A very widespread idea is that tropical countries are more disadvantaged than temperate and cold ones, in terms of both resources and resourcefulness.
One claim is that, because temperate and cold countries have such thing as winter, this forces people into being more hardworking, because cold temperatures require building shelter, storing food and a lot of other things that are not needed in places where the weather is warm all the time.
Also, another claim is that tropical heat makes it difficult to sustain long working hours, and I would admit that, yes, it is more difficult.
However, although those are very few exceptions, there are tropical areas that are pretty wealthy: Singapore comes to mind, Hawaii come to mind, Queensland, Northern Australia come to mind.
What if the Philippines were inhabited by Swiss, German or Scandinavian people? Wouldn't they figure out ways to cope with the nasty weather and be productive regardless?
I am not trying to brag but I remember large groups of Filipinos waiting in line for a jeepney or a trycicle just to cover a distance of 1 km or less when I would walk 10-20 km a day alone and under the scorching sun. And I have met a German old man who went hiking alone all the way to Mount Pinatubo....
And there are Filipinos who work in Hawaii, Singapore and Australia...
So, is it the tropical weather that stunts productivity? Well, I am not too sure...
No comments:
Post a Comment