Too much of a good thing
Each culture has one concept that it cannot grasp.
South Koreans are constitutionally incapable of wrapping their heads around the law of diminishing returns. Two thousand years of Christianity have failed to leave any trace of forgiveness or peacemaking on Eritreans. Taiwanese will never apply their brilliant minds to their driving.
In the Philippines, the impossible concept seems to be ‘too much of a good thing.’
Air conditioning is good, therefore more aircon is better. I’ve seen thermostats on coaches set to 11 degrees. People travelling take this as natural and pack ski jackets.
Music is good, so more music is better. More as in louder so all the neighbours can hear, and also more as in more songs playing simultaneously. Imagine a beach where three family groups all bring along loudspeakers and each blare different music within a few metres of each other. I have seen this.
Sweetness is good, so the ideal amount of sugar in any product is the maximum that can be disolved in it. There’s a local iced tea I call ‘type 2 tea’ because one glass will give you Type 2 diabetes.
Sermons are good, so let’s make them louder. Catholic churches blare their message via loudspeakers for the whole town to hear.
Headlights are good, so highbeams are better. Let’s just leave them on all the time. Even at night while riding on the wrong side of the road? Of course! All the better for oncoming traffic to see me.
Dogs are good, so more dogs are better. Every house has seventeen dogs.
Alcohol is good, so more alcohol is better. Who cares if Red Horse, the fortified beer, tastes like arse? That’s not the point. Drink until you get into a fight over nonsense and stab your brother.
Concrete is good, so more concrete is better. Let’s concrete the whole yard, the whole neighbourhood. Spot a patch of green? Quick, concrete it! Too hot? See entry on aircon.
Is this a criticism of the Philippines? Yes and no. As I said, every culture has that one concept it will never grasp.
What’s yours?