Hawoy na usahay maniid.
Calloused. This is the feeling of a person who is constantly bombarded
with negative experiences until they begin to grow numb, no longer reacting to
what comes next.
In Psychology, this is often linked to emotional desensitization, a
state where repeated exposure to stress, pain, or criticism gradually dulls a
person’s emotional responses, making them feel detached or indifferent over
time.
With the political turmoil, the exposes, the scandals, the conflicting
statements from public figures, the propaganda, the lies used to mask failures
in leadership, and the misuse of public funds, all these factors have pushed
the common Filipino toward emotional desensitization. People learn to numb
themselves simply to cope, because taking in everything at once can feel
overwhelming and potentially lead to emotional or mental breakdown.
Research shows that when people are continuously confronted with chaos,
corruption, and public misconduct, they may gradually numb their reactions to
preserve psychological balance (American Psychological Association, 2023; Funk,
2020). While this coping mechanism helps individuals in the short term,
scholars warn that prolonged desensitization can reduce civic engagement and
weaken a community’s ability to collectively respond to social issues.
Perhaps this, too, is a political strategy, to overwhelm the public with
a constant stream of confusing and scandalous issues until people retreat into
their own protective shells. Could it be a deliberate move by self-serving
individuals to numb the emotions of the populace, slowly pushing them into a
zombie-like silence? When citizens grow exhausted and desensitized, holding
leaders accountable becomes even harder, and apathy becomes an unintended
refuge.
Studies on democratic fatigue further warn that sustained exposure to
political scandals can heighten apathy and reduce trust, leading individuals to
retreat into silence as a means of coping (Boulianne, 2020). These findings
support the idea that constant scandal and confusion can desensitize the public
over time.
Still, we must not fall silent when our democratic processes are
threatened. We are called to raise our voices, on every platform available, to
affirm the courage that remains in our hearts, even when we find ourselves
standing against those driven by self-interest. In moments when others attempt
to suppress or confuse us, speaking out becomes not only an act of resistance,
but also a reminder that democracy survives only when its people refuse to be
muted.
Ultimately, our greatest defense against chaos and manipulation is a
people who refuse to surrender their voice, their clarity, and their courage.
