What defines a designer and the distraught victims of malaysia?

In this new and modern age I'm completely as clueless as every other individual out there, but more so on this particular question, as I’ve heard more definitions upon it then I’ve tasted different chocolate ins a box. But over the last few months I've slowly glued pieces of information from everywhere together and sort of got something substantial or interesting…well at least to me anyway.

A designer is not defined by his academics in school or by his degree/diploma that he has possesses but of what they are able to do and by proving it with their portfolio among other things. Being able to design is one segment of it, but to be a ‘real’ designer one needs to be a skilled communicator (juggling acts of dealing with clients and being able to communicate well with them and through their own work), culturally aware (will discuss this later), able to be continually persistent, strongly passionate and able to produce top-notch work every single time with the knowledge in hand of business ethics, morals and values. I also do believe we don’t just ‘design’; we have a social responsibility of what we do in our profession of sculpting the country.

As a freelancer in the design business, I’ve always been intrigued by other designers and their ‘methodology’ in practice. I’ve talked to many helpful but somewhat jaded designers and friends upon this particular issue. Many a times they seem to be interested in giving a lot of comments about ‘awful’ clients who dictate and feel the need to control the whole creative process, low pay or late pay or no pay.. haha, and that is how the ‘real’ world works.

Actually about a year ago I got a good scolding from a profound web designer that my particular views were naïve and ignorant and he continued to lecture me on how the ‘real’ world in the design market works, after all I’m just a mere college student that freelances from time to time.. A person does have to eat, pay rent, buy underwear, mortgage and bills and all kinds of other responsibilities, but the thing that I’ve found is a lot of designers in Malaysia specifically choose to play ‘distraught victims’ that have been conned and abused. I have this strong belief that one is only exploited in design business because they choose to be. No one forces you to take a particular client or not protect yourself with a contract, or to even educate clients upon what is good and bad design. I’ve heard such negativity that its made me feel quite disgusted with a lot of these designers who have made themselves so immobile and lifeless because of constant bad experiences with clients. Educate the clients I say, educate yourself. The market and clients are not going to *poof* and change for us designers, one has a role and responsibility in everything. I believe designers have to stop playing the distraught victims they choose to play in society, and breath new life into themselves and their love for their profession. I’m an idealist and realist and all I can say is that I see great potential in Malaysia and even in what designers are able to do here in Malaysia, but not with this mentality and pessimistic attitude to everything.