The latter half of last year saw some radical changes in transportation systems in the Ateneo. A new traffic scheme, to everyone’s ire, was implemented by the Metro Manila Development Authority along Katipunan Avenue. The same authorities later on implemented the bike-kadahan, a bike lending program, just inside Gate 3.5 and installed bike ramps on the steps of the footbridge. For their part, the Campus Security and Mobility Office marked bike lanes along the university’s roads in line with the Ateneo’s push for environmental sustainability. The Sanggunian also joined the efforts by providing bike stands on school grounds.
As with all initiatives, the changes elicited a spectrum of reactions, from absolute approval to outright rejection. Inevitably, some of the negative opinions were founded on a perception of a lack of immediate results—that the air right now does not feel better than it was before. These opinions are logical; they are founded on immediate observation—a simple exercise of cause and effect. The reality, however, is that these opinions betray a problematic mentality prevalent in our society—an impatience that permeates our assessments.
This impatience devalues crucial reforms that either take a long time to bear fruit or create temporary obstacles. It is this aversion that, for example, has made sure that even the most basic or sensible of mass transportation restructuring master plans in Metro Manila get endlessly assailed, often irrationally.
Consequently, the obsession with immediately effective actions has played a huge part in shaping the politics of the country. Voters are impatient and look for something visible, so policy makers choose that which brings the most in the least time—no matter the future consequences. Politicians looking to get themselves re-elected would rather build a marginally useful road than subscribe to a more beneficial road network that would take years to finish.
People immediately criticize and call for justice at the onset of change. They want things to be better, now, because many have lived lifetimes of poverty and frustration and are tired of waiting. This sentiment is understandable, but we must also understand that addressing some of the root problems of society requires long-term commitments whose results may not even be tangible or direct, not instantaneous miracles.
The point is not that we should cease being critical at all or be docile in the face of injustice and inequality. The point is not that there is no place for demanding immediate reform. There is definitely a time and place for that, but the point is that it is not every time and every place. It is in our desire to create a better land for ourselves and those around us that we must learn to look at issues from a deeper perspective—and learn when to have patience or not.
The Filipino people are known for their resiliency, and perhaps, for this culture of impatience as well. There is a tendency for this impatience to nip opportunities at the bud, which only leaves us with lost causes. We need to reevaluate this preference for instant gratification over sustainable results.
