is, sadly, human nature, and theres nothing you can do about it except for one, very
important thing: overcome the walls of the basket and keep crawling forward even when there
are a hundred people trying to pull you back.
Source: Jon E. Royeca