Great thinkers then and now

There have been great thinkers who influenced the way humanity has shaped itself, and there are great thinkers today who affect and will sway humanity’s perspective moving forward. These great thinkers have always been there. An obvious difference between then and now is that the pace and expression of life then had its pace and that the pace today is unbelievably faster.

The pace of great thinking can seem that there is less depth but more volume and more speed today. I cannot really assess the depth of the more current thoughts and perspectives; somehow, time is one factor that enables us to see if, indeed, the soundness or wisdom of modern visions can endure. Future generations will decide that, not me.

What I can do is intuit what makes sense to me, what satisfies my deeper understanding, and then blend it with whatever learnings and insights I already have. Most of all, I wish to see how the human impulses, the running total of human behavior over recorded history, the affirmations or contradictions, prove the correctness and sustainability of the wisdom of alleged thinkers.

Article continues after this advertisement

In recent years, I’ve observed shifts in my country and beyond that indicate disruptive changes brewing under the surface. These changes rarely come with an immediate bang. Often, sudden upheavals mask a long period of festering tensions that, when viewed from a broader perspective, reveal an inevitable build-up toward a breaking point.

A brief look at the political landscape worldwide reveals a state of unrest. Military conflicts, economic pressures, and political instability are intensifying in various regions—Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa, the Philippines included. Major powers jockey for influence, pulling strings through proxy nations to secure their survival or expand their reach.

Here in the Philippines, we are entangled in our own political turmoil and economic struggles. Ideally, we aspire to make steady progress, yet for most Filipinos, even holding on to the current state feels like an impossible hope. Many are simply in survival mode, struggling against a downward pull. This hardship is exacerbated by the lavish lifestyles of politicians and their allies— a stark contrast to the majority’s daily struggles.

Article continues after this advertisement

Our economic elite, including billionaires and multimillionaires, flaunt their wealth openly, seemingly indifferent to the insecurity and fear of the 80 million Filipinos who face a far different reality. Decades of feudalism and a veneer of democracy have left many Filipinos tolerant or resigned, leading to limited public dissent. However, a simmering discontent exists, even if it hasn’t yet visibly surfaced.

Meanwhile, factions aligned with Marcos and Duterte publicly clash, particularly on social media, where their trolls fuel divisive rhetoric. In contrast, a quiet majority of Filipinos are caught in the middle. This group includes those who supported yellow and pink political movements, as well as Marcos and Duterte supporters who are beginning to question their own loyalty. They are not actively pursuing an independent agenda yet, but they remain hopeful for a better future.

In the past year, Filipinos have witnessed the ugliest sides of politics, as former allies turn on one another, airing each other’s misdeeds. Ironically, both sides share the same flaws—they once collaborated to manipulate the government to serve their own interests. Their newfound hostility doesn’t reflect any genuine ethical awakening. Conversion and atonement do not work this way. #

I know I have insisted—perhaps even in my own aspirations—that the ideal should unfold in our society over the last 40 years. Advocating for meaningful change has necessarily meant accepting that change comes slowly. Concepts and visions often stand in stark contrast to the reality of the physical and material world, especially when it comes to time. The advocate must find ways to close this gap effectively. Deep frustrations brought personal pain, and life was often harsh in teaching me that Pollyanna belongs only in storybooks.

It is overwhelming to see our collective reality hardly moving at all in how it understands and behaves. The process of collective maturation can seem almost impossible, even if it is constantly happening. We often miss how life moves and grows because we only watch for its unfolding in the ways we expected. From personal experience, we all know that life does not follow us; instead, we are forced to accept it as it happens, when it happens. Yet we continue to insist that life should go our way. It’s a vicious cycle.

The irony is that we want quick, meaningful change—and at the same time, we want it to unfold within the parameters of our aspirations, a contradiction. First, meaningful change is rarely quick. Second, we often want only superficial change, as anything deeper requires the pain of learning and the discipline of follow-through. We are, outwardly, a paternalistic society and, quietly, a maternalistic one as well—neither of which is truly democratic.

Great thinkers were never adrift. While envisioning their grand ideas and theories, they always remained grounded in their chosen life principles. We waste our time searching for new leaders or visions when we have yet to establish which virtues and values are non-negotiable. A society as confused as ours would do well to first agree, once again, on the most important things we will never let go of—those we will insist upon, fight for, and even die for. Until we reach this agreement, we will merely seek inspiration from the charisma of personalities as immature as ourselves.

I fear for humanity today. Some billionaires are seen as great thinkers simply because of their immense wealth and the successful means by which they accumulated it. Some politicians garner significant voter support yet struggle to hold onto it for even a brief time. There can be no great thinker without first understanding what it means to be a great human being. I earnestly pray that such individuals may come to bless the Filipino people.