How do we, Poles, act in a sense of danger? Expert translators
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Loading... - Brandon Stevens
- 13 Jul 2022
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How would you characterize people's attitudes towards the threat that we have talked about often over the past two years?
Mateusz Grzesiak: What we saw from the first reports on the Wuhan events, and then when we watched and participated in how the pandemic reaches Europe and our country, and how we went through successive lockdowns and quarantines, along with short gusts of freedom - for example, in a vacation, it can be divided into several stages.
At the beginning, there was a widespread denial, the feeling that it could not apply to us, that it would pass us by, that it had to be successful - especially since we had heard about viruses such as Ebola or bird flu, which did not reach Poland or affected us to a negligible extent . For many, it was another news that the media lived on , but which was not supposed to concern us in any way.
When we heard about hundreds of deaths in Italy, when we heard about the first deaths in Poland , many people developed a lot of fear, even panic. But because we saw the increasing number of infections every day, there was a slow habituation, that is, the disappearance of the response to stimuli. The next step was to adapt, to get used to media reports, to sanitary rules, for example in shops, wearing a mask, and also to living in other, ultimately very different from ordinary, circumstances. One could also observe a systematically declining trust in the media, because some information did not work or was driven by political or economic interests.
It is impossible to hide - the pandemic has guided our lives for the last two years. How to find ourselves in this "popandemic" reality now, when we work stationary again and have more social interactions?
The number of divorces has increased both in Poland and in the world. In our country, in the first half of 2021, it was 14 percent more than in the corresponding period of 2020. The number of people suffering from depression - and - unfortunately - suicides, has also increased significantly. In 2021, the number of recorded suicide attempts in Poland exceeded 12,000. It was all incl. the result of traumas arising or activated in changing, difficult realities.
Poles are already seeing how to deal with professional matters. In the labor market, for example, soft competences and skills are appreciated more and more and - looking at development and training - it is more and more noticed. Soft skills are the skills to manage thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that help you achieve personal and professional goals. Their role is constantly growing and will continue to grow. Deloitte Acces Economics conducted a study which showed that in 2030, 66 percent. profession will be based on soft skills.
We value health and exercise - after we gained weight while sitting at home (42 percent of Poles admit that they have over 5 kg more), we appreciate both swimming pools and gyms, but also going on long walks and cycling routes .
We see more where the world is heading, what we can observe changes in societies. The model of remote and hybrid work is obvious for us, we feel less need of having and attached to a place, and we want to get to know and learn more. The sharing and subscription models slowly translate into macroeconomic trends. We think more and more often about renting than buying equipment. And we care for the planet more than ever before. We think about green energy, about leaving the world for future generations.
Can we risk a statement that we in Poland are still living in a reality that is getting out of control?
An anxiety disorder is one of the most common in our country. Even every sixth inhabitant of Poland has them. This gives rise to very down-to-earth things, such as our usual sorrows and complaints. It also translates into an aversion to taking any risks, and when we have to make any decision, we suspect the worst. This is a cultural trauma that stems from our history and has dragged on for centuries. That is why we have a constant sense of danger, and events such as pandemics, war and the social and economic disturbances that follow it, only intensify this feeling.
What are the "safety valves" in the event of an emergency?
A large proportion of Poles resort to stimulants - drugs or alcohol are frequent valves, which - unfortunately - are also present in our country. It is in Poland that people say: "good drink for anxiety", instead of encouraging you to relieve stress by, for example, running. Alcohol consumption has increased - every fifth Pole drinks more than before the pandemic.
Some people also observe other dangerous ways of reacting. One of them is closing in on yourself, cutting yourself off from the world, from the surrounding stimuli. On the other hand, we notice more people who fall into various anxiety states or express anger, reacting to these states in the environment. Read More…
