Interview with Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky about people who lie Why do we all lie

Russians have many good character traits that distinguish our nation from others in a favorable light, I won’t bore you with the list. Russians are not so bad, if you don’t look too closely, if you limit yourself to a casual acquaintance, a typical foreign tourist program.

But there is one original Russian quality, completely uncharacteristic of other nations, which completely neutralizes all the enthusiasm for the above - this is LIES.

“Russian propaganda, overt or covert, cannot be tolerated,” says British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon. The British Secretary of Defense also accused Russia of having a habit of very specific lies: “There is such a special Russian word for this. Not maskirovka - an old technique used by Russian intelligence services, but vranyo, when the listener knows that he is being lied to, and the one who is lying also knows that the listener knows this, but continues to lie anyway.”

Nikita Mikhalkov, in the program “Russian lies - enthusiastic self-expression”: “Let's talk about lies, about lies. Russian lies are such enthusiastic self-expression. We know a lot of examples in our literature, especially from the nineteenth century and earlier, and even later. An example of how amazingly many characters fantasize, lie, and simply lie to us. famous works. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky writes: The vast majority of us lie simply out of hospitality. I want to make an aesthetic impression on the listener and give, so to speak, pleasure..."

“Agree, this lie is harmless. There is fantasy in it, there is naive cunning, there is an attempt to deceive for one’s own self-interest, but there is no abomination, bitterness and far-reaching plans in it that can be realized precisely through lies. Although... gradually the lie ceases to be harmless and naive. Lies turn into weapons."

I wasn’t too lazy, I went back to that 19th century. Here is a fragment from F. M. Dostoevsky’s essay “Something About Lies”:
“Why do we all lie, every single one of us? I am convinced that even completely honest people can lie in our country. I am convinced that in other nations, in the vast majority, only scoundrels lie; they lie for practical benefit, that is, directly for criminal purposes. Well, here the most respectable people can lie for nothing and for the most respectable purposes.
After all, what happens: as soon as a person lies, and successfully, he falls in love so much that he includes the joke among the undoubted facts of his own life; and acts completely conscientiously, because he himself fully believes it; and it would be unnatural sometimes not to believe.
All this lying, despite all its innocence, hints at extremely important basic features of us, to the point that the world almost begins to appear here. For example, the first is that we, Russians, are above all afraid of the truth, that is, we constantly consider the truth to be something too boring and prosaic for us, not poetic enough, too ordinary, and thus, by constantly avoiding it, we have finally made it one one of the most extraordinary and rare things in our Russian world.

The second thing our universal Russian lies hint at is that we are all ashamed of ourselves. Indeed, each of us carries within himself almost an innate shame for himself and for his own person, and, barely in society, all Russian people immediately try as quickly as possible and at all costs, everyone will certainly seem like something else, but only not what he really is, everyone is in a hurry to take on a completely different face.”

But Leonid Andreev Essays and feuilletons. All-Russian lies.
As implausible as it may seem, Russian people do not know how to lie. Lying is an art - and a difficult art, requiring intelligence, talent, character and endurance. To lie well is as difficult as to paint a good picture, and is not accessible to everyone. A discovered, failed lie is something shameful; lying is dangerous - and the person who lies must be brave, like any person who risks himself and comes face to face with danger.

A lie must be plausible - this alone makes it very difficult for weak and unresourceful minds to use it. To say that yesterday under the Kuznetsky Bridge I met a swimming whale and was very frightened would not be a lie, for it clearly contradicts both divine and human laws. Everyone knows that people don’t swim under the Kuznetsky Bridge, just as it is also known that no one has ever broken their forehead on the Nikitsky Gate. Thus, for a lie, even a mediocre one, some familiarity with the laws of nature and logic is required, and for a high-quality lie, for example, a lawyer’s, it is even necessary higher education.

Finally, lying requires a strictly conscious, well-defined thought: you can’t lie like that, you’re living healthy. And this condition makes lying less accessible to the majority, who do not have any strictly conscious goals, but only vague aspirations and boundless appetites. Iago lies skillfully and intelligently, because he knows what he wants and carries out a complex, well-thought-out plan. He needs to destroy Desdemona and Cassio, and he not only invents incredible things, but also combines the very circumstances accordingly, which is the highest art of lying.

In any case, these occasionally manifested tendencies to lie do not in the least violate and even rather emphasize the general inability of the Russian person to lie systematically.
Yes, the Russian person does not know how to lie, but it seems that he is equally deprived of the ability to speak the truth.

That average, for which he has the greatest love and tenderness, is neither true nor false. This is a lie. Like the native aspen, it appears wherever it is not called, and drowns out other species; like aspen, it is not suitable for anything, neither for firewood, nor for crafts, and like aspen, it can sometimes be beautiful. Khlestakov, and not Iago, is our true representative.”

Notice that this is when it is written! But then there was a real apotheosis of lies, the centenary of which we are currently celebrating - “The Great Russian revolution”, ultimately ending in the “final and irrevocable victory of communism.” That’s when the Russian “aspen” lies took away my darling! Dostoevsky and Andreev would have eaten their hats in horror.

The collapse of the communist system was precisely associated with a total substitution of the image of man and the imposition of the communist idea in all spheres of life. Christian dogmas were taken, distorted almost beyond recognition, turned upside down, especially in the part where being determined consciousness, and literally driven into the head of the Russian person like a rusty nail into a rotten log.

Russians began to lose not only their centuries-old way of life, but also their national identity, that is, there was a break in the spiritual connection with the roots of the Russian world.

If you look at modern liberals, you will find the same actions and aspirations in their activities. There cannot be a great and powerful state when poor people are told about the “greatness of the Fatherland”, about the colossal economic opportunities in Syktyvkar, while the “flight” of capital reached about $200 billion in 2015 alone!

The current criminal-fascist halabuda, into which “great” Russia, having fled from its enemies into the chilly tundra, has become, is a true Eldorado for lies! Here, every atom of existence is saturated with lies - television, this popularly adored “ruler of thoughts” and the source of the fantastic “most adored” rating, is even disgusting to turn on. In place of the completely decent program “Let's Get Married,” something obscene appeared, a cacophony of dogs barking, coupled with truly Sharikovsky political correctness! And, the funny thing is, people like it, they eat it!

Well, God be with her, with politics, in this area, the Europeans who are incapable of lying have not gone far, although, I will make a reservation that when Madame Merkel insists that she is right in the matter of Islamization of Germany, she does it less professionally than Russian propagandists, when They are weighing what Western sanctions have brought more to Russia: harm or benefit?

According to them, there are many more benefits. And they show the Russian food “boom”, juggling the cards with truly cheating skill, passing off progress in agriculture as “revitalization of the economy.” Although the truth “lies on the table,” as the late classic would say: where did we have tectonic successes in agriculture? Isn't it in Syktyvkar? Or in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky? Not at all - closer to Sochi. And that “epoch-making success,” as the propaganda virtuosos themselves unwittingly admit, will be covered with a copper basin as soon as Trump manages to lift anti-Russian sanctions.

If I were the American “hawks,” by the way, that’s exactly what I would do. In terms of the destructive effect for Putin, this would be hundreds of times more powerful than what was achieved when the sanctions were introduced! Yesterday, the propagandissimo from the State TV and Radio explained so colorfully: the false exchange rate of the ruble would collapse, the ruble would return to the level of 39 rubles. for a euro, and all the wonderful farm “Camemberts” would be licked off like a cow’s tongue, because even though our “Sochi” is located in a climate zone suitable for agricultural production, it is still not Ukraine, and, especially, not Turkey, where the same tomatoes cost three times less.

And as for “economic growth,” if we mean mechanical engineering and other industrial misunderstandings by this, there’s no way to even lie. We have no room for manufacturing industry at all! No matter how many sanctions are imposed on us, nothing except military scrap metal “grows.” Because as soon as you add the amount from the heating bill to the cost, not counting small splashes like the cost of capital construction and logistics, even the most avid friend of Russia loses the desire to invest here.

It turns out that all this “import substitution” is a bluff. A cardboard fool, as Armen Dzhigarkhanyan’s character would say. Wasted time for nothing. Instead of solving the “wintering problem,” they imitated activities. How will they look the “farmers” in the eyes?

A Agriculture The “bourgeoisie” have also not stood still during these 17 “Putin” years; they show on Euronews a livestock farm, to which a person may not show up for months, everything is done by robots. What kind of parmesan with camembert noir is there for our “import substitution”?

“There comes a moment when praise, according to the inexplicable laws of the Russian soul, can easily turn into a fight, and solemnly ends.
“Oh, it would be empty for you, empty Russian lies!” - L. Andreev.

Valentin Spitsin

Reviews

Lying is what distinguishes humans from animals, well, if you don’t concentrate on sadism, which is also not inherent in animals. Lying became possible when the word appeared. You can't lie without reference. You can only lie about something. All nations lie, pursuing different goals. Politicians of all nations are liars. How much Obama has lied, and how much Madam Clinton has lied. There are more soft word- to dissemble. So, everyone at least once in their life dissembled and told lies for different purposes. So all these philosophical studies about the Russian nation, in my opinion, are just a way to attract attention, as “stars” do when interest in them wanes. This is from the category of the mysterious Russian soul, so that they talk about us, no matter in what light, good or bad. We should be a special, unique nation, at least in terms of lies, but this is not the truth.
Sincerely,

No, but F.M. Dostoevsky convinced me that Russians are unique. Other nations LIE, but we LIE. Lying is not a means of profiting from deception, but is compensation for one’s own inferiority complex.

Well, I convinced you, I convinced you. to lie, to lie, to deceive, to dissemble, to tell lies or untruths, for me personally everything else is the same - for me (verbib).
It's like men always exaggerate the number of their lovers and victories. Men of any nation. And women will always downplay their numbers love affairs. How are we all women bitches..... whoever is our first is our second.

You are undoubtedly right a million times about the ladies, there is nothing to argue with. Sexual contact for different sexes is an event of a fundamentally different nature: the madam performs it for the sake of childbirth, it is the initial event in her process, everything is still ahead; and the male considers it, on the contrary, the finale of the story, this is the completion of his entire cunning combination. This is how nature created us. It must be said that she created something rotten, thanks to this I meet death alone, and any most unlucky woman dies in the circle of posterity.
But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about lies. Tell me, Ira, if your Obama publicly announces that he will increase the number of Martians living in the United States by a thousand times, how will you react? That's right, twirl your finger at your temple. This is a normal reaction of a normal nation. That’s why no “Obama” will ever say this; no one wants to look crazy.
And Putin said yesterday that he is giving a solemn task to the Minister of Economy to ensure this year the rate of industrial development ABOVE THE WORLD AVERAGE. Everyone knows very well that all factories have long ago become shopping centers; to be convinced of this, just look out the window! Even if he builds just one plant, the “growth rate” will be equal to infinity squared: X/0/0 = “whatever you want”! But no one lifts a finger, everyone eats!
Why? Yes, because the Americans will perceive Obama’s volyapyuk as a LIE, and the Russians will perceive the same thing from Putin as a LIE, so what if he lied - “If you lie, you won’t die, but soon they will believe you.” “Lie more - it will come in handy in the future.” “No duties are taken on lies.” By the way, it’s interesting that English language Are there such proverbs where they talk about their LIES with sympathy?

Obama lied a lot, for example he said that everyone could keep his health insurance plan with his innovations. Obamacare - This was a blatant lie. It was a scam, people were cheated out of money. People were robbed. On TV every day they show how politicians lie, this is very convenient in our age of total film adaptation of all speeches and speeches. They took something from ten years ago, five years ago. and they showed it, and even if you drool and say that you didn’t say this, and that this is a blatant lie, sorry, gentlemen, we have everything written down... But it’s another matter for the people, whether they believe it or not. And if people say what a beautiful outfit the king has, while the horse is naked, it’s not a matter of lying, but a desire to be deceived. And these are different things.
And how much Clinton lied. And when wikileaks caught her lying, she blamed everything on the Russians. I don’t know about the sayings about profiting from lies. I'll have a look when I have time.

The desire to be deceived is an indispensable condition for the process of lying. There are also substitute conditions, for example, toadying. Indeed, with a lie, unlike a lie, BOTH - both the one telling the lie and the one listening to it - know that it is not true. When "lying" the listener does not know. Because a liar deceives, but a liar does not, everything is fair here. Just as Dostoevsky wrote: “The Russian is afraid of reality,” and, as Pushkin wrote, “ah, I’m glad to be deceived!”
It’s so good that you’re having at least some joy in the morning. It’s night here and it’s also cold. Long live the USA!

I am convinced that they will immediately stop me and shout: “Eh, nonsense, not everything at all! You don’t have a topic, so you’re making it up in order to start more effectively.”

Recently, the thought suddenly dawned on me that in Russia, in the intelligent classes, there cannot even be a person who does not lie. This is precisely because even completely honest people can lie in our country. I am convinced that in other nations, in the vast majority, only scoundrels lie; they lie for practical benefit, that is, directly for criminal purposes.

Well, in our country the most respectable people can lie for nothing and for the most respectable purposes. The vast majority of us lie out of hospitality.

They want to make an aesthetic impression on the listener, to give pleasure, and so they lie, even, so to speak, sacrificing themselves to the listener. Let anyone remember whether he happened to add twenty times, for example, the number of miles that the horses that were carrying him at that time galloped in an hour, if only this was necessary to enhance the joyful impression in the listener.

And wasn’t the listener really so happy that he immediately began to assure you about one troika he knew, which overtook the railroad on a bet, etc., etc. Well, what about hunting dogs, or how do you like it? Did you have your teeth inserted in Paris, or how Botkin cured you here?

Haven’t you told such miracles about your illness that although, of course, you believed yourself halfway through the story (for halfway through the story you always begin to believe yourself), but, nevertheless, going to bed at night and remembering with pleasure how pleasantly amazed you were? there was your listener, you suddenly stopped and involuntarily said: “Oh, how I lied!” However, this example is weak, because there is nothing more pleasant than to talk about your illness, if only there is a listener; and to speak, it is so impossible not to lie; it even heals the patient.

But, returning from abroad, didn’t you talk about a thousand things that you saw “with your own eyes”... however, I take this example back: it is impossible not to add about “abroad” to a Russian person who has returned from there; otherwise there would be no point in going there.

But, for example, natural sciences! Didn't you talk about natural sciences or about the bankruptcies and flights of various St. Petersburg and other Jews abroad, knowing absolutely nothing about these Jews and not knowing how to speak about the natural sciences?

Excuse me, didn’t you tell an anecdote that supposedly happened to you to the same person who told it to you about himself? Have you really forgotten how halfway through the story you suddenly remembered and guessed about it, which was clearly confirmed in the suffering gaze of your listener, stubbornly fixed on you (for in such cases, for some reason, they look into each other’s eyes with tenfold persistence); remember how, in spite of everything and having already lost all your humor, you still, with courage worthy of a great goal, continued to babble your story and, finishing as quickly as possible with nervously hurried politeness, shaking hands and smiles, fled in different directions, so when you suddenly felt the urge, for no reason at all, in a fit of final convulsion, to shout to your listener running down the stairs a question about the health of his aunt, he did not turn around and did not answer then about his aunt, which is what remains in your memories most painfully What's the best anecdote that happened to you from all this?

In a word, if someone answers me to all this: no, that is, that he didn’t tell jokes, didn’t touch Botkin, didn’t lie about the Jews, didn’t shout from the stairs about his aunt’s health, and that nothing like that ever happened to him, then I’ll just I won't believe this.

I know that the Russian liar very often lies completely unnoticed to himself, so it was simply possible not to notice him at all. After all, what happens: as soon as a person lies, and successfully, he falls in love so much that he includes the joke among the undoubted facts of his own life; and acts completely conscientiously, because he himself fully believes it; and it would be unnatural sometimes not to believe.

I am convinced that in the vast majority of other nations, only scoundrels lie; they lie for practical benefit, that is, directly for criminal purposes. Well, here the most respectable people can lie for nothing and for the most respectable purposes. The vast majority of us lie out of hospitality. They want to make an aesthetic impression on the listener, to give pleasure, and so they lie, even, so to speak, sacrificing themselves to the listener. Let anyone remember whether he happened to add twenty times, for example, the number of miles that the horses that were carrying him at that time galloped in an hour, if only this was necessary to enhance the joyful impression in the listener. And wasn’t the listener really so happy that he immediately began to assure you about one troika he knew, which overtook the railroad on a bet, etc., etc. Well, what about hunting dogs, or how do you like it? Did you have your teeth inserted in Paris, or how Botkin cured you here? Haven’t you told such miracles about your illness that although, of course, you believed yourself halfway through the story (for halfway through the story you always begin to believe yourself), but, nevertheless, going to bed at night and remembering with pleasure how pleasantly amazed you were? there was your listener, you suddenly stopped and involuntarily said: “Oh, how I lied!” However, this example is weak, because there is nothing more pleasant than to talk about your illness, if only there is a listener; and to speak, it is so impossible not to lie; it even heals the patient. But, when returning from abroad, didn’t you talk about a thousand things that you saw “with your own eyes”... however, I take this example back: it is impossible not to add about “abroad” to a Russian person who has returned from there; otherwise there would be no point in going there. But, for example, natural sciences! Didn’t you talk about the natural sciences or about the bankruptcies and flights of various St. Petersburg and other Jews abroad, knowing absolutely nothing about these Jews and not knowing how to talk about the natural sciences? Excuse me, didn’t you tell an anecdote that supposedly happened to you to the same person who told it to you about himself? Have you really forgotten how halfway through the story you suddenly remembered and guessed about it, which was clearly confirmed in the suffering gaze of your listener, stubbornly fixed on you (for in such cases, for some reason, they look into each other’s eyes with tenfold persistence); remember how, despite everything and already

having been deprived of all your humor, you nevertheless, with courage worthy of a great goal, continued to babble your story and, having quickly finished with nervously hurried politeness, shaking hands and smiles, scattered in different directions, so that when you were suddenly jerked for no reason at all, So, in a fit of the last convulsion, to shout to your listener who was running down the stairs a question about the health of his aunt, he did not turn around and then did not answer about his aunt, which remains in your memories the most painful thing of all this anecdote that happened to you. In a word, if anyone answers me all this: No, that is, that he didn’t tell jokes, didn’t touch Botkin, didn’t lie about the Jews, didn’t shout from the stairs about his aunt’s health, and that nothing like that ever happened to him, then I simply won’t believe it. I know that the Russian liar very often lies completely unnoticed to himself, so it was simply possible not to notice him at all. After all, what happens: as soon as a person lies, and successfully, he falls in love so much that he includes the joke among the undoubted facts of his own life; and acts completely conscientiously, because he himself fully believes it; and it would be unnatural sometimes not to believe.

“Eh, nonsense! - they will tell me again. “Innocent lies, nonsense, nothing worldly.” Let be. I myself agree that everything is very innocent and only hints at noble qualities of character, for example, a feeling of gratitude. Because if they listened to you when you lied, then it’s impossible not to let the listener lie, at least out of gratitude.

Delicate reciprocity of lies is almost the first condition of Russian society - all Russian meetings, evenings, clubs, learned societies and so on. In fact, only some truthful idiot stands up for the truth in such cases and suddenly begins to doubt the number of miles you have ridden or the miracles Botkin has done to you. But these are only heartless and hemorrhoidal people who themselves immediately bear the punishment for that, wondering later why it befell them? People are mediocre. Nevertheless, all this lying, despite all its innocence, hints at extremely important basic features of us, to the point that the world almost begins to appear here. For example, 1) to the fact that we Russians are, first of all, afraid of the truth, that is, we are not afraid, if you want, but we constantly consider the truth to be something too much for us

boring and prosaic, not poetic enough, too ordinary, and thus, by constantly avoiding it, they finally made it one of the most extraordinary and rare things in our Russian world (I’m not talking about the newspaper). Thus, we have completely lost the axiom that truth is more poetic than anything that exists in the world, especially in its purest state; Moreover, it is even more fantastic than anything that the habitual human mind could lie and imagine. In Russia, the truth almost always has a completely fantastic character. In fact, people have finally realized that everything that the human mind lies and deceives itself is already much clearer to them than the truth, and this is true all over the world. The truth lies before people on the table for a hundred years, and they do not take it, but chase after something invented, precisely because it is considered fantastic and utopian.

Dostoevsky F.M. Writer's Diary. 1873. XV. Something about lying // F.M. Dostoevsky. Collected works in 15 volumes. St. Petersburg: Nauka, 1994. T. 12. P. 138-148.

Why do we all lie, every single one of us? I am convinced that they will immediately stop me and shout: “Eh, nonsense, not everything at all! You don’t have a theme, so you’re making it up to start off more effectively.” I have already been reproached for being dumb; but the fact of the matter is that I am really now convinced of this universality of our lies. You live with an idea for fifty years, you see and touch it, and suddenly it appears in such a form that it is as if you had not known it at all until now. Recently, the thought suddenly dawned on me that in Russia, in the intelligent classes, there cannot even be a person who does not lie. This is precisely because even completely honest people can lie in our country. I am convinced that in other nations, in the vast majority, only scoundrels lie; they lie for practical benefit, that is, directly for criminal purposes. Well, here the most respectable people can lie for nothing and for the most respectable purposes. The vast majority of us lie out of hospitality. They want to make an aesthetic impression on the listener, to give pleasure, and so they lie, even, so to speak, sacrificing themselves to the listener. Let anyone remember whether he happened to add twenty times, for example, the number of miles that the horses that were carrying him at that time galloped in an hour, if only this was necessary to enhance the joyful impression in the listener. And wasn’t the listener really so happy that he immediately began to assure you about one troika he knew, which overtook the railroad on a bet, etc., etc. Well, what about hunting dogs, or how do you like it? Did you have your teeth inserted in Paris, or how Botkin cured you here? Haven’t you told such miracles about your illness that although, of course, you believed yourself halfway through the story (for halfway through the story you always begin to believe yourself), but, nevertheless, going to bed at night and remembering with pleasure how pleasantly amazed you were? there was your listener, you suddenly stopped and involuntarily said: “Oh, how I lied!” However, this example is weak, because there is nothing more pleasant than to talk about your illness, if only there is a listener; and to speak, it is so impossible not to lie; it even heals the patient. But, returning from abroad, didn’t you talk about a thousand things that you saw “with your own eyes”... however, I take this example back: it is impossible not to add about “abroad” to a Russian person who has returned from there; otherwise there would be no point in going there. But, for example, natural sciences! Didn’t you talk about the natural sciences or about the bankruptcies and flights of various St. Petersburg and other Jews abroad, knowing absolutely nothing about these Jews and not knowing how to talk about the natural sciences? Excuse me, didn’t you tell an anecdote that supposedly happened to you to the same person who told it to you about himself? Have you really forgotten how halfway through the story you suddenly remembered and guessed about it, which was clearly confirmed in the suffering gaze of your listener, stubbornly fixed on you (for in such cases, for some reason, they look into each other’s eyes with tenfold persistence); remember how, in spite of everything and having already lost all your humor, you still, with courage worthy of a great goal, continued to babble your story and, finishing as quickly as possible with nervously hurried politeness, shaking hands and smiles, fled in different directions, so when you suddenly felt the urge, for no reason at all, in a fit of final convulsion, to shout to your listener running down the stairs a question about the health of his aunt, he did not turn around and did not answer then about his aunt, which is what remains in your memories most painfully from all this anecdote that happened to you. In a word, if someone answers me to all this: no, that is, that he didn’t tell jokes, didn’t touch Botkin, didn’t lie about the Jews, didn’t shout from the stairs about his aunt’s health, and that nothing like that ever happened to him, then I’ll just I won't believe this. I know that the Russian liar very often lies completely unnoticed to himself, so it was simply possible not to notice him at all. After all, what happens: as soon as a person lies, and successfully, he falls in love so much that he includes the joke among the undoubted facts of his own life; and acts completely conscientiously, because he himself fully believes it; and it would be unnatural sometimes not to believe.

Delicate reciprocity of lies is almost the first condition of Russian society - all Russian meetings, evenings, clubs, learned societies, etc. In fact, only some truthful idiot stands up for the truth in such cases and suddenly begins to doubt the number of miles you have ridden or the miracles Botkin has done to you. But these are only heartless and hemorrhoidal people who themselves immediately bear the punishment for that, wondering later why it befell them? People are mediocre. Nevertheless, all this lying, despite all its innocence, hints at extremely important basic features of us, to the point that the world almost begins to appear here. For example, 1) to the fact that we Russians are, first of all, afraid of the truth, that is, we are not afraid, if you like, but constantly consider the truth to be something too boring and prosaic for us, not poetic enough, too ordinary, and thus, by constantly avoiding it, they finally made it one of the most unusual and rare things in our Russian world (I’m not talking about the newspaper). Thus, we have completely lost the axiom that truth is more poetic than anything that exists in the world, especially in its purest state; Moreover, it is even more fantastic than anything that the habitual human mind could lie and imagine. In Russia, the truth almost always has a completely fantastic character. In fact, people have finally realized that everything that the human mind lies and deceives itself is already much clearer to them than the truth, and this is true all over the world. The truth lies before people on the table for a hundred years, and they do not take it, but chase after something invented, precisely because it is considered fantastic and utopian.

Herzen also said about Russians abroad that they do not know how to behave in public: they speak loudly when everyone is silent, and do not know how to say a word decently and naturally when they need to speak. And this is the truth: immediately a twist, a lie, a painful convulsion; now there is a need to be ashamed of everything that really is, to hide and tidy up one’s own face, given by God to the Russian man, and to appear as a different, as alien and non-Russian face as possible. All this is from the most complete inner conviction that every Russian’s own face is certainly an insignificant and shamefully comical face; what if he takes french face, English, in a word, is not his own face, then something much more respectable will come out, and under this appearance he will not be recognized in any way. Let me note something very characteristic: all this crappy self-shame and all this vile self-denial are in most cases unconscious; it is something convulsive and irresistible; but, in their consciousness, Russians - even if they are the most complete self-deniers of them - still do not so quickly agree with their insignificance in such a case and certainly demand respect: “I’m just like an Englishman,” the Russian reasons, “so it’s necessary respect me too, because all Englishmen are respected.” For two hundred years, this main type of our society was developed under the indispensable, two hundred years ago stated principle: never and never be yourself, take another face and spit on your own forever, always be ashamed of yourself and never be like yourself - and the results came the most complete. There is neither a German nor a Frenchman, there is not an Englishman in the whole world who, having got together with others, would be ashamed of his face, if in his conscience he is sure that he has done nothing wrong. The Russian knows very well that there is no such Englishman; and a well-mannered Russian also knows that not to be ashamed of one’s face, even anywhere, is precisely the most important and essential point of one’s own dignity. That is why he wants to quickly seem like a Frenchman or an Englishman, precisely so that he too will be quickly accepted as someone like him, who is nowhere and never ashamed of his face.

“Innocence, old man, has been said a thousand times already,” they will say again. Granted, but here’s something more characteristic. There is a point in which every Russian person of the intelligentsia category, appearing in society or in public, is terribly demanding and cannot give in for anything. (It’s another matter at home and to myself). This point is intelligence, the desire to appear smarter than one is, and - this is remarkable - it is by no means a desire to seem smarter than everyone else or even anyone else, but only no more stupid than anyone.“Admit, they say, to me that I am no more stupid than anyone, and I will admit to you that you are no more stupid than anyone.” Again, there is something like mutual gratitude here. Before European authority, for example, a Russian, as you know, bows with happiness and haste, without even allowing himself to analyze; He doesn’t even particularly like analysis in such cases. Oh, it’s another matter if a brilliant person falls from the pedestal or even simply goes out of fashion: then the Russian intelligentsia is no stricter towards such a person, there is no limit to their arrogance, contempt, and ridicule. We are naively surprised later if we suddenly somehow find out that in Europe they still continue to look at the face that has come down from our pedestal with respect and appreciate it at its true worth. But on the other hand, the same Russian man, even if he bowed before a genius in fashion even without analysis, would still never admit that he is stupider than this genius, before whom he himself now bowed, even if he were non-European. “Well, Goethe, well, Liebig, well, Bismarck, well, let’s put it... but still, so do I,” every Russian certainly seems to think, even the most shabby ones, if it ever comes to that. And it’s not just that it seems, because there is almost no consciousness here, but somehow it’s all tugged at in this sense. This is some kind of continuous feeling of idle and wandering around the world pride, not justified by anything. In a word, to such, perhaps, the highest manifestation of human dignity - that is, to recognize oneself as stupider than another when the other is really smarter than him - a Russian person of the upper classes can never, under any circumstances, reach, and even I don’t know if they can whether there be an exception. Let them not laugh too much at my “paradox.” Liebig's rival, perhaps, did not complete his course at the gymnasium and, of course, will not contact Liebig to argue about superiority when they tell him and point out that it is Liebig. He will remain silent - but still he will be twitched, even in the presence of Liebig... It would be a different matter if, for example, he met Liebig, not knowing that it was Liebig, even in the carriage railway. And if only a conversation about chemistry had started and our gentleman had managed to join in the conversation, then, there is no doubt, he could have endured the most complete scientific debate, knowing only one word from chemistry: “chemistry.” He would, of course, surprise Liebig, but - who knows - in the eyes of his listeners he would perhaps remain a winner. For in a Russian man the audacity of his learned language has almost no limits. This is precisely where a phenomenon occurs that exists only in the Russian intelligent class soul: not only is it not in this soul, as soon as she feels herself in public, doubts in your mind, but even in the most complete learning, if only it comes to learning. You can still understand about the mind; but it would seem that everyone should have the most accurate information about their learning...

Of course, all this is only in public, when there are strangers around. At home, to himself... Well, at home, not a single Russian person cares about his education and scholarship, he never even raises the question... But if he does, then most likely, at home he will decide it in his favor, at least and had the most complete information about his learning.

I myself recently happened to listen, while sitting in a carriage, to a whole treatise on classical languages during a two-hour journey. One spoke, and everyone listened. It was a gentleman unknown to any of the passengers, a dignified man of mature years, with a reserved and lordly appearance, who spoke his words gravely and leisurely. He interested everyone. It was obvious from his very first words that he was not only speaking for the first time, but perhaps even thinking about this topic for the first time, so it was only a brilliant improvisation. He completely rejected classical education and called its introduction among us “historical and fatal tomfoolery” - however, this was the only harsh word that he allowed himself; his tone was taken too high and did not allow him to get excited, out of sheer contempt for the fact. The foundations on which he stood were the most primitive ones, fit only for a thirteen-year-old schoolboy, almost the same ones on which some of our newspapers, at war with classical languages, for example, “since all Latin works have been translated, there is no need Latin language", etc. and so on. - like that. In our carriage it produced an extraordinary effect; many, parting with him, thanked him for the pleasure he had given, especially the ladies. I am convinced that he left with the utmost respect for himself.

Now in our public conversation (whether in the carriages or in another place) the conversations have changed greatly compared to the previous, old years; Now they are eager to listen, they are thirsty for teachers - on all public and social topics. True, conversations in public are terribly difficult for us; At first, everyone is offended for a long time until they decide to speak, but once they start talking, they sometimes get into such pathos that they almost have to hold hands. Conversations that are more restrained and respectable and, so to speak, higher and solitary revolve mainly around stock exchange or government topics, but from a secret, underbelly point of view, with knowledge of higher secrets and reasons unknown to the ordinary public. The ordinary public listens quietly and respectfully, while talkers benefit from their posture. Of course, few of them trust each other, but they almost always part with each other completely satisfied and even somewhat grateful to each other. The task of traveling pleasantly and cheerfully along our railway lies in the ability to let others lie and to believe as much as possible; then they will also let you lie with effect, if you yourself are tempted; therefore, mutual benefit. But, as I already said, there are also general, burning, urgent topics of conversation in which the entire public is already getting involved, and not just to pass the time pleasantly: I repeat, they are eager to learn, to explain to themselves modern difficulties, they are looking for, thirsting for teachers, and especially women, especially mothers of families. The remarkable thing is that, with all this extremely curious and far-hinting thirst of public advisers and leaders, with all this noble aspiration, they are satisfied too easily, sometimes in the most unexpected way, they believe everything, are prepared and armed very poorly, - much weaker than they could to present to you your most vivid fantasy several years ago, when it was more difficult to draw an accurate conclusion about our Russian society compared to the present time, when there are already more facts and information. It can be positively said that any talker with somewhat decent manners (our public, alas, still feels a prejudiced weakness towards decent manners, despite the education spreading more and more from feuilletons) can prevail and convince his listeners of anything, receive gratitude and leave with deep respect for yourself. Of course, under the undoubted condition of being liberal, there is nothing to mention about this. Another time, also in the carriage and also recently, I happened to listen to a whole treatise on atheism. Orator, secular and engineering type The gentleman, who looked, however, gloomy, but with a painful thirst for a listener, began with the monasteries. In the monastic question, he did not know the very first word: he accepted the existence of monasteries as something integral to the dogmas of faith, imagined that monasteries were maintained by the state and were expensive for the treasury, and, forgetting that monks are a completely free association of persons, like any other, demanded in the name of liberalism, their destruction as some kind of tyranny. He ended up with a complete and boundless atheism based on natural sciences and mathematics. He repeated terribly often about the natural sciences and mathematics, without, however, citing a single fact from these sciences throughout his entire dissertation. Again, he alone spoke, and the others only listened: “I will teach my son to be an honest man, and that’s all,” he decided in conclusion in full and obvious confidence that good deeds, morality and honesty are something given and absolute , which does not depend on anything and which you can always find in your pocket when you need it, without difficulty, doubt and bewilderment. This gentleman also had extraordinary success. There were officers, elders, ladies and adult children. They warmly thanked him as they parted for the pleasure he had given, and one lady, the mother of the family, smartly dressed and very good-looking, announced loudly and with a sweet giggle that she was now completely convinced that there was “only steam” in her soul. This gentleman, too, must have left with an extraordinary sense of self-respect.

It is this self-respect that confuses me. That there are fools and talkers is, of course, nothing to be surprised about; but this gentleman, obviously, was not a fool. Probably also not a scoundrel, not a swindler; it may very well be that fair man and a good father. He just understood absolutely nothing about the issues that he undertook to resolve. Will it really not occur to him in an hour, in a day, in a month: “My friend, Ivan Vasilyevich (or whoever it is), you were arguing, but you understand absolutely nothing about what you were discussing. After all, you know this better than anyone. You referred to natural sciences and mathematics - but you know better than anyone that you had long forgotten your meager mathematics from your special school, and even there you didn’t know it well, and you never had any idea about the natural sciences. How did you say? How did you teach? After all, you understand that you only lied, and yet you are still proud of yourself; and aren’t you ashamed?”

I am convinced that he could ask himself all these questions, despite the fact that he may be busy with “business” and does not have time for idle questions. I am even undoubtedly convinced that they, at least briefly, visited his head. But he was not ashamed, he was not ashamed! This one famous family Russian dishonesty intelligent person- a decisive phenomenon for me. What is it that it is so common among us and everyone has gotten used to it and has taken a closer look at it; it still remains an amazing and wonderful fact. It testifies to such indifference to the judgment of one’s own conscience, or, what is the same thing, such an extraordinary disrespect for oneself that one will fall into despair and lose all hope for anything independent and saving for the nation, even in the future, from such people and such society. The public, that is, the appearance, the European appearance, the law given once and for all from Europe - this public produces an overwhelming effect on every Russian person: in the public he is a European, a citizen, a knight, a republican, with a conscience and with his own firmly established opinion. At home, to myself, - “Oh, the devil is in opinions, I wish they could flog me!” Lieutenant Pirogov, carved forty years ago in Bolshaya Meshchanskaya by the mechanic Schiller, was a terrible prophecy, the prophecy of a genius who so terribly guessed the future, for there turned out to be an immense number of Pirogovs, so many that it was impossible to cross. Remember that the lieutenant immediately after the adventure ate a puff pastry and that same evening distinguished himself in a mazurka at the name day of a prominent official. What do you think: when he was cutting off the mazurka and twisting his so recently insulted limbs, doing steps, did he think that he had only been whipped for two hours? Without a doubt I thought. Was he ashamed? Without a doubt no! Waking up the next morning, he probably said to himself: “Eh, damn, is it worth starting if no one knows!..” This “is it worth starting,” of course, on the one hand, hints at such an ability to get along with anything , and at the same time such a breadth of our Russian nature that before these qualities even everything that is limitless pales and fades away. Two hundred years of weaning off the slightest independence of character and two hundred years of spitting on one’s Russian face have expanded the Russian conscience to such a fatal boundlessness, from which... well, what can one expect, what do you think?

I am convinced that the lieutenant was able to reach such pillars or such vastness that, perhaps that same evening, he declared his love to his lady in a mazurka, the master’s eldest daughter, and made a formal proposal. Infinitely tragic is the image of this young lady, fluttering with this young man in a charming dance and not knowing that her gentleman was whipped just an hour ago and that this is absolutely nothing to him. Well, what do you think, if she found out and the proposal was still made, would she marry him (of course, under the condition that no one else would know)? Alas, it would certainly have come out!

And yet, from the number of Pirogovs and in general all the “boundless”, it seems that the vast majority of our women can be excluded. In our woman, sincerity, perseverance, seriousness and honor, the search for truth and sacrifice are more and more noticeable; and all this has always been higher in Russian women than in men. This is undeniable, despite all the current deviations. Women lie less, many don’t even lie at all, and there are almost no men who don’t lie - I’m talking about the current moment in our society. A woman is more persistent, more patient in action; she is more serious than a man, she wants business for the sake of the business itself, and not just to appear. Is it really true that we can expect great help from here?