Recently, there has been much more talk about how different worldviews Russians and Americans have. The mentality is really different, but is it drastically?
The whole world is enemies
The mystery of the Russian soul is not really understood by outsiders. At the moment, if you measure this misunderstanding, the device would go off scale. But they did not come up with either a device or a way out of this misunderstanding. Even jokes about the difference in mentality have become much more lately.
Probably because after decades of the cold war in perestroika, there was an opportunity to get closer and get to know each other better. Well, we found out. The Russians, who never lost their credulity, came and knocked on the door. And then, according to blogger Olga Tukhanina, the door opened to put a bullet in the forehead of a stranger. Why is that?
History will answer for everything
This is the reality. Americans, whose mentality is based on confidence in their own strength, and hence the rightness, are quite cruel. In addition, to a strangely high degree sentimental, which, however, is quite inherent in real cruelty. It's all about the origins, so it makes sense to considerhistory of two states. Both Russians and Americans have known wars quite well.
The mentality, however, has not ceased 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 the enemies who burned their own hut and killed all their relatives. They do not know real suffering, and therefore there is no real compassion in them. That is why the features of the mentality of Americans differ from Russians. Russia knows what it is to defend its own land.
Impunity
After the notorious September 11, when not twenty million died, like the Russians in the Great Patriotic War, but several thousand people, an act was adopted that grossly violated the Bill of Rights, that is, what the Americans were especially proud of. The mentality has been enriched with a new characteristic touch. They are able to give up a little of their freedom for the sake of security. And someone else's can be destroyed completely.
For the United States, this event was the most egregious in the history of the country. Not Indian genocide. Not atomic bombs on Japan. Not the children of Vietnam running in the fire of napalm. No. The Americans sincerely regretted the killed children, paper cranes flew across America in flocks in honor of the Japanese baby who died from radiation sickness. But the Americans did not repent, no. This whole alignment - its own importance and disregard for the rest of the world - has every tendency to continue in the future: Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria … Where they want, they bomb there. And how much they want. Are they so brave orno one to fear?
Dead end
The war is remembered in Europe, even more so in Russia. And in the USA they know nothing about it, although they are constantly at war. Thousands of kilometers from home, why not fight? Most often in front of the monitor, as if playing a game, like watching a Hollywood action movie.
"Wow!" - Hillary Clinton exclaimed enthusiastically when she was shown footage of the terrible death of Muammar Gaddafi. And she clapped her hands. Isn't that the majority of the rest of America? Hence the difference in the mentality of Russians, Americans, Indians and British. If most people in a country enjoy killing foreigners, then that country is a danger to the rest of the world.
Dialogue?
The Kremlin is unusually active right now. This, by the way, is a feature of a purely Russian mentality - to finally wake up, look around and be amazed: wow, what have they done here without me! Many steps of our foreign policy - in Syria, for example - clearly show that there is a need for a tough dialogue between Russia and the United States. Is it really possible to negotiate peacefully with those who like to kill everyone and who are used to doing it? And an indisputable fact - they will also try to kill us, and not at all agree, the mentality of the Americans does not suggest anything else.
Tried to talk already. Gorbachev not so long ago threw down his weapon and held out both hands. And then: him - in handcuffs, and the country - a bullet in the forehead. We are strangers to them. And they are the masters of the whole earth. We missed a bit that time, we made a mistake. And the second case of dialogue, if it happens, is unlikely to provide Americaopportunity for another shot. The only thing Russians should be afraid of 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 the attitude towards them. Since the elections to the American Parliament and the State Duma are held almost simultaneously, the pictures are easy to sort and classify. The mentality of the Americans and Russians is especially clearly visible in fresh footsteps. The difference is that in America, the same Hillary Clinton is screaming that she will return US hegemony and destroy Putin and Russia.
In Russia, they do not know such a purely American trend as the infrastructure of influence on the whole world: the Russians did not invent a world currency that enslaved the world community, and they do not differ in their military presence around the world. It is also worth looking at the map for confirmation: US military bases have covered 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 relied on chance and did not attend the vote.
From the point of view of modern psychology
Despite the fact that Russians and Americans have the same physiological 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 others, the mentalityAmericans and Russians cannot even be compared, because there are practically no points of contact from which to start a comparison. The American relies only on himself, does not see any obstacles to achieving the goal, and simply sweeps away those that come across on the way. This breeds unjustified self-confidence.
I want to grow long fingers like Chopin's, and I will! Oh, they didn't grow up. So, I wanted somehow weakly, I didn’t try. These are the main features of the American mentality. I want to be the strongest - I will weaken the rest. And the Russians mostly look around and do nothing most of the time, relying on circumstances. I wanted to do something, but historically it did not work out, the weather let me down, the government interfered. That is, in the Russian mentality there is an apparent and unreasonable self-doubt. But everything is going well historically, the weather does not interfere, the government will help if the people face a single task. Sobornost - that's what is important for the Russian. And this is how the mentality of Americans and Russians differs.
Conversations in different languages, although everything is in English
It is very difficult for Russians and Americans to even start a conversation. The Russians are silent for a long time and stubbornly, creating in those around them a false impression of either cowardice or stupidity. In fact, variance calculates how right or wrong they will turn out to be when they speak. Russians don't like to be 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 - notyou will catch". Personal opinion is very expensive for a Russian, but he will almost always prefer public opinion.
Americans do the opposite. They are sure that they have a complete understanding of everything in the world. They are taught at school that it is imperative to express their opinion on any occasion, and therefore they chat and chat non-stop, otherwise it is difficult for them to exist. But this does not mean at all that the American is bolder, stronger or wins in the mind. No. Occupying an unreasonably high position of know-it-alls, even the most prominent American experts cannot understand either the Russians or Russia. Even if our countries start negotiations, both of them get the impression that they are being conducted in different languages.
"Yes" and "no" do not say…
Children's game. Such simple words, which are indispensable, can even serve as a pretext for the start of another war, if you do not take into account the mentality of the 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 no, solely and exclusively. They do not like those who use this word, and they themselves almost never use it - only in exceptional cases. With the word "yes" it's exactly the opposite. For the Russian there is no other meaning of this concept, but for the Americans - as much as you like. They even use it instead of "no" so that nothing threatens their private borders, suddenly the interlocutor will get angry at the refusal.
And therefore, cultural communication between two people, companies or countries quite often comes to a standstill. Russians consider hearing "yes" instead of "no" hypocrisy, and "no" is considered something like "well, almost yes." Americans, on the other hand, begin to behave aggressively if they were not understood or accepted: they said the word "no". The Russians, on the other hand, scratch their heads in amazement 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, a long time ago. And immediately disappeared for a long time. Let's hope not forever.
Intermediaries
If an insufficiently comfortable situation is created for an American through the fault of others, then he, as a Russian would do, will never sort things out himself, make comments and generally teach how to live. He will appeal to the authorities - to the police, to the court, to any regulatory authorities. Fiscalism is not in honor for the Russian mentality, the Russian will definitely be offended, because he had no idea what was bothering someone, and any "buffer system" is useless so that he stops interfering with others. "Sneak" from early childhood is one of the worst insults. Russian parents teach their offspring: don't complain, figure it out yourself.
In America, the opposite is true. Complaining to a teacher is right and much better than just punching in the face, for example, an offender of girls. For the first, both the teacher and classmates will praise him, for the second he can be expelled from school. IN THE USAthe average American always strictly obeys the laws. In Russia, it’s even scary to think about complaining about the neighbors to the building manager - everyone will condemn it, even the building manager will be surprised. And if there are no cars on the horizon, any Russian will definitely cross the street at a red light. Because he has a different vision of expediency. Conflict is also a form of communication. Showdowns with neighbors from a fight easily turn into a long and true friendship. And this is normal, open and honest relations for Russians. Say what you think. Defend what was said not in litigation, but directly with each other. For Americans, any conflict is a point of no return to good neighborliness. Especially bad is that such a mentality greatly affects international relations.
