Тонкое искусство пофигизма

           Ifsomeoneisbeinganasshole,youtellhimhe’sbeinganasshole.Ifyoureallylikesomeoneandarehavingagreattime,youtellherthatyoulikeherandarehavingagreattime.Itdoesn’tmatterifthispersonisyourfriend,astranger,orsomeoneyoumetfiveminutesagoonthestreet.

           ThefirstweekIfoundallofthisreallyuncomfortable.IwentonacoffeedatewithaRussiangirl,andwithinthreeminutesofsittingdownshelookedatmefunnyandtoldmethatwhatI’djustsaidwasstupid.Inearlychokedonmydrink.Therewasnothingcombativeaboutthewayshesaidit;itwasspokenasifitweresomemundanefact—likethequalityoftheweatherthatday,orhershoesize—butIwasstillshocked.Afterall,intheWestsuchoutspokennessisseenashighlyoffensive,especiallyfromsomeoneyoujustmet.Butitwentonlikethiswitheveryone.Everyonecameacrossasrudeallthetime,andasaresult,myWestern-coddledmindfeltattackedonallsides.Nagginginsecuritiesbegantosurfaceinsituationswheretheyhadn’texistedinyears.

           Butastheweeksworeon,IgotusedtotheRussianfrankness,muchasIdidthemidnightsunsetsandthevodkathatwentdownlikeicewater.AndthenIstartedappreciatingitforwhatitreallywas:unadulteratedexpression.Honestyinthetruestsenseoftheword.Communicationwithnoconditions,nostringsattached,noulteriormotive,nosalesjob,nodesperateattempttobeliked.