Living in Costa Rica – Do you really want it to be like back home?

Many expatriates hold regular crying sessions about the differences between Tico culture and the culture back home. They complain about the poor road conditions, the inefficiency of ICE, ineffective police protection and the lack of specific brands of appliances and televisions.

But what they do not see is that the government spends most of its money on pensions and medical treatment with little money for anything else.

Think about it for a moment, should it be different?

The Costa Rican government would be able to fix roads, create more infrastructure and police better if they had more money.

Or would they?

Americans have a cultural propensity to think that if you throw more money at a problem it will go away. A marriage dissolves and the co parent with poor parenting skills is not ordered to improve their parenting skills, the other co parent is ordered to pay them money. The US is attacked on 911 — what happens? Send the citizenry to war and crank up the military industrial complex — throw money at it!

What we fail to see is that money intensifies the existing situation. It does not necessarily make it better or worse. It makes it more of what it already is.

If you throw money at a corrupt government filled with nepotism and contractors that charge for 4 inches of asphalt and lay down 2 inches of asphalt, or politicians that can easily plan their vacations without running out of money but do not seem to be able to plan a transportation project in the same manner (I wonder where the money went?) then you get more of the same behavior – except more intense.

Ticos seem to know this, Ticos understand that their government is composed of children playing grown up games. It is the same with most professionals such as architects, attorneys and builders. Does this mean that throwing more money at them will change them? Kids will be kids. How do you allow a child to grow? When they are responsible, they are given more opportunity. When they are careless, they are given less.

Ticos understand this and that is why they do not choose to participate with the government tax codes and its decrees. The Tico point of view is “pass another law, see if we cooperate with it.” They don’t. They merely ignore and allow the politician to bask in their newly created paper.

In his 9th July 2007 article, Garland Baker points this out. When a call was made to the Superintendencia’s and the official knew nothing about the published resolution from the notary directorate. His response was “They did what? The notice says what? Do you have a copy?”

The official stated that the office did not know about the published announcement and that it did not make sense. This is vintage Tico culture at it best. Let us thank God for this disorganization and/or lack of participation — which ever it was, it keeps Costa Rica free.

Now here comes the Gringo and his “good little follower” mentality that has created citizens who only think they are free, massive government with cameras at every intersection which sponsors financial cruelty by enslaving its citizenry to work five months out of the year to pay the government to oppress them while the middle class who pays for most of the “governing”(?) cannot afford to see a doctor.

When in Costa Rica they think “better be good followers or Big government will make an example of us” they fail to realize there is no Big government here. They are so intimidated by big government back home that the invisible monkey will forever be on their back.

Gringos still have a chance to help Ticos keep their government small by non cooperation. Think Henry David Thoreau and his reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay, Civil Disobedience, an argument for individual resistance to civil government in moral opposition to an unjust state.

So I ask who is smartest, or should I say less indoctrinated, the Tico or Gringo?

If you come to Costa Rica eager to do as you do back home you will create a well funded government that might fix the pot holes in the street along with breathing down your neck in search of more golden bananas. I think many people come to Costa Rica to escape this.

So take a lesson from the Ticos and simply do not participate with the rules and regulation designed to build big government and reward the political children with more toys they do not deserve. Keep Costa Rica free of big government by taking a tip from those around you. If you need to be a follower, follow their lead. Satisfy your curiosity about their culture by asking a Tico if they know what day is the last day to file taxes? 98% do not know.

We made a mess back home by allowing the US system to create overworked little followers who are so caught up in following the rules that they no longer see that those imposing them have stolen our ability to think for ourselves, as we are too busy trying to make ends meet.

It’s probably too late to change that. But there is still the opportunity to keep Costa Rica free by not doing the same thing here, not participating with the Costa Rica system to create an over-funded government. Let’s not bring the same corporate/government mess here.

When in Rome, do as the Romans.

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Written by VIP Member Diego Vega. Diego is a Father, Teacher, Student of Life, Strategist, Kung Fu Adept, Writer, Philosopher, Real Estate Speculator, Diego Vega has over 15 years experience in Costa Rica and maintains homes in the mountains and coast of California and Costa Rica.

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.