An Epiphany - The Native Mentality

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Feb 15, 2005
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Last night a realization came to me that many still don't understand and it escaped me as well. Not just an "understanding" but more of a deeper peak into how the Islanders view life.

There will be many who would say it's obvious but you should look at life with this feeling for a split moment and you would peak into the lives of whom you are trying to emulate in order to assimilate into this society. Many in business relationships and other in amorous relationships.

Here it is:
While believing wholeheartedly in God on one side of the spectrum, on the other end is that:

God can't guarantee tomorrow.

Try it for day by yourself and everyone you come in contact with.
 

dv8

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Here it is:
While believing wholeheartedly in God on one side of the spectrum, on the other end is that:
God can't guarantee tomorrow.

it's actually the exact opposite, i think. god will provide for tomorrow so why worry about it today.

of course one cannot forget an old joke about a man who prayed every day to win the lottery: "please, god, let me win the lottery".
and one day god responded: "give me a chance and play the lottery".
 
May 5, 2007
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Last night a realization came to me that many still don't understand and it escaped me as well. Not just an "understanding" but more of a deeper peak into how the Islanders view life.

There will be many who would say it's obvious but you should look at life with this feeling for a split moment and you would peak into the lives of whom you are trying to emulate in order to assimilate into this society. Many in business relationships and other in amorous relationships.

Here it is:
While believing wholeheartedly in God on one side of the spectrum, on the other end is that:

God can't guarantee tomorrow.

Try it for day by yourself and everyone you come in contact with.

Many many moons ago I had my first "Island experience" while in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

After checking in to Doctors Cave Beach Hotel I hustled my ass down to the first Tiki bar on the beach where I watched the bartender moving at "Jamaican" speed waiting on customers. He finally gets to me and I say "Two Red Stripes please, I want to get drunk before I leave" and his reply; "Don't worry Mon, sun comes up sun goes down, we still be here" and I replied "Only one down and one up for me so please hurry the **** up"
 
Feb 15, 2005
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it's actually the exact opposite, i think. god will provide for tomorrow so why worry about it today.

of course one cannot forget an old joke about a man who prayed every day to win the lottery: "please, god, let me win the lottery".
and one day god responded: "give me a chance and play the lottery".

See that is what I mean. The locals say that too, "that God will provide". But how they live is:

That God can't guarantee tomorrow. God cannot. Just look at the tragic honeymoon accident, that couple had.
They lived it since infancy, they come in dozen to see dead bodies on the road, or shot, or funerals in the house.

If you don't understand that to them, God can't guarantee tomorrow, you will NEVER really blend in. You will NEVER understand why some want everything today instead of leaving some for tomorrow.

All I ask is see life like this for one day, it will change your perspective in the DR>
 

windeguy

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Richard, I understand very well the live for today attitude, it is something I never had, but then I never had a belief in god either. I was not brought up that way with respect to the live for the moment attitude. My parents did not by anything they could not pay cash for except for their house. Nothing else was financed.

I am not sure how understanding that DR lifestyle will aid in blending in, but it does help one to understand the various illogical things one frequently sees here.
 
Feb 15, 2005
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Richard, I understand very well the live for today attitude, it is something I never had, but then I never had a belief in god either. I was not brought up that way with respect to the live for the moment attitude. My parents did not by anything they could not pay cash for except for their house. Nothing else was financed.

I am not sure how understanding that DR lifestyle will aid in blending in, but it does help one to understand the various illogical things one frequently sees here.


Very true.
You Windguy has had that understanding for why that way of thinking. Certainly you blend in more than most because you understanding that their God belief goes but so far and that no guarantees for tomorrow exist for them, unlike most of us who have the security to plan for tomorrow. Which for us hides the fact that tomorrow is really but a wish.

The funny thing WindGuy, that most extranjeros are afraid to think that God can't guarantee tomorrow and therefore as much as they say otherwise, the same people will never really understand the culture.
 

dv8

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please, go out on the street and ask any dominican whether he thinks that god will NOT prove them for tomorrow. they will all look at you like you are crazy because they KNOW, for a fact, that god will provide them for tomorrow or any other day.

and oh, i do not care about fitting in. in fact, this is the LAST thing i want.
 

Chip

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please, go out on the street and ask any dominican whether he thinks that god will NOT prove them for tomorrow. they will all look at you like you are crazy because they KNOW, for a fact, that god will provide them for tomorrow or any other day.

Dominicans are smart. :)
 

NYWadjet

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The actitude is the same for the poor everywhere in this day and age. They live for today and worry about tomorrow when it gets here. When a person knows that their station in life will not change significantly in the long run all there is to do is survive. Why save a your money when it's worth will be less when you need to use it? Why not take out luxury items on credit and live beyond your means? If tomorrow they take it all away due to lack of payment at least you enjoyed it while it lasted.

Not saying this is right or wrong. Just a different mindset. One that I have become to understand but don't subscribe to, partially because I was brought up with a different mindset, I'm to proud or like to live a stress free life. Though once in a while it is useful and fun to take this approach, throw caution to the wind, dive in and splurge. Tomorrow might be to late.

And that was my 2 cents ;)
 

dv8

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my mother is a kinda of a person who worries about things when they come and IF they come. so she does not stresses whether she will get atherosclerosis like her brothers. rightly so, as it is predominantly a male thing. not that she knows that, i think. she does not stress about things she has no influence on. she's an easy going woman.
at the same time she is well capable of planning for the future: saving money - without being stingy; organizing renovation of the apartment - without missing normal bills; setting a christmas party - without overdoing herself.

so it does not have to be one or the other, you know. you can do both. the art of life is in knowing which things are important enough to worry about them.
 

AlterEgo

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If they were smart AND educated, like most scientists for example, fewer would be talking about god.

Talking about Dominicans and their religious beliefs is 'iffy' on DR1 - the above post is absolutely not permitted and is antagonistic. Come on windeguy, you seem smart and educated, did you think I wouldn't see you baiting Chip?

This ends NOW.
 
Dec 26, 2011
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If they were smart AND educated, like most scientists for example, fewer would be talking about god.

There are plenty of Dominican atheists. And every week when new stories break about Dominican religious leaders having sex with the children in their congregations and stealing funds for personal enrichment more and more begin to question what they've been told.
 

bob saunders

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There are plenty of Dominican atheists. And every week when new stories break about Dominican religious leaders having sex with the children in their congregations and stealing funds for personal enrichment more and more begin to question what they've been told.

What's the correlation between your first sentence and the rest of your post? Predators of any kind, sexual or just thieves, put themselves in positions where they can take advantage of others.
 

windeguy

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Talking about Dominicans and their religious beliefs is 'iffy' on DR1 - the above post is absolutely not permitted and is antagonistic. Come on windeguy, you seem smart and educated, did you think I wouldn't see you baiting Chip?

This ends NOW.

Understood. And I also understand it is OK for CHIP to say Dominicans are smart because they believe god will provide for them, but I cannot respond further to that.
 
Dec 26, 2011
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Chip's the pet monkey of DR1. He can take a dump in your Cheerios but if you scold him "Bad monkey! Good monkeys don't poop in bowls of breakfast cereal," you're the bad guy.
 
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