A'ama A'ama Crab "Eh? Get Crabs?"

Introduction: A'ama A'ama Crab "Eh? Get Crabs?" [Revealed Ambitions] Daring to Find a Route while Avoiding Troubled Places. 

A Clear Route to Walking-in a Place: Walking out into the workplace can be traumatic if it has a really controlled environment and it can be hard to navigate in a place that doesn't tell you upfront what your getting into and with who. For those who are looking for where to start with seeing what is happening to avoid possible traps or sabotage it will be important to have a pathway that is much more clear. The situation will be different from person to person, but there are archetypes that can show similar enough extremes that it can help identify things to help you out. It will cover the crabs in a bucket mentality, the crabs that are inside, and be different from the traditional crabs in a bucket phenomenon discussion. It's going to explain how different approaches towards ambition that is negatively focused can make a situation much more difficult than one realizes it is. Avoid the mess and make a path that avoids it by seeing what people are up to.

There are coworkers or a group of people in the same place for a similar reason. Dealing with people and socializing seems unnecessary as long as a person does what they are told to. But communication through actions is a thing on its own and how a person will take that action will depend on how they will react, even how they perceive it in their own world, and that shouldn't be your problem right? unfortunately people have emotions that tick from different things and a lack of self awareness of actions-taken can make things increasingly difficult in less than obvious ways. It is how people prioritize a negative feeling to motivate them to do harm directly or indirectly as a check mark to their ego. Or it can be a person who takes things positively and a stranger could become a collaborator to rise higher. 

Myth of the Ruthless Race of Survival is Ambition: The world is seen as this cutthroat place where you trust no one, keep your secrets close to you, and your enemies closest to you more than your friends. This is a misconception about going about understanding the steps-to-success by framing it as a survival mission and not as aspirations for personal growth. Its a narrow view that ignores that the journey and looks at a pursuit-of-wealth that sacrifices others, steps on them, in order to move ahead, in a ruthless race to the finish. Success comes quicker to those who thrive on collaboration and integrity rather than ruthlessness. There is a myth that ambition necessitates sacrificing work-life balance overlooks the reality that sustainable ambition integrates well-being and that systemic barriers and cultural biases can be part of an issue. Ambition is not a fixed trait but can be nurtured or diminished by one's environment, and success is an ongoing journey of growth, not a singular destination for a select few.

The phenomenon commonly referred to as the "crabs in a bucket mentality" describes a self-defeating behavioral pattern observed within groups. It posits that when individuals within a collective strive for individual betterment or escape from a shared disadvantage, others in the group will attempt to hinder their progress, effectively ensuring that none succeed. This dynamic can manifest in various personal, professional, and societal contexts, significantly impeding progress and fostering resentment. What it means is that it doesn't only happen on the job, but at home, in friend circles, and online. The motivations behind "crabby" behavior are complex and rarely rooted in overt malice. Instead, they often stem from deeper psychological factors: Insecurity, Envy, Scarcity, Fear, Loneliness, and Egalitarianism. 

The Inner Thinking of a Crabby Person, some things to think about is that maybe they are not so sure about themselves, so if or when you go up, they feel smaller due to their Insecurity. Maybe when they see you doing good, getting ahead, and they feel little bit... jealous and they ask why not them? They think there's only so much good stuff to go around, and if you dare get your piece, their piece get smaller in their mind even if its not happening, that's scarcity. Maybe they scared if you get somewhere, they feel that you leave them behind all alone in fear, so they feel stuck. Or sometimes, they think, equal work for equal pay means everything got to be the same, or we all the same sort of people or status and they get all hot-headed and angry cause they feel like they were done wrong. They want to get back at that person for all the wrong reasons, but they just want to feel better, they do not care if they are in the wrong, since they never self reflect on their own actions.  

"We see 'em. At work, at the family reunion when somebody just got one new car, even on social media when somebody post good news and then da comments section turn into one war zone. Lately, it can feel like these crabs are everywhere. At home, at school, even when you're just trying to chill, but that is because the crab mentality is super adaptable. They're metaphorically all over the world, crab globalization if you will."

The "Bucket" symbolizes a state of stagnation, it is the external constraint, and the particular-environment itself. This is the physical or systemic trap. It's the confining circumstances that hold the crabs (people) in place. The inhabitants of the bucket take-action and have a mindset that create the "perception of problem individuals" and enforce the "state of stagnation" within the bucket. They are the ones who say, "If I can't have it, neither can you," or "No fair you get out". This is the unfortunate reality that arises from the combination of being trapped in the bucket (the external problem), having other crabs pulling you down (the internal, self-defeating behavior), and people changing parts of the environment to better advance themselves for a more desirable position. Individuals within local communities that are actively holding back peers, often out of a belief that if they are stuck, others should be too.

Interacting in the Bucket, the problem isn't just the crabs' behavior, nor just the system. It's the interaction between the two. Who put us in this bucket, and why are we pulling each other down while we're in it? Those who are "stuck"—lacking drive or unable to evolve—may become the "claws" that pull others down, particularly when their ego is threatened. To protect their ego they may convince others that rising is selfish as it is "self-freeing", dismiss dreaming as stupid due to a belief in inevitability, and desire public failure wishing for others' falls for their own enjoyment and to prevent others from thriving. The concept extends to understanding different levels of engagement with a problem: (A.) Surface-level: Focusing only on immediate surroundings, (B.) Shallow-level: Analytical understanding of the environment, (C.) Deep-level: Contextual evaluation, understanding underlying teamwork and collective effort beyond visible contributions. 

"ʻĀʻama crabs often focus only on the surface—like watching the waves—without understanding the deeper currents beneath. They might see someone who's always active or vocal and assume that person is solely responsible for all creative output, believing them to be irreplaceable. This perspective is naive, as it overlooks the collaborative efforts and unseen contributions that support the creation. When that prominent individual steps away or is removed, the creative ideas and projects don't vanish; instead, they continue to grow and evolve in new and different ways." -Hawaiian Fisherman

A Good plan on paper doesn't always translate to a seemingless effort and some can be wild chances, but there are many ways to not get out of the bucket. Trying to understand the "crab", befriend them, and offer support, but the outcome is just hidden intentions. Trying to replace resentment through empathy, gift giving, and favors wasn't working, and shared opportunities and ventures don't seem to work either. The hope is that by sharing the benefits, they will feel valued and become a supportive ally, but these actions can not change a person, because only they can change that natural feeling of that emotional resentment and connected to possible past trauma. The straightforward approach is to directly address their behavior, explaining the irrationality and self-defeating nature of the crab mentality only makes them more bitter. 

Logic can't make another person emotionally ready or willing to confront their own internal issues with internal reflection on their part, your arguments will be dismissed. Even worse, as a twisted accusation back on you, or met with defensiveness. The crab (person) will perceive your attempt to use logic as an attack or a sign of your own arrogance. While humility is a virtue, deliberately making oneself smaller doesn't solve the "crab's" insecurity either as it can lead to a loss of respect, and seen as weakness or a confirmation of their own superiority. While it's important not to become crabby and negative yourself, outright ignoring can sometimes embolden the "crab," especially if they thrive on attention or feel their tactics are going unnoticed. As you continue to succeed, their efforts to pull you down start to intensify out of frustration. Ignoring the behavior doesn't address the underlying systemic or psychological issues motivate them to attack your well-being or destroy your reputation within the broader community. Treat the "crab" as a rational person is where plans-fail, when in reality, their behavior is often rooted in deep emotional insecurity or a subconscious drive to maintain a stagnant status quo to stay in the bucket. 

As Communities Weaken the Crabs Strengthen: Hawaii was never "crab-proof", but it was under control, because community was a huge thing where people were connected, and that kept the crab mentality in check. But lately, life's been throwing some serious curveballs: crazy costs, impossible situations, and a whole lotta stress. To feel safe, some people have started pulling others down, even if it hurts them in the long run. It's like they're sabotaging themselves. The thing is, with money being tight, it's getting harder to build those strong communities. And in this kind of toxic environment, people are just blaming each other, creating a never-ending cycle of negativity. Back in the day, Hawaii's communities were strong enough to keep this crab mentality in check, and people on the lower rungs of the economic ladder could still thrive. But in the last few decades, the cost of living has skyrocketed, and this has opened the door for a ton of "crab mentality" people to invade Hawaii that was once seen as a paradise and transformed into “crab land”. This isn't just some occasional encounter with a small, pinching crab. We're talking about giant, destructive crabs that you run into all the time, no matter where you go or what you do. These crabby people are here to stay, and it feels like a social disaster is about to happen. This kind of mentality is super toxic at work, at home, and it wastes a ton of time with drama that just crushes your soul.

In Hawaii, people are typically more occupied with (and better at) holding back other Local people from success than actually succeeding themselves. That description can apply to any race/ethnicity that is placed in a situation in which they are viewed as lesser and systematically kept in the societal status of a job, the money and products owned, also known as their economic class. Such frameworks manifest in policies, media representations, and institutional practices that overlook or suppress the voices and needs of Local Residents, Native Hawaiians, and other marginalized groups. This systemic oversight can lead to a diminished understanding of racial diversity and hinder efforts toward genuine “Local” inclusivity with "Local Communities", “Kama’aina” togetherness with transplants in “Residential Communities”, as well as coexisting with “Malahini” with the "Fandom Communities". 

"There is even a saying where some people say "You don't rise up in Waianae by robbing your neighbours"- Waianae Resident

First Use of Crabs in a Bucket Metaphor in Hawaii (History): The Hawaiian Star was an annexation newspaper when referring to the people in Hawaii as being crabs in a bucket and from it was an image of ʻalamihi crabs clawing each other down. The saying is used all over the world these days, but there are some texts showing as early as 1712 William Lynch proposed a strategy that pitted one group of beliefs versus another group that held different beliefs for a forever fight. It was a psychological concept that would be used as a way to have races fighting against each other, specifically African Americans, then other races, and eventually political parties. It made full use of the American Color System and it was used in Hawaii as a way to pitt ethnic minorities against one another through a single-racial-lense and it is a control-mechanism to help lower racial-diversity knowledge, lower perspective analyzing from outside the lense, and is hyper-focused on controlling marginalized communities in Hawaii. 

In Hawaiian, "aʻama" has many meanings, since it can: refer to a large black edible crab, or it can mean "to stretch out the hands to catch something", or "to steal small articles". A'ama spreads its body flat and in use that could sound like “How do you A'ama someone when you have a favor to ask?”.  It can also describe involuntary motions of the hands when trying to grab something that is falling. Additionally, in some contexts, "aʻama" can refer to the act of talking or being talkative like “Aunty is a’ama” or talkative. 

In Hawaiian culture, the behavior of the ʻalamihi crab is often used as an example of how individuals within a community might pull each other down, preventing collective advancement. This analogy has been used to discuss social dynamics where community members, intentionally or not, impede others' success due to jealousy, fear of change, or internalized limitations. The metaphor serves as a cautionary tale, urging communities to support rather than suppress individual achievements. To have a long term island mentality of someone who has the intention of living in Hawaii rather than a short term mentality of someone who wants their way. 

“An intense grudge is like a person taking one hit of alcohol, and wishing da oddah sober person goin become all hammah jang.”

ʻAlamihi Syndrome: unlike the myth another way this term is used is to describe a dynamic of internal oppression or self-sabotage within a community from clashing interests, economic class, and historical timeline positioning. Individuals within the group are seen as hindering each other's advancement, perpetuating a cycle of stagnation. It was started when it was being studied under the idea of "internalized oppression" by a professor at Kapiolani Community College that looked into its social and cultural dynamic. It had some overlaps with "Stockholm syndrome" with the oppressed (hostages) identify with and even defend their oppressors by perpetuating the negative consequences of their historical oppression by hindering their own collective progress. Those with "ʻAlamihi Syndrome" might be seen as having internalized the colonizers' narrative (the ʻAlamihi Bucket mentality) to the point where they act in ways that reinforce it. It is seen simply as a person labeling a sort of perspective description as a matter of ongoing discussion and analysis within Hawaiʻi.

"We need to be willing to live outside of the bucket. In fact, this is one bucket we should all be willing to kick." -Kekailoa Perry (2002)

The Rich Never Encounter Crabs: Crab mentality is often associated with people who are struggling financially. Those who are well-off or live in exclusive communities can avoid these "crabs". But there's a problem that often goes unmentioned which is a social crab-tastrophe. What do you think? Is this something you and your friends experience? An army of crabs is invading the Hawaii mindset for a long time and people choose to turn into a crab. When crabs are literally everywhere around you at home, at the workplace, and when your on your way somewhere, you can see they are incredibly super-versatile as there is a variation of themselves all over the world. There are crabs all over the world’s oceans and they hunt prey on the seafloor (bottom feeders) and in the mind sense they are all over the island’s where they hunt prey on the social floor (social bottom feeders) crushing them as crush-staceans (joke on the term crustaceans) no matter how tough their armor is in the literal sense or their resiliency in the social sense. 

Keep Um Fighting Each Other Forever: This technique that is used by those in powerful positions in business or government or in financial importance creates a Self-Consuming Puhi (eel) that eats its own tale like a “Ouroboros” that reflects self-reflexivity (instinct), self-inflicted perpetual cycle (forever), self-directed action pattern (repeat). Or in this case how Crabs will Cannibalize other Crabs due to a survival-sense, perceived limited resource-availability, and bully-minded dominance hierarchies to control the crab population through stress, anxiety, and fear. It is to impose a scarcity mental-cycle from one crab to another. This is to increase the chances that a person who is a crab needlessly chooses unknowingly a self-destructive overreaction to a problem. A common saying is "Cutting off one's nose to spite one's face" as an expression to describe such a response. 

“They say crabs in a bucket pull each other down. But who put the crabs in the bucket? That bucket ain’t the ocean. That ain’t the reef we were raised on. That’s an artificial trap. We drag out our own through the lo’i harder than we drag those tearing up our aina. We shame the struggling, but stay silent on greed. That’s not Justice. That’s Misdirected rage. We need common purpose, not competition, not gatekeeping. We were never meant to be crabs. We’re canoe people. We move together or we sink alone. And that bucket? Don’t just toss it. Turn it around. Make it a drum. Let it thunder across the reef, a beat for the ones still climbing, a rhythm for the ones still trapped, a sound to remind us - we were always meant to rise.” -Scholar Adam Keawe (paraphrase)

Archetypes of Real Species Crabs helps capture the idea with a "Crab" and a "Name" with a way to spot the "Patterns" of behavior and to intention-check people by learning about them. Why we should know all sorts of different crabs and that's to understand different people and learn all the different ways somebody can go and try to pull us down in some direct ways and some not so direct ways. Real people don't actually look like crabs, so don't worry, because its about catching the idea and making sure people reach their own potential without preventing other people from reaching theirs. Its all about having more mind-tools to understand, to navigate, and to hopefully lift each other up instead of punching each other. 

"Surrounded by da ocean, get all kine crabs in there, all kine delicious morsels, thick shell, thick claws, maybe even some get thick head. Maybe we can learn something from da real crabs. Learn da marine crustaceans, learn da human science, learn da problem. Remember its a metaphor, so, He not gonna go hide under one rock all day and only come out at night to crunch your numbers. Although...sometimes it feel like that, yeah? Like they only come out to mess with you in the dark. Not everyone in the poor areas of Hawaii have this mindset, but the people that make the poor places in Hawaii a toxic place to live definitely have that crabby mindset."

People are complicated, more complicated than crabs, because we got these enormous brains, we got feelings, we not just moving on instinct like the real ones, like how mother nature intended for them. These archetypes help us give a name to ideas and weird feelings when somebody make you feel bad, but you don't know why, but you about to find out with the different sort of crabs. It's about recognizing the impact it has on you and others, and the intention behind it – even if that intention is hiding behind a smile or a angry face. It is important to have the ability to diagnose "crab" behavior, so you can better differentiate constructive feedback from destructive envy, thus protecting your own ambition and see the angry people who attempts to wash them out.

You know, life can get hard sometimes, even when you try your absolute hardest, things still pop up out of nowhere, some parts of your day go smoothly, but things can still hit you. You've always got your own personal battles, the stuff that's just about you, not about dealing with others. By being crab-handling expert the days can feel a lot less chaotic and communication can be more clear, less annoying problems, and protecting your sanity. Overall its less drama, both at home and at work by consciously choosing to operate from an abundance mindset, rather than passively accepting your social circle. Limiting your important daily-energy, discussion-time, and emotional-investment to people who have bad intentions without stooping to their level.

[ref. Mikey Bustos, Arsalan, Incmedia]