Until now, people remember the USSR with a hint of nostalgia and good memories. But then it was no better - their problems, their lawlessness and lack of money.
As a result of the long process of becoming a post-war power, many people have established specific habits that allow them to survive. It seems that the situation has completely changed, and it’s time to adapt to new circumstances and nuances, but no, many people (especially after 40 years) are still pulling the “strap” of the USSR into real life. Some habits greatly interfere with life and complicate the existence of others. They must be urgently disposed of, or at least transformed, taking into account new conditions.
Let us consider what 10 basic qualities of the “Soviet man” must be eradicated as soon as possible.
10. Store until better times
In Soviet times, not everything was as rosy as described. That is why people every day dreamed that over time they would get better, and a cloudless future is just around the corner. For the same reason, donated and bought good things until better times. A new dress was waiting for the time when she was walking at her daughter's wedding, a beautiful service was put off until the opportunity to gather guests for a feast, delicacies were acquired exclusively on holidays, regardless of the financial well-being of the family. It always seemed that tomorrow would be better than today. But a bright future did not come, because you need to start creating it today.
9. Be a jack of all trades
The Soviet economical person is not used to asking others for help, much less to spend money on home services. Most tried to master the maximum of crafts and household affairs in order to cope independently in any situations. Do-it-yourself repairs, a woman could use pliers and a paint brush, and a man could wash and clean carpets. Furniture and a refrigerator were brought into the high floors without an elevator, and taps were repaired from any leaks. On the one hand, the need for such needlework made people develop, be universal in different fields. On the other hand, the expenditure of time and effort on dubious quality went through the roof. Now for an affordable price you can even call a specialist and not fool your head, but for this it’s worth leaving the habit of doing everything yourself.
8. Do not throw away broken things
The shortage of things and beggarly salaries forced people to switch to pathological stinginess and skopidomstvo, sometimes reaching syllogomania (Plyushkina syndrome). The pantries and wardrobe were packed full of clothes without a pair (shoes, skates, etc.), broken watches, used bags, skeins of rope, rusty tools, banks and lids, worn dishes. Also, people saved up old books and magazines, forgetting to remove the accumulated dust and cobwebs from them for years. Then it seemed that one way or another, a broken thing could suddenly come in handy, so you should not rush to get rid of it. But in fact, the house simply turned into a hotbed of dirt and trash, in which, at times, a useful thing was extremely difficult to find.
7. Stand in lines
Again, in the framework of the prevailing unrest, trade "from under the floor" and total deficit, the Russian man was forced to rush at the first call to take enormous lines for a rare product or useful thing. The queues were many hours, and sometimes daytime. They met, exchanged books, met future spouses, and colleagues got to know each other better. Here is a kind of team building. Nowadays, consumer goods do not represent a shortage, so there is no need to fight for the last "piece". If there is no need in one place, then you can find in another, the benefit of the points of sale in the city of a thousand. But no, according to old memory, older people stubbornly stand in line for a communal apartment to the last (why come the other day), and are being conducted on “information stuffing” from the media that sugar can go up in price. Managing an elderly Soviet person is simpler - tell us about the shortage and increase the demand for absolutely any product that is not even needed.
6. Give advice
In an era of limited information, all the communication of a Soviet person was kept on the boards: where to find cheaper goods, who of your friends have a plumber, where you can get help. Of course, there was no global network for the exchange of information, as well as mobile phones for quick communication. Therefore, people considered it their duty to give right and left handy tips that supposedly improve life. It is noteworthy that this habit is not eradicated, so people raised in Soviet families, growing up, still love to teach young animals. Often they use stupid sayings from the past, devoid of any background (for example, "whistle - to lack of money", "broken mug - to quarrel"). For such people, the media is the last resort of information, so when they hear something from "respected" showmen, they are immediately trying to teach the younger generation.
5. Save money
Against the backdrop of the same economic crisis, the horrors of perestroika and the shortage of goods, people developed a real fear for the future of their children. As a result, the accumulation of money reached critical limits - absolutely everything was postponed, including surrender from the purchase of bread. Banks were filled with small things, in mattresses and old books they hid larger amounts, and sometimes currency. It's funny how often this led to the loss of accumulated money for a trivial reason - I accidentally hid it, forgot it, etc. But the new generation is pleased, at times, to rummage through old things (jackets, banks, books, etc.) and find “ overwhelmed "solid bill.
4. To make blanks
Against the background of the deficit, you should not shun this. What if inevitable famine comes in winter, how can one be saved? Of course, 50 kilogram stocks of potatoes and onions (albeit rotten), countless cans with preservation (which tends to disappear), packs of cereals (in which midges and insects will certainly be brought) will help out. Nowadays, you can safely buy not only potatoes and cereals, but also outlandish vegetables and fruits in the midst of winter, as well as before the New Year holidays. But it’s very difficult for a person to unlearn habits, so all summer, instead of a refreshing vacation at sea, people hover near a red-hot stove and make preparations that are hateful to the core.
3. Repair, not discard
Not the worst quality, but also often reached its climax. The desire to save the thing at all costs (remember the deficit and pathological frugality) led to the fact that insulating tape was almost the only link to save trash. Various complex designs were invented to save a fairly simple little thing from natural wear and tear. Even pots that were not in short supply could be soldered and tinted. Services often stood with cracks. We are silent about things in general - faded paints, a darn on a darn, extended elbows.
2. Petty theft
All such sins from the far from perfect situation of Soviet man. Eternal life in short supply and fear for the future has led many people to “fall ill” with controlled kleptomania. Cutlery from cafes or hotels dragged into the house, linear meters of material were dragged from the construction site, the workplace was “poor” with the office, etc. It is funny that such manners were not considered theft, but rather a man’s economy and ingenuity. This made our parents bring up such an “enterprise” in us, which in essence is the usual insolent theft, which is bad, therefore, it is necessary to eradicate it immediately.
1. All eat up
A sore problem from childhood, familiar to many. Amid poverty, people with pathological respect for food, forcing relatives and guests to eat up to the last crumb. Bread was used, helping to scoop up the leftovers to the state of a "licked" plate. If the child choked on tasteless vegetables or cottage cheese, then the parents had hysteria. In the best case, the grief-parent independently pushed by the remnants of unpleasant food, even if not hungry, but in the worst case forcefully stuffed the child, creating him trauma. We are silent about the fact that spoiled foods - soft or sticky vegetables and fruits, standing for a week with cereals and soups - were fed up. And all this instead of going for an affordable price and buying a healthy fresh product.
Of course, for decades, established habits are difficult to overcome, but you need to start, and urgently. The Soviet Union has long since ended, living conditions have changed dramatically, people have prosperity and the ability to safely plan the future. But the old bad habits of this new life do not give place, they give everyone around them a lot of inconvenience.