Happiness is not only in money

Given how much attention the public pays to replacing a foreign hamburger with a Russian cutlet, we have no more problems. The scope of the discussion on this subject shows that the lifestyle, style and concept of success have been shaped by the influence of Western values ​​in the last thirty years.

Undoubtedly, now is the time to review these values. Two questions involuntarily arise: what to change and how to do it?

Let’s admit right away that Russia is not a Western civilization, never was and never will be. Our ancestors, who objectively lived in difficult conditions, were always about more. More about reliability, margin, power. We are stubborn people, an independent civilization.

The next key difference is that unlike the West, we are actually super rich. First of all, they are super-rich in nature, and secondly, they are super-rich in creativity, because without creativity and versatility in our climatic conditions it would not be possible to survive. The history of Russia is the history of the choice of survivors.

But this is not the case in the West. Therefore, there the term wealth is reduced to having money. Recently, the right to set rules and own digital media has also been added here. So, by the way, the basic rating bar was shifted, which also applies to the image of a successful person exported to Russia with a hamburger.

This does not mean that Western civilization is worse. Thanks to its lightness, it is more flexible, more dynamic and more aggressive in exporting ideals.

What can we oppose to these “non-heavy” ideals? The indisputable fact that we are objectively the center of power. So we have to develop the foundation – the real economy. Let’s not enter into competition with the West in the digital space, without forgetting that this is just a service. There is always a drowning firefighter in the backyards of the “great digital world” so that living in this world, in this world, is warm and comfortable. The situation can remind you at any moment that the stoker is not the last digit. Finally, we must protect ourselves as guardians of traditional values. In this sense, Russia has never been a “melting pot”: it did not assimilate peoples by erosion, it united them.

So our strength is not where we want to be for 30 years, but where we want to go somehow. And the sooner we realize this, the easier it will be.

What should be the orientation of the society and above all the youth? For creative work and respect for it. The importance of real knowledge and skills, not just diplomas. The ability to work for a result that may not come immediately, but will be a real result, not an imitation of success.

Yes, we need to decide how to restore the system of values ​​in the minds of the public. After all, the consumer society has not and will not go anywhere. Young people today are not forced to fight for a piece of bread as before. From the age of four, my grandmother grazed geese, and from the age of nine she cleaned the master’s house. Now this is not necessary for the younger generation. Research among youth under the age of 24 has shown that only 4% of respondents describe their families as experiencing serious financial difficulties. At the same time, no more than 20% of students earn extra money. So the younger generation has a lot of free time; where does it take you? Diving into an anarchic environment in a digital society, controlled and not prioritized by family, school, or government institutions. In this environment, for example, labor has no such value. A craftsman in Orenburg who makes a unique feather scarf for a month receives $120 for finished products. That’s the same price for Britney Spears’ five discs today. And another question that is more valuable in the eyes of young people.

Obviously, someone must manage the flow of events and information without actively intervening, someone must evaluate what is going on and what is being discussed. Not to impose your opinion – it will be rejected by young people – but to influence by combining different strategies – distraction, change, change.

Do you remember how a president of the district made the officer jump for the keys? Yes, he was dismissed, but there was no systematic reaction to the situation in the youth environment. This means that this and similar cases – and there are many – are not an ethics lesson for young people. This is very important because the society does not go hungry, the society does not survive. But we have not yet succeeded in presenting a unifying, creative agenda to the people who did not survive. But I’m sure, unlike the West, it will work.

Let us remember that evil is always active and collective, while smug goodness is often lazy and selfish.

The author expresses his personal opinion, which may not coincide with the editors’ position.



Source: Gazeta

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