When Did It All Go Wrong? (Part 1)

Barge Haulers on the Volga by Ilya Repin (Source)

In our last post, we explained the features that define slave mentality. Among them are Stockholm syndrome, learned helplessness, and low productivity / efficiency. 

In this post, we will try to look at Russian history and the specific conditions that made Russian character somewhat unique.

Russia is mostly a European nation. Even though geographically it is stretched across both Europe and Asia and the significant portion of its landmass is in Asia, the majority of the population resides in Europe. The capital and the cultural centers can be found in European part as well. Basically, Russia as a nation evolved in Europe and then spread to the neighboring territories. So, how does Russia measure up to other European countries? 

Unfortunately, all the data clearly indicates that Russia as a nation is behind other developed European countries when it comes to the economy, political situation and social progress. At some point of its development, Russia started falling behind. 

Basically, we will try to figure out when and how the development of Russia as a country started to lag behind from its European rivals. When and how did it all go so wrong? 

Alcoholism, Vitamin D Deficiency, Depression, Life Satisfaction Index, and Suicide Rates

The rate of suicide has been steadily declining in Russia. Nevertheless, Russia remains on top of the list when it comes to countries with highest suicide rates in the world. Right now the country stands at #14 in the world according to Wikipedia.  Source

It is even more disturbing that teenage suicide rates are three times higher in Russia than the world average.

One of the points to keep in mind is that more males commit suicides than females in every age group, and it is especially noticeable after the age of fifteen, when males commit suicides almost twice as often as females. Source

So, what are some of the reasons that make Russia a suicidal nation?

More after the jump...