Struggling for a place in the sun

We are always worried about what we cannot predict or control. In small amounts, the uncertainty of life adds pizzazz to life, but in large doses it causes chronic stress and neuroses. The way Ukrainians see their future is an interesting but little-studied subject. The findings of the nationwide sociological survey entitled “What is your vision of the future?” should make for interesting reading. The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KMIS), which will be carrying out this study, has even promised to draw up a “map of the Ukrainian future.”

“The future is a topic for a major scholarly conference,” says sociologist Yevhen Holovakha. “When we are in transition from one socioeconomic formation to another, without any programs, forecasts, or plans for the future, the big ship of society is sure to pitch and roll. Naturally, all these changes have an effect on all of us. According to the Institute of Sociology at Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences, our citizens felt the worst in 1998: when asked if they thought that life would improve the next year, up to 70 percent of respondents answered in the negative.”

Now the percentage is 43, a marked tendency towards improvement.

Experts think that this change of attitude has been caused to a large extent by the fact that more Ukrainians are taking responsibility for their own lives: whereas in 1994 only 4 percent of respondents believed that it was up to them to build their own futures, now the figure has risen to 11 percent.

Psychologists think that the root cause is that Ukrainians have at last begun to plan their future instead of living by the principle “a new day will bring food.”

“We, Ukrainians, belong to the agrarian culture, where it was not customary to plan one’s life,” says Ihor Novoselsky, general manager of the Team Training Ukraine center. “Our ancestors had nothing much to plan because their future depended on the harvest and such external factors as nature, weather, and climatic conditions. But now the situation is markedly changing as life imposes its own inescapable conditions.”

Experts emphasize that you have to plan for the future, if only in the short term. They claim that only the most destitute individuals - tramps, street children, and alcoholics - cannot imagine the next day (at least in broad outlines). A sound-minded individual, however, always needs a prospect. This has been proven by successful people who work in the artistic professions. They maintain that nothing would have happened in their lives if they had not planned certain steps.

“Every evening I make up a plan for tomorrow because my restless nature will not let me fall asleep if I don’t do this,” says artist Yevhenia Hapchynska, sharing her experience. “I constantly think about what I will be doing and what will happen in my life tomorrow. The very fear for the future of my family, the fear of living in poverty, forces me to work, draw up detailed plans for every day, and try to avoid mistakes.”

There are a lot of formulas for successful planning, but people who have achieved success, like theater producer Vasyl Vovkun, Meritorious Artist of Ukraine, are convinced that there are universal principles for planning the future. They are: communicating with people, clearly defining the goal you want to achieve (this should be divided into several stages), making rational and independent decisions, taking decisive action, and, last but not least, finishing what you have started. Experts lay particular emphasis on responsibility for actions and likely results.

“It is good that there are increasing numbers of people who rely only on themselves. This means we have taken a step towards the cruel capitalist life,” Holovakha says, “but we, sociologists, and other professionals should study this question well and reflect on the following: if people say that their lives depend only on them, they may become disdainful of everyone and be ruthless in their efforts to gain a foothold in life. So there should be a limit here. The positive side is that our people are gradually rejecting paternalism and are aware that it is not worthwhile ‘waiting for Lady Luck.’ Fortunately, many Ukrainians already understand that the state is not supposed to give them everything but should create conditions in which people can more actively plan their future. Government support could help many people start a business, obtain long-term loans, study, etc. In other words, it is good that people are aware that their lives depend on them alone, but still the state must support their ideas and talents.”

However, according to the Institute of Sociology at the National Academy of Sciences, Ukrainians’ trust in the government continues to diminish. After all, this trust has been waning since the early 1990s, and it was only after the Orange Revolution that public trust in the authorities temporarily increased. No explanations are necessary. The conclusion is that all we have to do is plan our lives and achieve our goals regardless, not thanks to, the state. We should try to achieve them, but not struggle - because to struggle means, according to writer Iren Rozdobudko, to ram into a wall that will eventually cave in on you.