Тонкое искусство пофигизма

           Somehow,afteryearsoftravel,itwasinperhapsthemostun-AmericanofplaceswhereIfirstexperiencedaparticularflavoroffreedom:theabilitytosaywhateverIthoughtorfelt,withoutfearofrepercussion.Itwasastrangeformofliberationthroughacceptingrejection.Andassomeonewhohadbeenstarvedofthiskindofbluntexpressionmostofhislife—firstbyanemotionallyrepressedfamilylife,thenlaterbyameticulouslyconstructedfalsedisplayofconfidence—Igotdrunkonitlike,well,likeitwasthefinestdamnvodkaI’deverhad.ThemonthIspentinSaintPetersburgwentbyinablur,andbytheendIdidn’twanttoleave.

           Travelisafantasticself-developmenttool,becauseitextricatesyoufromthevaluesofyourcultureandshowsyouthatanothersocietycanlivewithentirelydifferentvaluesandstillfunctionandnothatethemselves.Thisexposuretodifferentculturalvaluesandmetricsthenforcesyoutoreexaminewhatseemsobviousinyourownlifeandtoconsiderthatperhapsit’snotnecessarilythebestwaytolive.Inthiscase,Russiahadmereexaminingthebullshitty,fake-nicecommunicationthatissocommoninAngloculture,andaskingmyselfifthiswasn’tsomehowmakingusmoreinsecurearoundeachotherandworseatintimacy.

           IrememberdiscussingthisdynamicwithmyRussianteacheroneday,andhehadaninterestingtheory.Havinglivedundercommunismforsomanygenerations,withlittletonoeconomicopportunityandcagedbyacultureoffear,Russiansocietyfoundthemostvaluablecurrencytobetrust.