Quote:
Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl
I don't know, I never lived in the Soviet Union. I've heard some former Soviets who hated the Socialist Republics and some who pine for the lost Union. I have no kind of context with which to understand their mentality. That's why I'm asking the Russian, numnuts  |
My personal observations.
You can never fully understand them if you dont learn the language and live there.
You can try by reading their history especially from the time and end of the Mongol rule.
They are fatalistic and it seems to come from very tough times endured.
Individual Russians are usually very warm and welcoming persons.
But to be true friends with them is usually not so easy and they have a small but very loyal inner circle.
They really only trust these people.
Its when they are addressed as a nation or a group they are often a pain in the butt.
They have a practical sense about violence and war that conflicts with the western view.
They are often very curious about the outside world and its views towards them.
They are usually very proud of being Russian but still periodically have low esteem about themselfs.
All this combined explains a lot of the fatalistic attitude, dark humor and acceptance for authoritarian rule by small cliques.