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During a conversation with a journalist, something was pointed out and I could not find its irrelevance: “We live in a country that is built on mediocrity & passivity”.

The negative side

We are mediocre in most of the things we do. We are not very original as we seldom create. We either bring ideas from other countries, or we just copy/steal (and even that is badly done in most cases). We are good at embellishing mediocre things  & people. We then make-believe these things & people are fabulous. 

I think our mediocrity exists because we are a society that feeds on hearsay. We have a tendency to gulp things that are thrown at us. We are rarely focused and accurate as we have not been taught to develop these qualities. Because of that, we have a big problem when it comes to sustainability and maintenance. Some would say this is a general worldwide thing, and it is true. But to some extent, it is THE BIG THING in Mauritius.

As for our passivity: people complain about the things they think needs changing or amelioration but how many actually do something about it? How many actually act? There is more talking that action. We wait for others to do the action. Then we forget.

The ‘à-peu-près’ & ‘fou-pas-mal’ mindset.

The source

It is extremely rare for a lot of Mauritians to analyze, dissect, deconstruct, explore, question, research or even do a simple benchmarking.

No-one/nothing in particular can be blamed/accounted for this Mauritian trait as its source is plural - our geographical location, demography, history, culture (or lack of it), identity crisis, traditions etc…, and the Mauritian context in general.

But I tend to believe that the most influential agent for this trait is our education. I think we are not taught to use our brain to think. Instead, we are taught to obey, listen, and ‘copy’. We are taught that things need to be done by the book. We are told what to do. We are spoon-fed.

The positive side

One good thing out of all this is that I notice a desire to improve. For example, some companies (banks & service orientated businesses) are conscious that they need to redefine their whole system if they want to survive through time. They are conscious they need to be more accurate and factual. I’ve noticed how some media establishments are working towards ameliorating their content by being more analytical and accurate. 

I hope this shift in mindset will reach individuals as well.

Sometimes, a desire is enough to initiate actions that will generate a whole new dynamism. What is lacking is a way to channel desires towards actions. This demands discipline, structure, organization, vision, missions, and most importantly, people with the right mindset. This is what we lack in Mauritius, but it is never too late to nurture it. As for our passivity, I think it helps maintain peace in Mauritius.