Recently, there has been much more talk about how different worldviews Russians and Americans have. The mentality is really different, but is it cardinal?
The whole world is enemies
The mystery of the Russian soul to outsiders is not really understood. At the moment, if you measure this misunderstanding, the device would be off scale. But they did not come up with either a device or a way out of this misunderstanding. Even jokes on the difference in mentality have recently become much larger.
Probably because after decades of the Cold War, during perestroika, it became possible to get closer and get to know each other better. Well, they did. The Russians, who never lost their credulity, came and knocked on the door. And then, according to blogger Olga Tukhanina, the door opened then to slap a stranger in the forehead with a bullet. Why is that?
History will answer for everything
That is the reality. Americans, whose mentality is based on confidence in their own strength, and, therefore, rightness, are quite cruel. In addition, they are strangely sentimental, which, however, is quite inherent in real cruelty. It’s all about the origins, because it makes sense to consider the history of two states. Both Russians and Americans knew the wars quite well.
The mentality, however, did not cease to be different. This is because the Russians defended and won, while the Americans attacked and also sometimes won. America does not have a single song about enemies who burned their own hut and killed all relatives. They do not know the real suffering, and therefore there is no real compassion in them. That is why the mentality of Americans is different from Russian. Russia knows what the protection of its own land is.
Impunity
After the notorious September 11th, when not twenty millions died as Russians did during World War II, but several thousand people, an act was passed that grossly violated the Bill of Rights, that is, what the Americans were especially proud of. The mentality was enriched with a new characteristic touch. They are able to give a little of their freedom for the sake of security. A stranger can be destroyed completely.
For the United States, this event was the most egregious in the history of the country. Not the genocide of the Indians. Not atomic bombs on Japan. Not the children of Vietnam, running in the fire of napalm. No. Americans then sincerely regretted the killed children, paper cranes flew across America in packs in honor of the Japanese baby who died from radiation sickness. But the Americans did not repent, no. All this alignment - its own importance and disregard for the rest of the world - has all the tendencies to continue in the future: Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria … Wherever they want, they bomb it. And how much they want. Are they so brave or do they have nobody to fear?
Dead end
In Europe they remember the war, in Russia - even more so. And in the USA they don’t know anything about her, although they are constantly fighting. Thousands of kilometers from home, why not fight? Most often, in front of the monitor, as if they are playing a game, as if they are watching a Hollywood action movie.
"Wow!" - Hillary Clinton exclaimed enthusiastically when she was shown the shooting of the terrible death of Muammar Gaddafi. And clapped her hands. Isn't that most of the rest of America? Hence the difference in the mentality of Russians, Americans, Indians and British. If most people in a country like to kill foreigners, then this country is a danger to the rest of the world.
Dialogue?
The Kremlin is now unusually active. Incidentally, this is a feature of a purely Russian mentality - to finally wake up, look around and be amazed: wow, what they’ve done without me! Many steps of our foreign policy - in the same Syria - clearly show that there is a need for a tough dialogue between Russia and the United States. Is it possible to agree peacefully with those who like to kill everyone and who are used to doing this? And an indisputable fact - they will also try to kill us, but not at all agree, the American mentality does not suggest anything else.
Tried to talk already. Gorbachev recently dropped his weapon and held out both hands. And here: he was handcuffed, and the country was shot in the forehead. We are strangers to them. And they are the masters on the whole earth. A bit missed that time, made a mistake. And the second case of dialogue, if it happens, is unlikely to provide America with the possibility of another shot. The only thing the Russians should fear is a knife in the back.
Elections
To understand the difference between the mentality of Americans and Russians, it is worth comparing the situation in the elections in both countries and their attitude to them. Since elections to the American Parliament and the State Duma are held almost simultaneously, the pictures are easy to sort and classify. Following the fresh traces, the mentality of Americans and Russians is especially clearly visible. The difference is that in America, the same Hillary Clinton screams that he will return hegemony to the United States and destroy Putin and Russia.
In Russia, they do not know such a purely American trend as the infrastructure of influence over the whole world: the Russians did not invent the world currency that enslaved the world community, and also did not differ in military presence around the world. It is also worth looking at the map for confirmation: US military bases spanned the entire planet, concentrating around Russia. And even with such an external threat, the Russian mentality is invincible: in the recent elections, more than half of the population hoped for a chance and did not attend the vote.
From the point of view of modern psychology
Despite the fact that Russians and Americans are physiologically the same organism, many psychologists believe that these are completely different types of people. And their differences are almost entirely in the subconscious, that is, actions are performed absolutely automatically. In the perception of oneself and the mentality of Americans and Russians, it is even impossible to compare, because there are practically no points of contact from where the comparison could begin. The American relies only on himself, does not see any obstacles to achieve the goal, and he simply sweeps those who fall in the way. This creates unjustified self-confidence.
I want to grow my long fingers, like Chopin’s, and I will grow! Ah, not grown. So, he wanted to somehow weakly, did not try. These are the main features of the mentality of Americans. I want to be the strongest - I will weaken the rest. And the Russians look mostly around and spend most of the time doing nothing, trusting in circumstances. I wanted to do something, but historically it didn’t work out, the weather failed, the government got in the way. That is, in the mentality of Russian - apparent and unreasonable self-doubt. But everything is historically good, the weather does not interfere, the government will help if the people face a single task. Conciliarity is the main thing for a Russian. And this is the difference between the mentality of Americans and Russians.
Conversations in different languages, although all in English
It is very difficult for Russians and Americans to start a conversation. The Russians are silent for a long time and stubbornly, creating a false impression among those around them of either cowardice or stupidity. In fact, they calculate the variation of how much they are right or wrong when they speak. Russians are not very fond of being wrong. Not in vain from everyday life and sayings: “The word is silver, and silence is gold” and “The word is not a sparrow, it will fly out - you will not catch”. A personal opinion is very expensive for a Russian, but he will almost always prefer a public one.
The Americans have the opposite. They are sure that they have a complete understanding of everything in the world. They are taught at school that it is necessary to express their opinions on any occasion, and therefore they chat and chat non-stop, otherwise it is difficult for them to exist. But this does not mean that the American is bolder, stronger or wins in the mind. No. Having taken an unreasonably high position of know-it-alls, even the most prominent American experts cannot understand either Russians or Russia. Even if our countries begin negotiations, both have the impression that they are being conducted in different languages.
“Yes” and “no” do not say …
Child Game. Such simple words, which can not be dispensed with, can even serve as a pretext for starting another war, if you do not take into account the mentality of Americans and Russians. The difference is that among Russians the word “no” has gradations, while among Americans “no” is used in a single meaning - only not, solely and exclusively. They do not like to use this word, and they themselves almost never use it - only in exceptional cases. With the word "yes" everything is exactly the opposite. For the Russian there is no other meaning for this concept, but for the Americans - as many as you like. They even use it instead of “no” so that nothing threatens their private borders, when suddenly the interlocutor is angry at the refusal.
And therefore, cultural communication between two people, companies or countries often comes to a standstill. The Russians consider the heard “yes” instead of “no” as hypocrisy, and “no” consider something like “well, almost yes.” The Americans, on the other hand, begin to behave aggressively if they are not understood or accepted: they said the word "no". Russians amazed in amazement at the back of their head when the American partner, who clearly and loudly said “yes, ” suddenly did not fulfill his promises. And since the mentality is almost completely different, it is incredibly difficult for Russians and Americans to agree on anything. Although there were such joyful moments, there were. True, for a long time. And immediately they disappeared for a long time. Let's hope not forever.
