09 a Conceptual and Psychological Analysis of Sumpong
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"lI' 'I ",\ ) PltllfppiM IotIrnd 01Pr,rlIo1orl 1977, Vol IO.No. 1.4J.jJ • A CONCEPTUAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OFSUMPONG RITA H. MATARAGNON Department ofPsychology University ofthe Philippines Various aspects of the term sumpong were revealed and clarified with the use of pagtotanung-tanong, a culturally adapted non-reactive research method. A • multi-faceted defmition of sumpong was presented as follows: "Sumpong is a temporary and spontaneous but often recurring and unexplainable deviation from what is normal for an individual, object. or event. To the extent that the deviation is considered temporary and unexplainable, it is a state or behavior regarded as trivial and not necessitating any significant action." A psychological analysis of the evaluative and clinical significanceof sumpong related this culturally accepted venue Qf tension reduction to the Filipino propensity for delayed and indirect reactions to frustration and instigation to aggression. Related Filipino concepts and parallel terms in other Philippine languages were also mentioned. Sumpong is a curious concept. It is a Le., one who is sumpungin, may be predictably convenient "explanation" when one says in unpredictable. Ordinarily non-8umpunJin eyWSperation, "Ay, ewan ko, may sumpong yata people can have bursts ofsumpong, or.they are yon! " (I don't know; he must he having a fit said to be may sumpong, an episode which or something! ) Imagine this in connection with merits more attention than chronic sumpungin one' puzzling over his roommate's unusual behavior. behavior. Similarly, imagine one who fmally All these go to show that sumpong is a gives up and declares the TV to be in a state of rather complicated phenomenon which can not sumpong after tinkering with the TV controls be characterized uni-dimensionally. Even an at to get a clear picture. tempted dictionary defmition fails to do it The range of the term sumpong becomes justice. Consider the concise definition givenby even more evident when one, not being able to Panganiban (1972) in his Diksyunaryo-Tesauro: explain sumpong more elaborately, at least tries Sumpong = periodic manifestation, e.g., of to determine the locus of causation and con disease, lunacy. Synonyms are atake, siglCl trol. Some people will tell you that it comes (colloquial singga);cf. sasal, silakbo. However, a rott the outside; it is not within one's control. phenomenological study of the term sumpong lthers will tell you that it is spontaneous and among its users show that periodic recurrence is isually recurrent, but irrelevant to external only one of the connotations of the word. irecipitating factors. Apparently, there is a huffling or even virtual absence of locus of In the light of the many varied reactions esponsibility: i.e., Sumpong just happens; one elicited by the term sumpong, this paper is an oes not deliberately do it, but neither can . attempt to systematize the various shades, ,thersusually attribute it to any external meanings, and impressions that have been eli bject or event. cited by the term, It will also explore some possible psychological implications of this phe ~rthennore, while there is a bigla (sudden, nomenon called sumpong in relation to Philip npredictable) and unexplainable quality of pine culture. ehavior associated with sumpong, a person ho possesses sumpong as a personality trait, Before delving into the meanings of sum- ',.! , " .."'\.) .'" .1, • 46 RITA H. MATARAGNON 'ong, it would be helpful to get a random view word. For example, one might stress the spon- ti of how many aspects of Filipino life are taneous and indeterministic nature of the be- b connected with sumpong: (1) Food habits,e.g., havior; another might stress its duration and C Sinusumpong akongayon. Gusto kongkumain ng cyclical or recurring element; still another n matamis: (Right now I have sumpong. I'd like might focus on the hostili} and aggressive \\ to eat something sweet.); (2) Work habits, e.g., behavior patternsgenerated by it. 0 "He is sumpungin in hiswork; you can not rely d Probably the nearest English term to sum on him:'; (3) Folklore and superstitions, e.g., , , Sinusumpong siya dahil kinukulam: (He has pong would,be mood, then followed by fit,' T sumpong ,because he is accu rsed or possessed). terms like depression and tantrum may follow Write sumpong in this case can be physiological suit, but the latter imply too much specific w (sickness) or behavioral (strange actions); (4) content to reflect comprehensively different 81 Sickness, e.g.,Sinusumpong ng malaria, ng types, patterns, and styles of sumpOJlg. As will siy« o lagnat, atbp. (Hehassumpong of malaria, fever, be amplified below, there are some common w etc.); (5) Personality, e.g., A teacher who is denominators to all sumpong episodes, al· sf sumpungin is mabait (nice) and generous at though there are different varieties or mani· it times and salbahe (cruel) at others;(6) Artistic festations of sumpong. In fact, contrasting temperament, e.g., A creative person is ex behaviors may be generated in different mani at pected to have his bursts of sumpong in order festations of sumpong. b: ti to work well. In Yepez's study (1973), one The following is a list of meanings that are p non-artist interviewed remarked that so called associated with the word sumpong; theywill be w creative people seem to feel that they have a divided into the common characteristics and eright to sumpong in the name of creativity. the varied types of sumpong rnanlfestations. , Metaphorical extensions of the conceptsum ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS pong further illustrate its prevalence in Filipino OFSUMPONG life. Aside from being used to describe persons, sumpong may also be applied to objects and These are the common denomiaators intrin- events. For instance, appliances such as TV, sic to sumpong,' they are true of allmanners of' lighten, and calculators are said to be sinusum sumpong. At least six different characteristics !Ii rn pong when they give erratic performance. The have been identified as essential to sumpong. (\1\ weather' may also be depicted quite appro These are: (l) a deviation from what is usual, th priately in the following manner: "Pasumpung (2) temporary duration, (3) cyclical and recur- fh sumpong ang langit; umuulan at umaaraw. (The ring nature, (4) not directly explanable, (S) sci i~l sky is pasumpung-sumpong,' it rainsone minute irrelevant behaviors, and (6) non-deliberateness. th • and shines the next.)" H go Deviation from whatisusual « ! ~ "S l ,1"(1 MEANINGS OF THETERM SUMPONG This is a most often cited definition; al q th: What is common to all the above uses of the though the exception of chronic sumpungin i' fit must be noted, its difference is more in tenns (. im ~ oj term sumpong? Apparently, the term sumpong ", is a very flexible one, as may be seen in the of frequency than in quality, Le., the unusual is ng so usualitbecomesusual. t on wide variation of associative responses elicited n: by it. Respondentsdifferby attaching more, or This deviational aspect of sumpong replO ,I less, Importance to different aspects of the sents the "What's got into him? .. or the "Ho is its , .---- not himself' syndrome. Sumpong therefore Is IThese meanings were derived using the method of ns pogtatalllmg-tanong, a ,relatively non-reactive, natura not a deviation from what is "normal"or usual qu listic and Filipino-oriented research method based on for the culturerbut for the person in particular. [,I wi infonnal interviewing (See Gonzales,'l977). Basically, this change doesnot have anyevalua. ',1 IUJ "'\ ---~---- PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SUMPONG 47 five component because one could ~ange from Likewise, in the Philippines, a full moon is bad to ~ood just as he can from good to bad. often blamed for erratic behavior. A Bicolano I Changing from'good to bad is, however, either synonym for sumpong, bubulaium, actually more frequent or more frequently detected, comes frombultm whichmeans moon. which iswhy sumpong often acquires a negative connotation and, in that context, it means a No apparent explanatton I disturbance, a malady. One can not put his finger on the exact, specific precipitating incident for a sumpong Temporary duration episode. Take for instance the "sinusumpong ng • While a burst of sumpong does last for a, lagnat" case, nobody can explain why the fever while (since it is not juSt a matter ofremoving a suddenly' recurs, except to describe it as a " specifiable irritant), onedoes not expect a burst symptom of the disease. Coming closer to ofsumpong to last forever. In fact, that explains interpersonal interaction, while in the case of why people accept it and dismiss it casually by tampo (a very frequent word-association for shrugging their shoulders. "Tlisinna lang" while sumpong], one can identify the immediately it ia on. Sometimes people console themselves ' preceding Variable, e.g., a refused request, and about an otherwise intolerable state of affairs make amends for it; in sumpong, sweet-talking , by saying "sumpong lang yon." This perspec or cajoling can easily fall on deaf ears. tive could change their attitude altogether. If Sumpong, therefore, is a state which is more people thought or knew that a deviating event pervasive and more vague than tampo. was going to last indefinitely, they would not Although a cause for sumpong may some ~ it sumpong. times be given by others, the cause is hardly JCyclica~ recurring nature apparent to the person himself, nor doesit have a logical or compelling relation to his behavior. Another peculiar aspect of the term sum pong is, that it is not ordinarily used for a Irrelevant behtw.iors deviating event that is just happening for the first time, or for one time only. In attributing a Related to the pervasive and vague notion of malady to sumpong, a history of recurring sumpong, the individual "suffering" from it (whether fixed or variable interval) events of usually does not knowhimself- what he wants the same kind is implied.For instance, whenwe or what he is doing.