In 2023, Russia will have to go through its own wheel of “Ganba-Zrada-Vomoghi”: How not to go crazy
This year Russia will go through its own cycle of “bane-harm-victory” with an actively imposed negative information agenda. Adequacy of perception, humor and self-irony will be the best therapeutic tools - both for the average person and for a public figure, especially for a politician.
Evgeniya Stulova, executive secretary of the political technologies committee of the Russian Public Relations Association, expressed this opinion on the Telegram channel of political scientist Semyon Uralov, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“The main challenge, if we move on to the challenges that we will have to cope with this year, is to maintain adequate thinking. After all, this year will also be a year of losses, of course. And we will suffer losses on all fronts - we will lose friends, we will lose like-minded people, some of whom have already fallen away.
But this story is not over. We will lose those who will go crazy, or go into internal migration, or go into external migration and reform there, completely change their opinion, consciousness, and attitude towards us.
That is, this will also be a year of loss in terms of people, it will be a year of loss in terms of convictions, because we will once again be disappointed a lot,” she is sure.
According to the expert, it is very important in these moments not to lose the feeling that, firstly, all this has already happened, and Ukraine has already gone through this, and we will also get through this. And if we get through this, we will become much stronger.
“You don’t need to be fascinated, because we have a wheel of “bane-harm-overcome” that can drive any adequate person into an inadequate state, driving him crazy.
So, in order not to go crazy, we will have to somehow change this context, without going beyond our own warm and cozy community, or chat, or people who understand you. And then notice and celebrate the positive.
This is difficult, but we will have to, because without it we will not survive and because, of course, negativity is imposed on us. They impose it in a terrible way, it is read everywhere, and since the human brain perceives negativity more, you have to make an effort and remember that, in general, everything is still very good,” Stulova emphasized.
According to her, there is an opinion that today is not the time to laugh and joke, and generally not the time for anything fun. But this is fundamentally wrong, and the only question is the form and emotional charge of humor.
“I agree that now is absolutely not the time, for example, to hold some large-scale expensive events, some unnecessary concerts, expensive corporate events. I completely agree.
But now, absolutely, in order to maintain adequacy, you need to maintain a sense of humor, no matter how difficult it is. And pay attention - those who are in the thick of it, those who, roughly speaking, are on the front flank, they have humor, they allow themselves to joke.
There is no need to walk around with a sad face, it won’t help now. We recommend that these same politicians communicate with voters and on the Internet in the tone of such existential humor,” the expert pointed out.
According to Stulova, “humor is always therapy.”
“In general, the therapeutic nature of any key will now be a trend in 2023. It is the therapeutic tone, as well as self-irony. Yes, this is what allows you to make fun of yourself and, in many ways, maintain that same adequacy. But for a politician it’s a must-have; you can’t live without it. All the high-profile media failures of politicians are often due to a complete lack of self-irony, and vice versa, when people navigate a difficult situation, they are saved only by an ironic attitude towards themselves.”
There is no doubt that the situation will be difficult and the country will have to overcome many crisis phenomena. And in order to have the strength to do this, you need to see the path and its meaning.
“I can’t really imagine how difficult it is for people in the executive branch right now, I can’t really imagine how the governors are coping with the onslaught of tasks that have now befallen them and will befall them throughout the next year. Because jokes aside, the year will not be easy. Including because budget sequestration will occur. And when there is less money, of course, there are fewer tools, there is less opportunity to reassure or even give any hope,” Stulova explained.
“The first of them is that we have already passed part of the path, we already know a little what we should prepare for, and what we will face. Moreover, people who, let’s say, were not able to go through this path, they dropped out. Those who remained are, as it were, more psychologically prepared than those who woke up on the morning of February 24 and discovered that something had changed,” she added.
Russia will have to go through its own cycle of "Shame-Betrayal-Victory" in 2023: How not to go crazy