SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines – The French have “Ces’t la vie.”
The Italians have “Go to the mattresses.”
Filipinos have “Diskarte lang yan.”
Diskarte, simply put, is our national claim to fame. It is our answer to most, if not all, of life’s obstacles and problems. Regardless of context and situation, we can whip it out to save us from awkward situations. So that when push comes to steamroll – we can handle ourselves well and make the best out of any crisis. How’s that for some quick strategy, huh?
To illustrate –
Work jitters? Diskarte lang yan.
Trouble with class? Diskarte lang yan.
Late for a meeting? Diskarte lang yan.
Forgot your friend’s birthday? Diskarte lang yan.
Short on cash and it’s only a Wednesday? Diskarte lang yan.
Want to talk to a girl at the coffeeshop? Diskarte lang yan–
Face it, not many of us look like this:
Although I have no problem with Ryan Gosling and/or any other form of the ridiculously beautiful man – the truth is, most of us don’t look like this and thus, need diskarte.
So for us mortals, that is, for those of us who more closely resemble and/or identify with someone like this:
Diskarte is an often reached-for tool in our arsenal, a tool sharpened by an otherwise perfectly satisfactory existence but made necessary by grand aspirations.
To illustrate –
If I were to get into a contest with Ryan Gosling, a contest where we had to outdo each other to win the affections of a certain woman; where Ryan Gosling has fame, fortune, dreamy droopy blue eyes in his arsenal; I have diskarte in mine.
While Ryan Gosling could show up an hour late, right after a leisurely swim in the Pasig River, I’d have to properly groom myself, whip out my charm or some witty lines, and exude self-confidence.
Following this, one may even find that quite often, Descartes’“I think therefore I am”gives way to “I diskarte, therefore I can.”
Selling VS selling yourself short
No two ways of exercising diskarte are the same; in this way, diskarte is akin to art – in that the situation, the audience, the time and the place are what create the eventual outcome.
We need to be creative. We have to think on the fly. But there is a diskarte move that is not so reactive. And it involves first of all: awareness.
It’s the self-awareness of knowing your strengths and weaknesses and figuring out how you can make the best of what you have. Now that makes an effective salesman.
Making do VS making the best of
Although diskarte is made possible by a sense of awareness, it doesn’t necessarily follow that diskarte is just to improve on the situation. No way, man.
After all, diskarte isn’t about “making do”– that’s giving up. Diskarte is about making the best of what you have.
To illustrate –
You probably don’t look like Ryan Gosling, but that certainly doesn’t mean your face is just an abstract painting that women won’t understand.
This is where taking care of yourself and grooming come in. It’s a diskarte move that’s day to day. Diskarte, including taking care of yourself, is a habit that is honed over time. And guess what? It’s an investment that can reap you some inspiring credit.
When you take care of yourself, you don’t just look better, but that all-important X-factor, or confidence, is built into your system. After a really great workout and proper grooming, you may somehow get others to see what you yourself previously overlooked – that you are actually quite good looking.
Diskarte is a way of thinking that becomes behavior. With diskarte moves like good grooming, we can increase our value. It can even bump us up from “average-“to “good-looking.” Diskarte is, quite simply, making the best of what we have.
You can become more and give more when you feel confident in your own skin.
Now that’s diskarte, man. –Rappler.com
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