Surrendering to fate is good only when you’ve put your 100 percent into what you’re striving for. If you haven’t done anything and already choose to surrender to fate, well, that’s called being lazy and foolish.

In Javanese, nrimo means accepting. In a broader definition, nrimo could be interpreted as the nature of a person that tends to readily surrender to fate, accepting whatever it is they are thrown along their paths. In the most extreme sense, whatever sh** they experience, they will just swallow without even giving a single fight.

Surrendering to fate is good only when you’ve put your 100% into what you’re striving for. If you haven’t done anything and already choose to surrender to fate, well, that’s called being lazy and foolish.

But the problem is, the majority of Indonesians possess this kind of nature. Nrimo. Accepting. Even if they might be experiencing some kind of injustice or even a violation of their rights, they usually believe that they are only living their destiny, so then they let go.

One of the most common cases happens when somebody falls ill. They often only go to the doctor or hospital when the illness becomes complex, because “they can still handle it” and only think it’s nothing much. But actually, the longer they don’t check it up, the worse the illness will become.

Then, when they finally do go to the hospital, they don’t usually feel necessary to explain in detail what they’re experiencing, how they experience the illness, in which parts it is uncomfortable, or what symptoms they feel. Meanwhile, the doctor needs to know all these to be able to give the correct diagnosis.

Even after the doctor has given a prescription, the patient usually does not ask anything, and take it just like that. They don’t inquire what the medication is for, what the drugs contain, or what side effects that might show up after taking the meds.

If they experience something worse, due to tardiness in dealing with the illness, for instance, the patient often doesn’t consult with the doctor, who is guaranteed an expert with a lot more experience than themselves, about what might have caused their illness. I’m telling you this, okay: the patient and their family can and should inquire and ask for clarity. Dude, medical science is an exact science, it is explainable by logic–not something psychedelic. But still, they don’t try to look for answers by asking questions to get an explanation.

What usually happens is, if the illness becomes fatal, they can only pray and say, “This is all a trial from God, and we should be patient and persist through His trials and fate.”

Come on, this happens clearly because they don’t want to fight against their illness, why do they blame God? Do they think praying will cure them? If you’re sick, then get treatment. But that’s only if you want to use your mind and logic.

This is only one case where nrimo can be observed. There are still many other kinds of nrimo in other places, at other times, in the Indonesian social life.

It is no wonder that this nation was colonized for centuries when they are as nrimo and accepting like this. Let’s be a smart individual who asks intelligent questions. Stop being an individual who prefers to surrender to fate and like to be conquered.

The article has been translated & edited by Indina Saraswati. This original article was here.