Lack of ambition amongst majority of Somalis. But why?

[hydrogen]

I think you're being culturally biased Ximan. As our good friend theyuusuf suggests, ambition is an abstract concept. Walking from Baidoba to Mogadishu is ambition, probably of the highest kind since even most athletes who are presented as ambitious could not do it. Building a blue or pink tower is ambition and so is attempting to elevate your clan. What you fail to realise is, you're judging through the lens of the west.

Let me give you an example, if I came from the future, let's say the year 4014—you can probably guess everything is more advanced, would it correct for me to judge 2014 by saying "oh the earth is so unambitious because we've achieved more in 4014" clearly not. In Somalia, for people who have little access to the outside world and know nothing about the culture of the developing world, it's hard for them to mimick it. They will do it one day, have the western-type ambition because it will only be so long until they have access to that culture but ambition itself is relative.

[Shirib]

Nomad culture is a lazy culture. For god sake We discriminate against skilled iron workers (Tumaal).

[XimanJaale]

It comes from our women, the culture of not being ambitious. Its from our mothers and future mothers. I know this might sound like an attack on women but its not, its an honest assessment. Ninka uselesska ah with zero drive to succeed in this life naagbaa dhinac jiifta oo sidaa kurabta. Wiilka isagana wax maqabsadaha ah oo waxba qabsan karin without mommy babying him isagana hooyo baa sidaa kusoo korisey.

I agree, behind a successful man is a woman. And majority of Somali women lack the culture of being ambitious. You have given a good output on this.

[XimanJaale]

I think you're being culturally biased Ximan. As our good friend theyuusuf suggests, ambition is an abstract concept. Walking from Baidoba to Mogadishu is ambition, probably of the highest kind since even most athletes who are presented as ambitious could not do it. Building a blue or pink tower is ambition and so is attempting to elevate your clan. What you fail to realise is, you're judging through the lens of the west.

Let me give you an example, if I came from the future, let's say the year 4014—you can probably guess everything is more advanced, would it correct for me to judge 2014 by saying "oh the earth is so unambitious because we've achieved more in 4014" clearly not. In Somalia, for people who have little access to the outside world and know nothing about the culture of the developing world, it's hard for them to mimick it. They will do it one day, have the western-type ambition because it will only be so long until they have access to that culture but ambition itself is relative.

I get what you mean. But in every time frame there is common ambition globally, which is to become the most advanced country in the world. For instance have the best health system, education system, technology etc.

Now how come Somalis are not joining the league of common ambition of the world? Why is a average Somali satisfied of getting AID? or why is the average Somali so happy with some road construction done provided by foreign donations?

You are making out that Somalia is still stuck in the stone age. There is no country in the world that is stuck in the stone age.

[Marques]

Nomad culture is a lazy culture. For god sake We discriminate against skilled iron workers (Tumaal).

Says it all really. We don't have a hard-working bone in our bodies. We want things, as cheap and easy as they come.

[XimanJaale]

Nomad culture is a lazy culture. For god sake We discriminate against skilled iron workers (Tumaal).

True, another interesting output. Being lazy can mean being less ambitious. Yeah we also discriminate against weavers which is a great skill.

So far, Somali women and the Somali characteristic of being lazy is what has caused lack of ambition. What other cultural aspect stops us from being ambitious?

[Rabshoole]

It's a personal choice which has little to do with one's parenting skills. Lack of motivation and ambitions comes from depression, I believe Somalis give up too easily rather than getting back up and trying again.

[XimanJaale]

It's a personal choice which has little to do with one's parenting skills. Lack of motivation and ambitions comes from depression, I believe Somalis give up too easily rather than getting back up and trying again.

Yes its a choice which can lead to poor parental skills. I agree that Somalis give up easily. Also yeah depression can cause lack of ambition and motivation.

Are Somalis culturally depressed? Maybe...Somalis tend to be the most pessimistic, they love to criticise and generally are negative people. This can manifest into lack of ambitiousness.

[theyuusuf143]

This what I mean. You don't come across ambitious because you think these so-called universities in Somalia can be even called a university. Do you know people that graduates in Somali universities that graduate from courses like IT and they cannot even send a e-mail. You have poor standards of ambitions. Having universities in Somalia is not a ambition, but having a top class university that is what ambition means.

Also after university what long-term ideas do you have for this graduates? Building top-class university is one ambition but what is the next ambition? What do you got to offer these graduated youth?

your claim is not true, somali IT students are now filling the gap, i remember few years ago somaliland did not have any IT graduates educated in the country, but today we have lots, this month alone the goverment are employing 600 IT and public adminstration graduates with bachelors degree, to do the civil and voter registrations. almost all doctors and midwifes that taking care of people are from those univerisities i mentioned.

ximsanjaale why u act like KELIGII WADANI, and ignore all somali success, somali universities have the same theory qualities like others, some have no good practical equipment, but we can improve year after year. keep in my mind that somalis just learned to write less than 40 years ago! at that time most other countries in the world already had universties.

[James Dahl]

The Somali character is one of honor and utter loyalty, to clan, to faith, to family.

There is no room for ambition there.

The reason why war has continued in Somalia for so long is the utter loyalty to continue fighting beyond all reason, for clan, for diin, for the honor of the nation.

The leaders who have brought Somalia down the road of darkness are unworthy of the loyalty of their people.

[Jeffo]

We suck as a people. We have baseless pride in being Somali. Besides the loss of human life, what the fuck is there worth saving if the whole of Somalia was wiped off the f-king earth.

[MaliPrince]

Nomad culture is a lazy culture. For god sake We discriminate against skilled iron workers (Tumaal).

this. somali culture breeds laziness.

[LiquidHYDROGEN]

Ximanjaale is absolutely spot-on. 99% of somalis have absolutely no ambition beyond food and a roof over their heads. The ones that are ambitious consider taxi-driving as an ambition. Somalis need to wake up. We are fast becoming the AA and native indians of the west. Self delusion and low ambition is killing our community. The worse thing is these modafckas don't even see it. Look how many apologists are in this thread alone. When I hear the staggeringly depressive figures and stats of somali low employment and lack of qualification, it gives me headaches but to the average mali it's nothing. Pure apathy.

[Cherine]

Most of these 'ambition less' bus/taxi driving/hawaalad folks come from geeljire backgrounds. Somalidu wey jecelyihiin iney isku da'da'daan. A lot of them have little to no education that is why they take these professions.

When you're educated ummadda kale ayaad dhinac ka galaysaa. You will care about good schools, home ownership, good neighbourhoods to raise your kids etc.

We're in a pathetic state because when we came here we came as refugees. Geeljire refugees who couldn't even hold pens. Living in estates/ghettos with all its social ills also compounded our problem.

[hydrogen]

Ximanjaale is absolutely spot-on. 99% of somalis have absolutely no ambition beyond food and a roof over their heads. The ones that are ambitious consider taxi-driving as an ambition. Somalis need to wake up. We are fast becoming the AA and native indians of the west. Self delusion and low ambition is killing our community. The worse thing is these modafckas don't even see it. Look how many apologists are in this thread alone. When I hear the staggeringly depressive figures and stats of somali low employment and lack of qualification, it gives me headaches but to the average mali it's nothing. Pure apathy.

No offence but you're part of the problem, you like to criticize irrationally.

XimanJaale revolved this thread around and I quote

Somalis getting all happy about some new poor building being built in a dusty town somewhere they call their tribal town etc. Somalis getting happy about some AID from so and so country

People in Somalia. The point of discussion was there, it was something to discuss and analyse. We gave cultural explanations for it, for you to come in and disparage Somalis in the west is not to be constructively critical but rather nonsensical. You're critisizing just to critisize. It's no different from me jumping into this thread and claiming "Somalis in the grave are so useless! Doing absolutely nothing for their country" which technically is a true statement but not a logical one. How can we become AAs in Somalia? How do people in Somalia aim to be Taxi drivers? When I read your post I was thinking what hell is he talking about but then I realised you're talking about Somalis in the west (like usual) when this hardly had anything to do with it. By the way, those statements aren't true for all Somalis since we're not all conjoined at the hip. It makes sense to generalize the ones in the Somali peninsula since they share a similar culture but when the diaspora is exposed to several different cultures all over the globe, it's pure conjecture to make such a statement.