Driving through the Tarxien stretch of Tal-Barrani road towards Marsa, I could not help but notice the three letters affixed to some of the lamp posts – VTD. Standing for Viva tad-Duttrina, they have replaced the VMA (Viva Maria Annunzjata) which were there up until the feast of the Annunciation celebrated in the same village some weeks ago.

I first came across this ‘phenomenon’ during the years I lived in Żurrieq. At this time of the year, Żurrieq is a real spectacle with the many blue neon tubes lit up across the skyline and the letters VTK, for Viva tal-Karmnu, splashed across the whole village. These would eventually be replaced by red lights and VSK signs for Viva Santa Katarina.

What I describe just goes to illustrate the so-called tribal mentality that is deeply rooted in Maltese society. Moreover, it is mostly bi-polar – two political parties, two rival feasts, or support for Italy or England in football. Whatever it is, we are very loud and flamboyant in expressing our individual allegiances.

We cannot do away with ideals and with values. They remain crucial to any discussion we need to have on our future

There is a positive side to this – life is never dull in these small islands. People have so much to talk about. Walking through the streets of the town where I live during summer, it’s extremely common to find groups of people sitting on benches or outside their houses discussing all sorts of issues and commenting on passersby.

Moreover, especially during festatime, there is so much activity going on, involving many people of different ages and backgrounds.

However, there are certain aspects of all this that also bring out our disorderly character and lack of consideration for others. The festa, for example, often implies a cordoning off of the village centre for an entire week or more, wires and ropes being affixed to your house without the courtesy of at least being asked whether you would mind, waste all over the place, parking on pavements and on yellow lines and the whole village becoming a public convenience.

I was recently accused of being arrogant by the driver of a van who wanted to park in front of my garage on the feast day. I had simply and politely drawn his attention to the fact that he could not park there.

Some blame it on our ‘Mediterranean mentality’, as though being in the Mediterranean signifies having no sense of abiding by laws and regulations and not having a minimum of consideration for others despite all the boasting about being one of the most generous nations on earth.

Yet, I do question how differently people behave in the Scandinavian countries for instance. However, rather than having to do with culture, I believe it has more to do with an individual’s upbringing and education. I don’t mean to sound elitist. I’m not saying that the more academic qualifications one has, the more educated one is. Education is not just about schooling.

Over a hundred years ago, John Dewey defined education as “a process of living and not a preparation for future living”.

Respect for the law and for others are two characteristics I would expect from an ‘educated’ person. A few weeks ago I wrote about the need to overcome the indifference that is transforming us into a bunch of egocentric individuals who justcare about themselves and their own selfish interests.

And I am not just referring to Malta. Why else would people in so many countries risk putting all that has been achieved at stake by supporting and voting for extreme right parties? One of the factors leading to the result of the EU referendum in the UK may very well have been that so many just voted according to whim without much thought about the long-term consequences forothers including their own childrenand grandchildren.

Unfortunately, not much is done to try to address the situation. On the contrary, there are some who are feasting on it. At times, it also appears that there is an apparent lack of capacity or will by authorities who would much rather turn a blind eye.

Unfortunately, even in this country, the progress registered over these past years, particularly since we joined the EU, could easily be undermined by a ‘free for all’ mentality that ultimately penalises and demoralises law-abiding citizens who always seem to be on the losing end.

When people are allowed to get away with murder, trust in the system, including the institutions, is undermined. This may also be one reason that could contribute to the increase in support for the extreme right with its promises of order, while playing on nationalistic or tribal so-called patriotic sentiment.

We need to regain trust in ourselves and in each other. Humanity has been through so many wars and atrocities yet we do not seem to have learnt our lesson. Terrorist attacks are becoming a daily occurrence. Many of our cities in Europe are not safe places anymore. Travelling on the underground one has at the back of one’s mind the thought that a bomb might just explode. The attacks in Paris last November targeted a concert hall, a major stadium, restaurants and bars.

This is why I believe in Europe. The European project was born from the desire to overcome division and to promote diversity as something positive that can help build a better world. What came after were attempts to transform ideals and dreams into something tangible. The problem is that we have stopped dreaming. We want to quantify everything in terms of the here and now.

We cannot do away with ideals and with values. They remain crucial to any discussion we need to have on our future as a country and as a continent. Pride in being ‘European’ cannot be an artificial construct. Trying to do so would only result in a sprouting of Nigel Farages across Europe.

Being European should also represent a standard – an ideal – something to be proud of. However, to do so we need to get out of this rut of a mentality that often seeks only to try to dominate and belittle others.