An active life position, upholding one’s own opinion – qualities that many of us consider virtues, are publicly called a deviation from normal behavior *. We turned to social psychologist Margarita Zhamkochyan for comment.
Psychologies: When such an assessment is heard in the courtroom, it is perceived as the position of the state. How to understand it?
M. Zh .: As evidence that passivity, conformism, and the absence of one’s own opinion are in demand today. Any state influences the formation of a social character, in particular, with the help of a mass school. In Russia, the school is now cultivating a dependence on evaluation, on the opinion of those who are higher in the hierarchy. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the initiative among the values of the Russians takes only 11th place**. However, in fact, it is an active life position, perseverance, awareness of goals that are the main signs of a mature personality and, of course, the highest form of mental health.
But the court relied on the opinion of psychologists and other experts…
M. Zh .: It is dangerous when illiterate people consider themselves psychologists and present their ideas as scientific knowledge. Under any thesis, they can sum up “home-grown” psychology. As a result, society loses its bearings. Moreover, white is often called black by those whom we would like to trust: the court, authorities, experts.
What is the danger of losing direction?
M. Zh .: There is a cognitive dissonance, that is, a feeling that someone encroaches on our adequate perception of the world, wants to remake those ideas, without which we cannot imagine ourselves. Therefore, it is so important to feel this substitution, to be aware of it, so as not to succumb to manipulation.
* During the trial of members of the punk band Pussy Riot.
** According to the study of the life values of Russians in the framework of the European Social Survey. Read more at europeansocialsurvey.org