OBLIQUE OBSERVATIONS

By Atty. Gilberto Lauengco, J.D.

ATTY. GILBERTO LAUENGCO, J.D. is a lawyer, educator, political strategist, government consultant, Lego enthusiast, and the director of CAER Think Tank. He is a Former Vice Chairman of MECO, Special Assistant of NFA and City Administrator among others. His broad experience has molded his unique approach to issues analysis which he calls the oblique observation.

Last Monday, some of you may have seen some posts about Blue Mondays on your social media feeds. What is a Blue Monday? Typically commemorated in Western countries, Blue Monday is a day to acknowledge and address sadness and depression. Blue Monday is observed on the third Monday in January which fell on the 20th of this year.

Some actually claim that there is a scientific basis for Blue Mondays. They say that there is formula that takes into consideration such things as weather conditions (western winter), lower ability to buy things due to having spent too much during the holidays, a need to take action on resolutions, and general low motivational levels. Although many debunk this supposed formula, many people still adhere to the concept of a day dedicated to understanding and dealing with melancholy or even depression. Coincidentally, President Donald Trump’s inauguration falls on Blue Monday which some critics find ironical.

Blue Mondays actually started as a PR gimmick to help sell holiday travel packages. It has since been popularized by companies and now online denizens to promote one thing or another. Technically, Blue Mondays apply to places that experience winter where extreme cold actually induce depression. Like many things western, the concept of Blue Mondays has been now embraced by people living in tropical countries like the Philippines. Here in our country the concept of Blue Monday is tied into post-holiday and back to work blues.

Proponents of Blue Mondays say that being able to name the pervasive feeling of post-holiday sadness allows people to feel a sense of community and validation of shared experiences. They also point out that Blue Mondays allows discussions on how to deal with depression using various self-help techniques. Unfortunately, when these self-help techniques fail then it may be time to seek professional help for a deeper mental or emotional problem.

Critics of the idea of Blue Mondays or a most depressing day of the year say that this is just a myth and a marketing tool to sell all types of products or services that would drive the so-called blues away. They also say that the idea of a Blue Monday promotes pessimism and may induce a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I believe that no one can really tell us whether a day will turn out good or bad. Unless they have a time machine of sorts. As such, setting up negative expectations for a day seems to be a bad idea. I also don’t like the idea of marketing people using the concept of depression as a way to drive sales up for travel and “happiness” products and services. Perhaps, making Blue Mondays as a time for reflection and introspection would be a better idea.

This is my oblique observation.