Argentine Introspection
As a foreigner in another country, there are cultural phenomena that, try as I might, I cannot explain. A custom or way of thinking may appear different or blatantly erroneous but I cannot explain why because of my cultural ignorance. For me, one such instance is the inability of many Argentines to assess the country honestly. Rather than accepting the premise of a problem, it’s more natural for them to excuse it away or simply claim it does not exist. Others may say, “It’s been that way my whole life and we have always gotten by. What are you gonna do?” Rather than a noble optimism, I find the attitude carries an air of superiority and a false national pride.
At times I thought perhaps I was imagining this mindset. But the more time I spend here, the more certain I become not only of its existence, but of it pernicious nature. Corruption, inflation, social disorder, lack of justice, and other matters are talked about but not confronted with any gusto because that would require honest introspection. I never cease to be amazed how government officials here can tell bald face lies and suffer no repercussions. Sure politicians in the U.S. lie all the time, but they have to work at it. In Argentina, when news surfaces that could tarnish the national image, someone holds a press conference and simply negates its validity, knowing full well they’re lying. There is no need to spin the news because so many want to believe the country is doing well.
For someone who has not spent time in Argentina, it will be impossible to understand the gravity of their thinking. It may even seem like I am exaggerating or making a mountain out of a molehill. But I cannot overstate the importance of the dismissal of reality here. It affects their world view and thus their lives and the destiny of the country.
The nationalism here is so strong that when I was with Vanesa, I usually kept my opinions to myself because I knew our world views were so different. But it went beyond just discrepancies of opinion. The few times I did try to discuss something negative going on in Argentina, she saw it as an attack. For her, even admitting the country had a bleak future or that there was a grave problem with the national mindset would be turning her back on her people. As she saw it, my inability to accept the Argentine world view as it was came from my close mindedness. An open mind would have been to not worry about the differences and accept that each country was different. This prevented us from entering into discussions of the relationship between our world views, faith, family, culture, raising children, etc.
It is this false national pride that gives me reason to worry for the future of the country. When a large percentage of the population cannot admit a problem, there can be no discussion of change or the validity of contrary ways of thinking. When combined with the general ignorance of the growing lower class, it is a recipe for disaster. People are clinging to impoverished ideas that limit them and hold their country in captivity.
I just read a fascinating article in today’s edition of La Nación that inspired me to write about this subject. It talks about the low tolerance for the truth in Argentina. This is a topic with which I have been wrestling for 6 months. I continually feel vindicated when I read stories such as this or talk with locals who have traveled and can understand how people from other parts of the world think. There is nothing more powerful than our thoughts and being in Argentina has opened my eyes to this truth like never before.
