Prabowo: Indonesia Must Overcome Inferiority Complex and 'Crab Mentality'

President Prabowo Subianto highlighted the culture of failing to appreciate one’s own achievements as one of the challenges still facing the Indonesian nation in building competitiveness and progress.

“Sometimes we fail to appreciate our own achievements, let alone those of our colleagues. Sometimes we do not value the achievements of our own subordinates,” Prabowo said during the launch of the Mandatory B50 Biodiesel programme in Karawang, West Java, on Thursday, 9 July 2026.

According to the President, such attitudes can still be found across various circles, from the business world, politics, government, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri), to religious figures.

He believes the condition may be rooted in a long history of colonisation that has fostered a sense of inferiority.

“Perhaps this is because we were colonised for too long by the Dutch, by foreigners. What emerged is a feeling of inferiority, not humility,” he said.

Prabowo used the Dutch term “minderwaardigheidscomplex”, or “inferiority complex”, to describe the tendency.

He also touched on the phenomenon of the “crab mentality”, which describes the tendency of some people to pull down others who are trying to get ahead.

“When one crab tries to climb up, another crab pulls it back down. It means taking pleasure in seeing others struggle, and struggling to see others succeed,” he said.

Prabowo stressed that such envy and resentment should not be nurtured amid increasingly fierce global competition. According to him, there are still parties who spread negative narratives and hope that Indonesia will regress.

The President called on all parties to appreciate every achievement and strengthen cooperation to ensure the success of various strategic national programmes, including the implementation of the Mandatory B50 Biodiesel policy.

“We cannot possibly achieve B50 without the support of many parties,” he said, while emphasising the importance of cooperation between ministries and institutions. (Ant)