Why Ugandans are over qualified with useless PhDs of pulling each other down

I come from a sub-region that has for many years failed to snatch a share of the national cake; not because we are not good enough but because many of my people are holders of useless PhDs.

A PhD in this context actual means ‘Pull Him or Her Down” which has a direct bearing or ill will, envy and hatred. This, however, is not an isolated case; it cuts across many parts of Uganda. This spirit of not wishing others well has lived as long as life itself and will continue to blossom if we do nothing about it.

This is scientifically termed as the crab mentality. The crab mentality, also known as the crab theory, or crabs-in-a-bucket mentality, or the crab-bucket effect, describes the mindset where individuals try to pull down those who are succeeding, or those doing better than them.

It is a phenomenon observed in Uganda and beyond. The mentality is embodied in all human beings but can be avoided if we invoked our various religious and cultural values and, above all, rebooting our mindset. The vice stems from a scarcity mindset, where people believe that another person’s success somehow diminishes their own and, therefore, the need to pull them down.

This can manifest in various ways, such as negative talk, disparaging comments and competitive behaviors designed to undermine others in society. This mentality aims at preventing others from gaining a favourable position, even if attaining such position would not directly impact those trying to stop them.

It is often the product of “if I can’t have it, neither can you,” so I either have all of it, a part of it or we both lose or somebody else takes it but not you. This mentality has provided fertile soils for hate and impacted negatively on leadership and development of many parts of Uganda.

The metaphor is derived from anecdotal claims about the behaviour of water creatures known as a crabs that are confined in an open bucket. If one of the crabs makes an attempt to climb out, it will be pulled back in by the others, ensuring the group’s failure to escape one by one or as a group.

The behaviour intentionally or unintentionally discourages anyone who tries to succeed or improve their situation from doing so due to hindrances put in place by the others. It is a form of bickering or antisocial behavior, often rooted in envy or insecurity, where people sabotage or undermine others’ progress and in effect undermine their personal and or community prosperity as their energies are directed towards pulling each other down.

It is an analogous theory in human behaviour where a member or members of a group aim at reducing the self- confidence of a member who achieves success beyond others, out of envy, jealousy, resentment, rejection, spite, conspiracy, or competitive feelings in order to halt their progress.

It is a bad mentality that has stood in the way of progress and does not celebrate the success of others. The mentality that many have described as evil is endemic at multiple levels in this country and is systemically entrenched in our own failures.

Very few people in society are happy to see others progress but unfortunately, such goodwill is only linked to their personal expectations. Thus, their failure to benefit from another’s success is often the reason we see animosity, for every enemy we have is a well-wisher or friend we had.

That is just one of the many principal reasons why, as a nation, we have remained stagnant. When we fail to celebrate and acknowledge the success of others, we mirror and reflect feelings that project negativity.

If we proceed to pull down and destroy the efforts of another person, it means that we are expending a lot of energy on negativity that could have been directed to our own personal developments.

It is often said that the only person who will be happy to see you better than him is your father and of course your mother; the rest are cunning foxes waiting to snatch whatever they can get hold of.

Therefore, instead of solving problems, we spend more time creating problems for the successful and in effect become less productive. In Uganda, when somebody tries to solve a problem, we quickly pull them down and ensure that they remain in the same situation as we are.

It is no wonder we seem to have the same problems manifesting in different forms. Ugandans all over are stuck with the crab mentality, which has hindered our own progress. Our inability to celebrate someone who is trying to solve a problem is one of the chief causes of where we are as a nation.

Ugandans generally find it is easier to gravitate towards negative thinking and sentiments. It is easier to complain about problems than it is to try and find a lasting solution. When you find yourself with a problem, first accept the reality that you are in before pondering on how to escape.

Sometimes you need to get ideas from others in the same situation before and come up with a compromised position. Progress alone requires a positive and visionary outlook on life.

The facts remain that Ugandans have common challenges but it is also a fact that there are people with the capacity and brain power to develop new solutions. If we spend our time working to bring someone else down, it is inevitable that we are not developing a rich imagination and visions of a better future but promoting the crab syndrome.

To break the hold of a crab mentality, there has to be a mindset change. As a country and as individuals, we need to run our own race with dignity and courage without focusing much on what others have achieved.

wadroger@yahoo.ca

The writer is a commentator on political, legal and social issues.