Ang Pagtugon sa Mental ay maaring Pilosopikal

by Wilfredo DJ P. Martin IV
aka Didge

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You probably had a philosophy class once during your college days, or currently are taking one right now. It is quite a challenging subject, I know. I teach it. In Philosophy, the famous Allegory of the Cave goes like this: prisoners are chained inside a dark cave, forced to watch shadows cast on a wall, believing them to be the only reality. But when one prisoner is freed and sees the world beyond the cave, he realizes how limited their perception truly was — that truth isn’t always what meets the eye.

And perhaps, this is the same with how we perceive people struggling with mental health. We see only the “shadows” — the smiles, the laughter, the composed exterior — never realizing the pain that lies beyond what our eyes can see.

We live in a world obsessed with appearances, where smiles are mistaken for peace, and silence is read as strength. Yet beneath the carefully curated faces we show, there lies a truth most refuse to see: depression hides and thus, is faceless. It does not announce itself with tears or tremors; it hides in plain sight, behind laughter, satirical humor, productivity, and yes, even in composure. And until we learn to look beyond what is visible, we will continue to misunderstand the quiet battles waged in the hearts of those who seem “just fine.” Or “happy” 

“Oh, she looked okay why would she do such thing” is the exact reason why napaka multifaceted ng mental health, man. It’s all about the ability to disregard prejudices na porket happy, ‘di na pwede magkakaroon ng episodes and ideations of unaliving oneself. Y'all can’t be advocates of mental health if ayaw niyong maging uncomfortable sa reality na EVEN THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE could be victims of this kind of cruelty. Especially them, to be honest. 

It’s altogether multifaceted and philosophical because at its core, the struggle for mental health awareness is this bizarre confrontation with the limits of perception and empathy. As Plato wrote, “appearances are but shadows on the wall, what we see is rarely the essence of what is.” (Allegory of the Cave, Book VII, The Republic) 

Sometimes we are too comfortable to be prisoners ng ating sariling mga chains o gapos. May it be mental health related or not. May it be caused by the prejudicial, ultra-sensitive and litigious society. 

Let this be a lesson then that the true will of a good person only resides in his rationality. To be rational is to sympathize. To sympathize is to be kind. And to be kind, you must shy away from prejudices.

Isa pa, singit ko na si Kierkegaard, he suggests “despair is a sickness of the spirit, invisible yet consuming.” To be a true advocate, then, is to look beyond the illusion of “okay” and face the discomfort of reality—that even in laughter, there can exist despair, and even in light, the quiet persistence of darkness.

Be kind. There is nothing wrong with being kind. But also be rational in the presence. Tunay ngang ang pagtugon sa mental ay maaring pilosopikal din.