Thread: Article: The Russian Mindset

Americans do not tend to be as direct as Russians are

Bingo! That's it!
That's exactly what an American told me several years ago when I just started to learn English.
I guess the roots of this opinion come from the lack of knowlege of the right, roundabout English
What we learn at schools and further is just simplified, direct English.
Of course high-educated translators or like, they know the other sort of English but commonly we know only this version of the language.
So in my view, the folks just mistake language constraints for rudeness.

Originally Posted by Medved

Bingo! That's it!
That's exactly what an American told me several years ago when I just started to learn English.
I guess the roots of this opinion come from the lack of knowlege of the right, roundabout English
What we learn at schools and further is just simplified, direct English.
Of course high-educated translators or like, they know the other sort of English but commonly we know only this version of the language.
So in my view, the folks just mistake language constraints for rudeness.

I think it could be based in language as well as culturally. Well, since culture and language are so tightly interwoven that makes sense. English is a rather passive language. In my experience Russians are usually very direct and honest. It has never offended me because my personality is very much the same, perhaps as a result of my Scandinavian/Viking heritage. I am a very direct person. This is frequently misunderstood and people have told me they thought I was "rude" when my intent was completely the opposite.

Just this past weekend I was with some friends in Canada, and one of them told me I was rude because my "approach" when I asked her a question was not "subtle" enough. It was a silly situation, actually. She had an argument with a mutual friend on Facebook and I asked if the person was OK. She got very upset with me about how I asked and said that I should have phrased the question differently, more like, "I am acquainted with so-and-so. Can I ask how she is?" She totally judged my entire personality based on that one little interaction and now she won't speak with me! And all I was trying to do was show concern for a mutual friend. I can't wrap my mind around this passive way of talking. It would never have occurred to me to back into the question like that. I don't understand why just asking "is she ok?" was wrong.

But that is just a simple example.