Than suffering the modern Russian society from the point of view of psychiatry
Do you feel that violence around it is more, less happiness, and the future anxious? You are not alone — we can say that all of Russian society today “on the verge of a nervous breakdown”. We talked about the social psychology of Russians in 2019 with a psychiatrist, doctor of medical Sciences, President of the National sexology Institute, the author of many educational books Lion by Weglowym.
“We must start to punish simply for the stern look in the direction of the force”
Was there, in your opinion, any shifts in the public consciousness this year?
— People prone to critical thinking, more or less educated and reflecting, to hope for a change of trend, some probability that the government will hear different groups of society, has almost disappeared. The symbol of this is “Moscow business”. All these young guys, who came, according to the Constitution, to Express their desire to change what is happening, was cruelly and often unjustly punished. Throughout the normal world, such peaceful action is quite ordinary event. We have the same power showed that it did not accept. All sorts of appeals to higher authorities is meaningless. The government has shown once again that the security forces in our society not only ruled by, but in the person of its senior executives generally not punishable.
And to the big disappointment at the Council meeting on human rights, the President reinforced this idea that it is possible to punish not for the crime, but for allegedly can lead to it. Threw a plastic Cup — nothing, then a plastic bottle — nothing, then throw a glass bottle, then stone, and then start shooting — so justify its position as the head of state. But, in my opinion, this antiaritmichesky the idea is not completed. In this case, we should start to punish simply for the stern look in the direction of the security officer.
Further, recorded among Moscow high school students 52% would like to leave the country. This is a terrible figure. Ponder over it much more important than anything else because the seniors are the future of our country. If more than half of them wants to leave, I don’t know what else should be the authorities to understand that they are leading the country in some kind of wrong direction.
Now take the broad masses in all the variety of watching TV. They, too, are tense and frustrated. First of all, because a so-called pension reform, and in fact people have took a few years of life and about a million rubles. For these people, the figure of a million rubles is not even very conscious.
Residents who are not concentrated in the five-ten cities of Russia, where it is still economic activity, in General, you feel abandoned. There is poverty, still people live without gas, without the normal warm toilet, medicine there is completely destroyed and so on.
And the icing on the cake of all this is a Grand division of the society, when the powers that be — billions, and people with the salary of 25 thousand rubles are told that their salary of 45 thousand. The outgoing year has only reinforced these trends.
“…grandiose split of a society, when the powers that be — billions, and people with the salary of 25 thousand rubles are told that their salary of 45 thousand”Znak.com
— At the same time, 72% of Russians believe that the interests of the government and society do not coincide, follows from the data of “Levada-center”. How do you explain this dissatisfaction, combined with the credibility of Putin embodies that power?
In my opinion, we remember the saying about the fact that there are lies, damned lies, and statistics. The latter often spins as you want researchers. This is the question about trust in government. I think the real credibility of the government is minimal. But in any case, even if based on opinion polls, in psychology and psychiatry this is called the splitting of consciousness, or schizophrenia. It is a pathological process in the public psyche — is the same as the unhealthy person. On the one hand, he is convinced that is sent from Mars to Earth, and on the other hand, complains that the growing prices for utilities. That is, household and intersects with abstract logical and illogical.
About and in Russian society. Love the power man says the following: “Officials are thieves, we are terribly dissatisfied with the government, all Ministers and oligarchs — lay people and ruin Russia, and Putin is great and beautiful.” And he did not come up with the idea that all these Ministers are appointed or dismissed only with the signature of the President.
“Shaken and eroded the principles of justice inherent in Russian culture”
— Russia is continuing the promotion of spiritual braces. One of the themes that is of concern to statesmen, it is a family, for them it is the same brace. The same law on domestic violence, around which now inflame passions, is primarily concerned with the institution of the family. And how, in your opinion, and he’s valuable to the Russians? Maybe this topic concerns only a small group of believers, traditionalists and nothing more? In August of this year, Rosstat said that the number of marriages and divorces in Russia was the lowest for the period since 1990.
With the institution of the family there are global changes, but the change doesn’t mean extinction. Initially the family was based on the contract in the name of tribal unions. This family disappeared. Afterwards, the Institute family was based often on purely material gain. Then came what seems to be the only normal — individual choice or love. But individual choice is subject to certain changes, and today the Institute of marriage and family is undergoing certain internal changes, but he is not going away. Of course, a growing number of people wanting to spend life alone. Yes, all over the world recorded the so-called aging of the marriage. People married at the age of 19, but rather at 26-27. But this is a positive process because people enter into marriage with fantasies, but in varying degrees as valid human beings. Such a marriage is to society more valuable.
Thus, the institution of the family is important, but not in the sense that mean bigots, declaring the guardian of a family of some old-fashioned values. It is curious. For example, the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church has recently stated that the desire to improve earthly life is a sin. If people are satisfied with such statements, then, perhaps, let them take their last savings and their miserable pensions to the top of the Church, Ministers, security officials and oligarchs. And live some sverhdorogim way. Although the top of the country do not live. But it is clear that all these are empty statements and the hypocrisy that you do not want to listen and do not need to consider the family institution as it is seen, the carriers of “spiritual braces”.
— In addition, the bureaucracy concerned with the problem of demography. But it is more a question of manpower along with other resources. In your opinion, how motivated the Russians the methods used by the state to stimulate the demographics? To overcome the decline in population is not helping. The natural decrease of the population in 2019 will be a record high in 11 years — to such conclusion recently reached by Rosstat.
— For me, the thesis that the bureaucracy is interested in people in online, the controversial. It seems to me that in this case demography is a political challenge to the government. It is clear that any reasonable person, receiving information about what is happening in the country, the decline of the indigenous population sees this as a sign of bad governance. But I doubt that this decline really worried about those who depend on the decision of this question. You can always bring migrants, making them cheap and unprotected labour. And within these decision-makers have the opportunity to teach abroad own children to treat themselves and there relatives, even to do business and earn money there that we see all the time.
The government explains to us that demographic decline is the consequence of the events that was 30 years ago. When I was in school and University, the propagandists of the CPSU tried to explain their failures “birthmarks of capitalism”. Today we see exactly the same explanation, but only as the cause of the endlessly mentioned “dashing 90-e”.
A lot is done to overcome the demographic problem? No. Maternity capital does something. But if we want systematically to solve the problem, the approach needs to be different — and not just to give the families some small amount of money and tell them to be fruitful and multiply. There is often a lack of social infrastructure, for example, the same kindergartens, baby clinics and schools in walking distance. Life is gradually going up. So the woman thinks: well, 450 thousand rubles I received from the state, and that I will support the child in seven years? So that a single stimulation is not a systemic approach. And I strongly doubt that such incentives will change anything in principle.
— You, probably, have faced meme “Russia is for sad”. It is the only such self-irony and, in your opinion, there are grounds for a diagnosis of a certain psychological decline? For example, according to the UN, published in March this year, Russia ranked 68th place in the list of the happiest countries in the world. In comparison with last year Russia dropped nine lines, compared with the year before — on 19. Why the Russians are unhappy?
In the mid-noughties, Russia has experienced the benefit, when it spilled a Golden rain as a result of rising oil prices. Many then had to create a business, buy a car, an apartment, to live well. But the last 10-12 years is only a lower standard of living. This increases the cost of utilities, had the pension “reform” last year increased VAT, which is reflected in the prices of commodities of daily consumption. Even in my environment there are people who are constantly concerned with questions of buying normal food and clothing. More on what is missing. And there are no prospects for a better life there.
In this shaken and eroded the principles of justice inherent in Russian culture. While Russia leads the Forbes number of billionaires in the country, raise the retirement age, arguing that there is no money, and reporting that the Russians, it appears, began to live longer, although this lie is refuted by the growing mortality. One can cite many examples of what is happening now is injustice, so the decline of subjective happiness quite objectively. For no particular reason.
“Have not had bleeding humanity in the world war”
— According to the “Levada-center”, the role of Joseph Stalin in the history of the country appreciate a record 70% of Russians, only 19% negative. We saw a big queue of those who came to worship him in red square. In Volgograd to the 140th anniversary of the local branch of the Communist party opened a monument to Joseph Stalin. What does this symptom of our society? This is a harmless nostalgia for the order or it may have serious consequences?
The first reason is the specificity of our recent history. Slavery in Russia was abolished only in 1861. In the same year was opened the first subway station in London. This speaks to the civilizational level of development of Russia. Then there were two world wars, the Civil war, Stalin’s industrialization, repression — that is a huge series of violence. Unfortunately, slavery and violence in our relatively recent past played a huge role in the state of mind of our people — he needs a strong leader, for whom he followed.
The second reason is nedoma, which today, unfortunately, many inherent. All mouthpieces available information are engaged in the promotion or the charming sweet mythology: we are the greatest, and all the enemies around.
And no matter how weird it sounds, for many people Stalinism is not conformity and not conservatism, this is a protest mood. They think that Stalin will come and sweep away with an iron hand all that they are now so annoying: oligarchy, corruption, outrage of officials, unfair and so on. Especially in the mind of many of them sitting the myth that Stalin was any kind of cruel, but honest, fair and modest in his personal life. Although practically this person as the property had all over the country.
“For many people Stalinism is not conformity and not conservatism, this is a protest mood”Znak.com
And finally the third factor is the authoritarian mindset. It always tends to a certain conclusion. If you’re gonna run me like a dictator, then I will know what to do: to lick your boots and praise you. In a sense, it can still be called Stockholm syndrome. Bloody dictator in Russia will love and adore compared to sulking, like bug blood, the oligarch, the latter will experience nothing but contempt and hatred.
2019 noted many cases of violence both domestic and social. In your opinion, we are here stand out compared to other European countries this is the norm? And maybe just the media increasingly began to cover this topic?
By and large, this is a global trend. One of the big reasons — have not been bleeding humanity in the form of world war. Major wars have not been for 75 years. This is a record for the history of mankind. Therefore, as a patient of hypertension, pressure. There are purely social explanations: the prevailing consumer society, there is a loss of the meaning of things.
But today in Russia there is a coefficient that is multiplied with the situation. It stems from the fact that in society there is no proper assessment of violence, aggression and cruelty. We see that on talk shows are hard insults of opponents, the cries, the screams, the matter often comes to a fight. We read in the news about how police officers and prison guards torturing people. Petty officer necessarily rude for an ordinary citizen, giving to understand him that he is below in the social hierarchy. Moreover, one well-known politician, the leader of the Federal party, holding a high position in the state Duma, for nearly 30 years, allows himself to publicly insult, swear, spit, pour water opponents, pull their hair women and it retains its political positions. Well after all of this the common man can not go to imitative reactions? And it has become the norm. What is happening in Russia necessarily associated with aggression and brutality.
“The worst — a combination of rage and arrogant folly”
In 2019 we can take stock not only of the year, but two decades is the period of Putin’s rule. During this time, a new generation. There were hopes that when it grows up, you can pick up a country and change it. They say that these children will be fundamentally different in contrast to their fathers. But a recent poll, as you said, showed that 52% of respondents among the youth are going to leave the country. To change especially nobody wants. Such as Yegor Zhukov — hundreds on the background of millions. So does Russian society still hopes for change?
— After all, this generation different from their fathers. For the meetings still go if not students, people 30-40 years. They caught only the end of the Soviet Union and basically grew up in the new Russia. The fact that the majority of respondents among the young, are going to emigrate, says that they are not satisfied with this life.
The government understands this. And she tries to resist to the younger generation. If you threw a plastic Cup — it will be punishable as a crime, because of the census in social networks you might have tremendous problems created by Regardie, so as not to manifest the will of the younger generation. So young people are ready to change the country, but the older generation sitting in power, is undertaking a thorough cementation of all germs of political will of the young.
So let’s not overly romanticize. In the short term in connection with hope for the young wait for changes is not necessary. But in the long run it definitely will change everything. What the current government for the youth, hopeless and ineffective. But then, Putin and his entourage are not eternal.
“Youth ready to change the country, but the older generation sitting in power, is undertaking a thorough cementation of all germs of political will of the young”Znak.com
We have listed social-psychological ills in our country, what would you suggest for their treatment?
— The most terrible that can be in the world of people — a combination of rage and arrogant folly. This is what we can see today in our society. So, humanization, education, increase of intellectual level, people’s thinking and logic — all of this will benefit the recovery of Russian society. This is the way laborious, but effective.
Think about how the German people, defeated in the Second world war, after seven or eight years, was able to raise from the ruins of their country. And today, Germany is the flagship of the European economy. It was a carefully thought-out program of Ludwig Erhard. In addition to economic reforms, people every day on radio and then on television and explained what is done, what results are expected. People talked all the time. It has inspired people, forced to find new strength after a big defeat. In my opinion, this is a very important process. In the end, we know that Germany, which is now.
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