The golden age - book review

Most books coming into by hands are recommended by someone else, but the reviewed one indeed has been chosen by someone else, but not precisely for me. The essay on the macroeconomic success of Poland after 1989 was an award in a contest for managers run by my employer and with a bit of luck I won it. Regardless of uncanny method I have come by it, I am glad it has landed on my bookshelf.

Oddly enough, the book, whose author, Mr Piątkowski, is a scholar at Oxford University, has been originally written in English. I have learnt it around the middle of my reading, having come across several excerpts having all features of clumsy translations of English sentences. I regret not having the chance to get familiar with the original version, yet at the end of the day, the cognitive experience would have been the same. Of note is that the first edition of the book was published in 2018. Since then there were some minor supplements and the last chapter was added, yet in the contemporary fast-evolving world, passing time has rendered some arguments outdated.

Regardless of what some populist politicians might tell you, Poland has made an impressive stride after 1989, absolutely unprecedented in its history; a progress all citizens have benefited from (though not to the same extent) we, a collective accomplishment Poles can be proud of.

In the first chapters of the book, the author explores drivers of economic growth, paying particular attention to purely qualitative ones, such as institutions, culture and mindsets of people. His musings bring back Micheal's question, whether collapse of communism should be put down to the system or to the people. Before Mr Piątkowski moves on to examine reasons why Poland used to fall behind western Europe for centuries, he reminds GDP is not a perfect indicator of people's welfare and happiness. Here, again, my thought are diverted to Michael's blog and his de-growth manifesto.

Over the course of its history, Poland could not boast of testimony of growth-conducive circumstances. Between 16th and 18^th century, when western European nations accumulated wealth, Poland was effectively under the rule of oligarchic caste of noblemen, who pursued their own interests, consumed fruits of peasants' work in countryside, fostering their backwardness, when in the West, middle class of merchants and upper-middle class of industry developers was nascent. The country, devoid of actual power exercised by a king and lacking money from tax collection, was gradually plunging into anarchy, which eventually led to partitions which wiped Poland off the map if Europe for 123 years.

Once Poland regained independence in 1918, it restored its pre-partition social structure with tiny elite minding its own business and keeping with country backward. The society was still predominantly agrarian, with poor access to education and health service. With such elites, the country had little chance to move forward.

The advent of communism, no matter how evil it was, turned the social structure upside down and flattened it. The bygone elites (those who survived WW2) were stripped off their wealth, while the descendants of the numerous lower class were given a chance for social advancement. Communist Poland has not only cracked down on illiteracy, but also gave a chance to children of peasants and blue-collar workers to get university education. As the author points out then, inclusiveness and low inequality of the Polish society were crucial for putting the country on fast-growth track after 1989.

The post-1989 advance was tough, painful and a deep recession was the price to pay for fast catching up with the West in subsequent years. The author points out a mix of factors, categorised both into "the system" and "the people" underpinned the period of unprecedented growth which with hindsight might beyond all doubt be called the golden age of Poland. The progress continued for many years despite the headwinds from the world economy and regardless of political groupings behind the wheel. Personal bias aside, leftist post-communists, centrist PO and right-populist PiS have all helped my country move ahead.

The best years are behind us. The distance to the richer west is narrower, cheap workforce is no longer our ace up the sleeve. Poland lacks cutting-edge innovativeness which could work to its advantage. Besides, demographics, especially fertility drastically lower than expected a few years ago, will become a massive burden hampering further development. Looking at the far end of the political arena at parties opposing Poland's belonging to the (imperfect, yet best available) civilised West and tilting at the empire of evil, one cries out: don't squander it.

Going back to the very review - after a brilliant beginning, with each chapter charm wanes and towards the end, the book gets not yet dull, but too academic. Nevertheless, anyone fond of economics and history of Poland should find time to get familiar with it.

Eight dates - book review

Definitely I am not a fan of counselling, nor am I keen to give or receive advice how to live. Nevertheless, my choice of books I read is mostly based on recommendations (most often given by friends, less frequently run across when reading), so when a friend, who is a post-graduate psychology student, suggested I borrow the aforementioned script from a local library, I followed her endorsement.

The book, written by a relationship guru John M. Gottman (most famous for this theory of four horsemen of relationship doom: criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling) and his wife, emphasises the role of open, honest and straightforward communication in a romantic relationship. As the authors point out, areas crucial for relationship out to be talked over, in order to enhance mutual understanding in a relationship. Judging by stories of divorces and break-ups, many could have been evaded, had people spoken up properly early. The journey through getting more familiar with each other runs through eight conversation topics for eight separate dates. I split them into chapters, in line with how the manuscript is structured.

Chapter 1: trust and commitment. Those are the notions individuals may construe and exhibit differently. The authors forget to add no relationship can survive in long run without trust and without putting a partner’s trust to the test (imagine your partners leaving for a weekend in a woods only with their friend of the opposite sex, assuming you are in a heterosexual couple). Commitment in turn may be shown in several ways and may vary in intensity. A blossoming relationship should match expectations of partners and most natural ways of expressing commitment, with reliability being sometimes a forgotten (also in the book) part of it.

Chapter 2: addressing conflict. Where two people meet, differences leading to clashes will inevitably turn up. Reasons for divergence might be twofold: either situational, i.e. stemming from a person’s behaviour, or fundamental, i.e. arising from different hierarchy of values or lifestyle. The former are easily curable and not difficult to deal with, unless at least one partner is stubborn. The latter are to be (or not) learnt to be lived with. Statistics from long-term research sample of relationships Gottmans examined over years revealed 69% of long-lasting couples had to cope with fundamental differences and got ahead despite hardships.

Chapter 3: sex and intimacy. In a monogamic relationship this is a sphere reserved for a partner only, so any deficiencies as a matter of principle should not be made up for with other people. On top, since generations this has been a taboo topic hence an open conversation on one’s desires, limitations, fear and inhibitions might be difficult.

Chapter 4: work and money. Here I must say authors have done a reasonably good job of describing two drivers of attitude towards money. Highly generalising, some people treat money primarily as a source of security (in case of unemployment, illness, to ensure income for retirement), others as a source of pleasure (the joy of consumption). A conversation about money should be hence grounded in what money means for a person and what habits one has learnt at home. Money-related issues are one of the most common conflict areas in relationships, hence talking about it is a must. Aside from what the authors come up with, I would add managing finances is about balancing long-term goals (retirement, education for children, property purchases) and short-term consumption. Overweighting any of two ways of allocating pecuniary surpluses might end up badly, but a couple should together how much of current consumption they wish to sacrifice to pursue long-term goals. Earning money refers also to striking a balance between working more to increase wealth and spending time with nearest and dearest. The proportions might and will differ at specific stages of life, but the decision where to set the scales ought to be taken together.

Chapter 5: family. The writers claim many differences may be overcome, but vision of family is a fundamental one and a disagreement in this respect is so critical that it may lead to a relationship break-up and no cure for it ought to be sought. The word “family” refers to the one raised by a couple, which involves several questions, not just if to have offspring or not. Couples should ask themselves how many children they want to raise, when, how to share childcare duties and how to bring them up. Children, in order to grow up happily need both loving parents, the relationship between them should not be neglected at the expense of time spent looking after offspring. One day they will fly the nest and the bond between partners should be strong enough to allow for rebirth of their relationship at that stage. The same word also pertains to families in which partners were raised, frequence and intensity or relationships with relatives as they are also one of more frequent motives for quarrels.

Chapter 6: fun and adventure. This part is about not letting a mature relationship rest on laurels and reigniting it by trying out new activities and taking breaks from a daily grind. The authors emphasise definitions of adventure may vary between partners, yet in this area there is room for parting company and having fun separately (after all, it is about trust).

Chapter 7: growth and spirituality. The title is enigmatic and might be misleading, but it is all about values cherished, religion and vision of what you pursue in life. A common topic in Poland these days is a gap between females who have moved ahead and men who are lagging behind, being the core reason for lower number of relationships and subsequent demographic collapse. I presume this could suit the definition of “growth” as set forth by Gottmans. In this area there is room for divergence, yet if one partner carries on and the other does not catch up, in practice is a common cause of break-ups, especially those initiated by women.

Chapter 8: dreams. The last chapter is forward-looking and is a logical consequence of the previous one. Chasing dreams can make the daily grind more bearable. One should know what dreams and aspirations of one’s partner’s are and see them through in pursuing them. Here what the authors posit might require a lot of tolerance, patience and understanding, if a partner’s dreams are grossly opposing from ours. But what if pursuit of a dream might undermine a relationship or put it to the test? The book leaves this open question unanswered.

One notion props up several times in the book. There is, agreeably, just one mark partners in a boding-well relationships have in common, namely they are positive about their life companions. The more pros than cons they see in their partner, the more likely their relationship is to flourish and remain crisis-resistant. When making long-term choices who to spend life with, we must not forget about it.

Od ja do my - book review

Volant is one of those contemporary Polish influencers whose online career began with blogging and with time expanded into social media and books (which often are just a well-arranged compilation of blog posts written over time). As his recognisability grew, Volant quit his anonymity and appears publicly under real name, Michał Szatiło. He is one of most renowned gurus of romantic relationships in Poland, privately a husband and father of two daughters, practising what he preaches. After years of hard work, he monetises on his popularity. His books are available online only and the one I'm about to review would set you back PLN 99 + delivery cost. I have hunted a used one in OLX, saved PLN 40 and have not helped Mr Szatiło out.

When setting about reading, I was sceptical towards the book, anticipating some 10% of its content would be ground-breaking. Astonishingly, I found between 20% and 30% to be of added value.

Volant posits (right on) the percentage of singletons these days is high since people tend to claim something has gone wrong with other people and with the world itself. Making a martyr of yourself and bearing a grudge against all potential partners who do not stack up against your perfection is the ideal recipe not to pair up by the end of your days. I need to take it to heart.

Easing up, as Volant advises, is the first, yet still insufficient step. Opportunities to do things, explore, visit places and... go places crop up every day. Seize them, as they involve meeting new people via whom you can get to know other new people and boost your chances to find a life companion offline.

To impress somebody you need to be attractive. You won’t change your look, apparition, height, sometimes you have limited impact on your weight, but a charming person is characterised by a beautiful mind and broad horizons. Therefore "doing your bit" is essential if you want to be perceived an attractive human. Volant tells you as an adult who left university, whose network has loosened, almost always you will start doing your bit on your own and only then people will join and follow you.

The author puts on the agenda one of my primary worries which has kept me company for years, i.e. I do not approach a woman romantically until I make sure she is not in a relationship. But if she indeed is taken, she should turn me down politely and I should back down, doing my best not to waste an opportunity.

While trying to pick out factors which bode well for a relationship in the long run, Volant selects three: the look (a sexual attraction is a must) which brings partners together, similar lifestyle and values which keep them together.

Dating apps are considered a valuable option, provided people who match each other ought to meet up offline possibly quickly. While face to face, the first conversation matters. It often follows a scheme of asking and answering questions about each other, resembling a mutual interrogation. Instead, people should talk about their goals, values, dreams, inhibitions and dislikes, boosting the odds of finding a common tongue.

If it clicks in, an early stage of a relationship develops. It is the time when partners make mistakes which impinge on the rest of their life together. This is the time for being 100% oneself, but not bending over backwards to be 200% yourself, to set boundaries and to talk over issues which arise as red flags. A fear of rejection, unjustified hopes things will shape up and other factors keep most people in the circle of those mistakes and consequently most of them end up in unsatisfactory relationships.

Volant calls into question a popular assertion that building a relationship must take a lot of effort. He claims a decent relationship needs to be fostered, but he compares it a long walk in flat terrain, which is a form of light physical exercise and contrasts it to a steep climb uphill, which involves substantial strain. He says if your relationship over the first two years is a road uphill, most likely it is a dead-end one.

A man's search for meaning

I have recently drastically ramped up the number of books read, with my pipeline being compiled from recommendations in the media or from friends. With the two sources being at times insufficient, AI turns out to be a (not flawless) source of inspiration.

Not a long ago, prompted by recurring thoughts on how to arrange my life, if the fate does not bring a chance to raise a family, I asked chatGPT to recommended readings on searching for a sense in life. The item which popped up as a first non-philosophical book was the one by Victor E. Frankl.

The author was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist, but above all, a concentration camp survivor. He wrote the first version of his work in 1946, as the memories of shirking annihilation were still fresh. As he quotes the statistics, ex-post odds to come out alive of a concentration camp, were 1 to 28. Those who survived until "liberation" (whatever evil you may say of the Soviet army, prisoners of Nazi concentration camps were saved from death by them) were not lucky, nor of extraordinary stamina, nor had much lust for life. As Mr Frankl pointed out, they kept seeing deeper sense of their suffering and chased dignity in places where it was downtrodden.

The experience of concentration camp survival laid foundations for logotherapy, a therapeutic approach which is uncommon these days. Note the book, though augmented twice, the last time in 1984, might appear outdated today, as human life and relationships have been deeply reshaped over the last decades. The second chapter of the book, written sometime between 1946 and 1984, concisely and approachably summarises basics of logotherapy, which I dare to interpret below.

According to the author, the basic driver of a sense of meaning in life is a pursuit of a mission being accomplished. Be it inventing a cure for cancer, raising a family, constructing bridges or helping orphans as a volunteer - life must a have a defined goal, which either is chased indefinitely or offers deep self-fulfilment when achieved.

The mission pursued lifts a human out of two states into which humans inevitably plunge and between which they then swing - boredom and despair. In early industrial times, when physical labour was took up 50 - 60 hours a week and running a house and a raising a multi-child family occupied most of the time, little time was left for boredom, so the despair prevailed. In post-industrial era, with shorter working hours and several appliances taking mundane duties off people in developed countries, boredom takes over. Although life seems easier now, lifting oneself from boredom is more problematic than overcoming despair a century ago. Despair comes up when life overwhelms you. Boredom creeps up when you lack resources to fill the void.

The meaning of life has three dimensions:
1) work or action - either as part of your vocational duties or voluntarily you create something, which brings you some benefits or prompts positive feelings,
2) relationships and experiencing - draw on the concept no man as an island and interactions with fellow humans add much value to our lives, however taking pleasure in nature, art or exploring new places to bring delight to our senses also may be a goal to be pursued,
3) suffering - is not a compulsory element of searching the meaning, but once life confronts you with illness, pain, bereavement or loss of wealth, it gives you a chance to be reborn and to redefine your dignity.

Upon reading the book I am pretty sure the fate has a plan for each of us. I also approach the future, no matter how not bright it might be, with more humility and faith things will shape up.

13 pięter - book review

A yet another book, which has come into my hands belatedly, oddly enough the read nearly ideally coincided with the tenth anniversary of the work being first published. Basically, I once had a chance to meet him in person and since then am fond of Filip Springer’s essays, despite not being truly convinced by his leftist tilt. Recently he provoked an uproar by claiming for climate-related reasons, building detached houses should be gradually prohibited. Extreme views and ideas activate defiance and help the pendulum swing into the other extreme.

From today’s perspective, the book, dealing with housing pathologies in Poland, is a sort of outdated. It begins with a bleak picture of pre-WW2 Warsaw where growing number of residents was not matched by a rising number of flats caused a huge overcrowding in dwellings occupied by a working class. For 90% of families living in the capital of Poland having a housing unit (unit as a separate room, nor a separate flat) for the entire family (i.e. with no roommates) only was a luxury.

The author for some reason omits 45 years of communism, when the number of new dwelling relatively well caught up with rising population of Poland and standards of living improved (in spite of all the drawbacks of the bygone system). The author arranged his book as a series of stories and interviews, in which he attempts to paint an accurate picture of reality, without evaluating it or pointing what is right and what is wrong. But if you read carefully between the lines, you get several messages, e.g. that home ownership is overrated or mortgages are evil and will enslave you.

The book was written when the memory of property boom of 2006-2008, accompanied by reckless mortgage lending in CHF was relatively fresh. Also bankruptcies of developers were much more frequent a decade ago than they are now. But on the other hand, the book was written soon past the only property market serious correction, when prices between 2008 and 2012 fell by 25% in nominal terms.

For no apparent reason Mr Springer fails to crack down on pathologies of modern housing estates, such as non-functional layouts, tiny distances between buildings, rows of terraced houses built in the middle of nowhere and many other.

The accursed ownership, as his interlocutors point out, gives a sense of security. To make a house and home you need to own it. Such approach has been driven by decades of private ownership being eradicated by communists and then by years of landlords’ primacy over tenants. The properly rental market has also evolved over the last decade. With rising supply of dwellings for rent (flat purchased for investment purposes when bank deposits fetched a mediocre return), bargaining power of landlords waned and many of them began treat tenants as equal counterparties. A stride has been made, yet a flat rented from a private landlord still does not offer stability and its affordability remains as poor as it was a decade ago.

Unlike the author, I believe properties should be subject to free-market rules, but I would expect the government to help supply and demand meet where prices are affordable. Sadly, recent governments mostly boosted demand by subsidising mortgage loans, instead of taking steps towards increasing supply of available dwellings. I refer here not only to building council flats or encouraging property developers to pursue new projects. It is also about levying taxes on uninhabited properties, to discourage those with surpluses of money from speculative purchases.

How not to screw your children’s lives - book review

Can’t recall now how I have come across a series of books by Mikołaj Marcela which dissect imperfections of the Polish schooling system. Past reading some of them, I do not wholeheartedly agree with all of the author’s assertions, yet I find the book valuable.

Familiarising with its content made me realise the current primary and secondary education system is based on principles worked out in Prussia in the first half of the nineteenth century and rests on obedience and discipline. The Prussian government, by imposing common schooling obligation wanted not just to promulgate education, but aimed at bringing up submissive citizens.

As the author points out, the schooling system in Poland and in most countries is uniform, not unique. All pupils, regardless of their unique talents and skills are pushed into ruthless frames of standardisation which kill the lust for knowledge and talent development.

Core deficiencies of Polish schools, nimbly depicted in the book are accurately pinpointed.
1) Agreeably, Polish school do not teach skills that could come in useful in real life. I wonder whether the assumption is that young adults should be taught useful skills at home, or that should learn the hard way the moment life necessitates it.
2) Beyond all doubt, school to not teach how to learn – such techniques need to worked out and mastered by pupils themselves.
3) Sadly the curricula too often favour memorizing facts, instead of focusing on understanding causations and teaching how to seek out information and to verify them (particularly important in the era of fake news).

With some exceptions of outstanding teachers, school classes do not inspire, seldom kick-start talent nurturing, rarely spur curiosity. Pupils are infrequently encouraged to challenge their tutors, to debate with one another. This is all put down to an obsolete model of one-side interactions between teachers and students, with the former passing on knowledge and testing its acquisition and the latter obediently listening and swotting up for tests and exams.

With the diagnosis of all the ailments eating up the Polish schooling one also must keep in mind several obstacles hinder its turnaround. A major reform would require a general consensus between stakeholders (government, teachers, parents) of the current system that it badly needs an overhaul and on directions in which it would need to be reshaped. Besides, if we were to ditch standardisation and treat children individually, it would require more workforce of higher quality, which means much more money (payrolls, but infrastructure too) would need to be injected to the education system. There also ought to be consensus a substantial chunk of public finances should be laid out for the education system, which in decades will determine Polish economy’s competitiveness. Those expenses would certainly pay themselves off.

P.S. On personal front, doing reasonably fine, though with ups and downs typical for such getting-over periods.

On decay, decline, decadence

While popping by Fesitwal Słowa im. Jerzego Pilcha in Wisła we visited one of several temporary bookshops' stalls to come by a book for our friends' three-year-old son. As the purchase was finalised, a cordial seller handed us another book, Taśmy Rodzinne, by Marcin Marcisz. The book's cover is quite conspicuous, as it resembles a cover of an E-180 VHS tape. In June I indulged in reading books borrowed from a local library, while the gift book, which appeared anything, but precious (why would somebody want to give it away?), waited its turn on my bedside table.

Watch out! Several spoliers in the content below. 

The novel is bloody fucking sad and slightly chaotic, as the family story is told from the perspective of a 31-year-old son, but at times also seen with his father's eyes. A reader drifts between the present and the past, as numerous retrospections bring back the bleak family history.

Characters of the book used to be beneficiaries of the transition into a free-market economy in early 1990s. Father of the family was one of those who had both courage and luck to seize opportunities given by the nascent capitalism. The price to pay was working nearly 20 hours a day, yet trading in Western goods fetched large margins which helped him grow rich quickly. His family soon became the new elite, or actually the (despicable?) nouveau-rich of that era.

As retrospects depict the daily life of the family in late 1990s and early 2000s, earning and spending money looms as a main purpose of their life. Stuff bought for money seem to fill the emptiness of their life. The characters become typical thoughtless customers who buy things they do not need to impress people they dislike. Consumption becomes a goal itself, instead of facilitating reaching true goals.

Like in every family, if you scratch beneath the surface, you will find some dirty linen the author deftly washes. Here the father, being only breadwinner (his wife and mother of three children only looks after the offspring and is aided by a couple of housekeepers) not only dislikes his family. If they infuriate him, he loses his temper and beats sons to a pulp. The family has to balance dependence on and fear of the man who makes money to keep their standard of living.

The wholesale trading business which fetched extraordinary profits in the 1990s and 2000s grew large. Its scale required more prudent management. Besides, competition from large wholesale chains and discounter retailers began to hammer nails to its coffin. Now imagine the family, accustomed to high standard of living, suffers a shock when the money, hitherto in abundance, runs out. 

Family father, the breadwinner, considers two options: either a suicide, resembling a heart attack behind the wheel and subsequent collission with a tree, or a lonely escape to a distant country and starting out from scratch.

His wife plunges into depression when she cannnot afford to buy all material joys of her life.

The children discover money does not grow on trees, but also are forced to learn the art of saving and resisting temptation to indulge in consumption.

The lifestyle inflation is the prevalent phenomenon I observe all around. I realise why it is so tempting, but I have never fully comprehended it. Lavish spending has never taken my fancy, it has never killed my sadness, it will not fill emptiness in my life. For many people it makes up for deficiencies, it is a goal itself, rather than a tool which helps reach goals.

In my professional life I met several businessmen, owners of companies with nine- or ten-digit annual revenues. Three record-high costs of making ends meet for such businessmen and their families were between 2 and 5 million Polish zlotys per month. But my sample was confined to cases where a company was in trouble and banks called for financial contribution from its owner, hence their net worth was analysed. My jaw drops open, as I would lack ideas what to spend such money on. In turn my workmates' jaws drop open when I say if I had some spare 10 million zlotys, I would not buy a more expensive car than the one I currently have.

Just now I realised I have not shared the outcome of keeping a very detailed record of my income and spending in the entire 2023. I had resolved to do the exercise upon realising I have no idea what my cost of living are. I will not disclose my earnings and other non-financial income, nor how much I managed to put aside last year, but my spending will be revealed. I broke down my expenses in a matrix into recurring or one-off and into obligatory (those absolutely necessary) or discretionary. The former consisted of dwelling upkeep and bills, nutrution, health-related, household chemicals and car maintenance (though it could have been given up). The latter included socialising, travels, culture and all other pleasures and whims not essential to get by. My average monthly spending was PLN 5,522, of which obligatory monthly expenses averaged out PLN 2,969. It seems a single male with no dependants, no mortgage, living in his own flat a driving his depreciated, yet reliable car could eke out a living in the capital of Poland for less than PLN 3,000 per month.

The old Polish adage od przybytku głowa nie boli (literally: affluence does not cause a headache) does not actually hold true, which is superbly explained in Michael's post.

Off to Wisła for the next two weekends and the working week in between, so next post due in early August.

Wszyscy tak jeżdżą - book review

The title of my recent read can be translated as Everyone drives like this and is a major excuse of any Pole reproached over their misconduct behind the wheel. The core sin of Polish drivers is speeding, which since decades has been not just put up with, nearly everyone turns a blind eye on it. This pathology has become a normalcy in my homeland.

The book begins with recollections of the most notorious traffic accidents, which made the headlines in Poland in recent years, including that one. The author (Bartosz Józefiak) not only reminds excessive speed was the foremost cause of such accidents (had it not been for glaring speeding, those collisions would have ended up with minor injuries at worst), but also highlights the common denominator of the culprits’ mindsets.

A typical Polish road hog claims to have been out of luck to kill an innocent human on the road, with little remorse, blaming circumstances rather than their style of driving. Insane drivers are afflicted by illusion of control. They realise accidents happen, but tend to think they happen to someone else, not them (which statistically holds true, until a quite low probability of a mishap materialises). Traffic psychologists, who worked with a sufficiently large sample of road criminals are capable of painting a picture of a typical road hog. It is a male, aged 18 – 45, often frustrated by life, but not by involuntary celibate, yet self-confident, with large levels of testosterone and no reasonable idea how to give off it wisely. Instead of going to a gym, running, kick-boxing or another health-conducive activity, they decide to raise their adrenaline levels on public roads, putting at peril lives of each of us.

They wrongfully assert speed is not a problem. In their narrow minds public infrastructure is not adjusted to how they desire to make use of it. Besides, other traffic participants ought to be more prudent and get off their way, once they approach in ungodly haste. Law of the jungle prevails in their heads, especially when they invoke concepts of personal liberties, stifled by traffic restrictions. Has nobody told them freedom without responsibility is just a selfishness?

The author rightly points out a major part of the problem are those sitting behind the wheel to earn a livelihood and here I concur with the view the system, not the people, is to blame. Sales representatives chasing unrealistic sales targets drive like lunatics because their employers expect them to do so. Delivery couriers break traffic rules several times a day, since their targets are exorbitantly high and rates per parcel laughably low. Truck drivers need to meet deadlines theoretically out of reach, hence if devices assembled in their vehicles hinder speeding, they resort to other tricks to accelerate their journeys. Those pathologies are the price we as society pay for a having the fruits of our consumerist indulgence delivered quickly and cheaply at our doorsteps.

On top of that we have individuals living in constant haste, desperately trying to combine family and professional duties, perpetually short of time and trying to move around possibly quickly. For such reason, Poles get accustomed to being car-ridden and after a while cease to see alternatives. Such is the reason for short-distance (below 3 miles) journeys, which ought to be eliminated first.

If the car addiction has gone so far, how can it be reversed? Traffic experts remind a human being is defiant by nature and dislikes being told to change their habits abruptly. This should be done slowly, consistently, heedless of bleating car-ridden meatheads. Sticks should be complemented with carrots, i.e. cheap, convenient and reliable public transport. This especially is a problem in the Polish countryside, where in several villages you will not spot a single bus running at least once a day. Out there, in the sticks, you are trapped at home unless you have a car (usually an old, cheap, air-polluting one).

Speeding fines in Poland were substantially raised at the beginning of 2022, which led to a decline in fatalities. Still, the Polish fine schedule is quite lenient, as painful fines are charged for speeding above 30 kmph – in the range of 31 – 40 kmph above speed limit you pay PLN 800. But moderate speeding remains tolerable – for driving 9 kpmh faster than allowed you might pay mere PLN 50. The fine I received in Czech Republic for driving 59 kpmh, where 50 kmph was allowed, was over four times higher. And this is why all of a sudden most Poles morph into ultra-obedient drivers abroad.

Off to Wisła for the Corpus Christi weekend. Next posting in two weeks.

Nad życie – czego uczą nas umierający - book review

I cannot recall how I have come across a mention of the book, but once I learnt of its existence, I immediately signed up for it with my infallible provider of readings – the district library of Ursynów.

The paperback, which is a structured jumble of interviews, came up to me as a loose follow-up to Tomasz Stawiszyński’s work (a new book of the philosopher to premiere in October), in which the author repeatedly underlined death had been unduly erased from the contemporary culture.

The set of interviews is literally titled “More than life – what the dying can teach us”. The first part of the title brings out several thoughts. Nothing is precious more than life. Nothing can be cherished more than life. Then a penny drops – will I read about people holding on to life tightly? Will a dying human always hold on to life? Would they take every effort to extend their stay in this universe, or would they prefer to depart before the suffering gets unbearable? Do not expect the book to provide you with any answer. The death in a moral, ethical, philosophical and psychological perspective is an abstruse and complex issue.

The decease and all its aspects – medical, legal, religious are brought closer to a reader in a series of conversations with people who, by dint of their professions, deal with dying people on a daily basis. The common denominators of all interlocutors is their reserve towards the very phenomenon of departure (inevitable, if they want to keep their sanity) that they do not pass judgements nor can indicate any universal rules.

The book explores in an approachable manner the topic of euthanasia, futile therapies, pain alleviation, terminal care and other issues whose ethical and medical dimensions are controversial. More sensitive readers might find it difficult to go through chapters on suicides (but oddly enough committed on the spur of the moment, not in an episode of depression) or departing terminally ill children, but I do believe for the sake of knowing the world we live in, they, along with the entire book, are a recommendable read.

Ucieczka od bezradności - book review

As a down-to-earth human I have never really been into philosophy, but at times a conversation with another human can inspire me to reach out for a book (titled: “Escape from the helplessness”), I would not read off my own bat.

The author, Tomasz Stawiszyński is a relatively young (born in 1978) Polish philosopher and author of books and articles as well as podcasts and radio broadcasts. In the set of essays I have delved into, he cracks down on cult of everlasting happiness and omnipresent optimism, both being laid as foundations of late capitalism. But since happiness is not a continual state and optimism is not the mood humans experience all the time, he holds forth that the eternal balance between positivism and negativism ought to be restored.

Historically, as Mr Stawiszyński points out, death was present in societies. The departure of a community member used to be commemorated collectively, then the mourning ensued and is some cases lasted for months or even ages. Mourning and grief were an ordinary element of a human existence and were lived through in communities which facilitated the process of recovery. As the author underlines, each human responds in a different way to a loss. A mourning might last two weeks, or a lifetime and each response fits within the frames of “normality”.

WHO estimates around 350 people around the world suffer from depression, which is categorised as an epidemic only because the disease is not contagious. Individualism, hectic pace of life, bars raised too high, lack of community support, pursuit of material goods, consumerism, loosening bonds between humans and several other civilizational changes could have contributed to the widespread character of the disease. The depression is several cases might turn out to be a grief not lived through properly. Not denying the suffering of people afflicted by it, the author claims too many people are reliant on psychotherapy and antidepressants to cope with their problems whose scale is too miniscule to call them a depression. I actually also detest when somebody calls a temporary low mood a depression, since the illness is too serious to use its name rashly.

From the suffering-related parts of the human psyche, the author switches into the way the human mind deals with complex phenomena. When facing the unknown, it tends to seek the most straightforward explanation. When additionally facing the unthinkable or a black swan, straightforward answers come up as mind-boggling and give rise to conspiracy theories sprouting. 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Smolensk airplane crash or the COVID-19 pandemic are the events which had been beyond our imaginations until they happened.

Further on, Mr Stawiszyński touches upon the role of what I called a noble violence. He argues humans reluctant to commit evil, but think up absurd excuses to justify it. Take the example of Russian invasion to Ukraine – the aim of the “special operation” is to “liberate the areas, free the locals from the fascist government and reinstate peace”. All felonies committed in the history were at best committed as the lesser of two evils. When pondering upon the concept, a proverb “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” springs to mind instantly.

The last chapter makes a reference to the helplessness mentioned in the book’s title. Helplessness, which is indispensable element of life, while the contemporary culture intently attempts to find solutions to all sorts of misery. While in several circumstances humans should just come to terms with their misery.

The summative closing remarks are the most precious excerpts of the book, in which the philosopher calls to bring back the dark side of the human existence. He insists we should summon up strength to face up to all unpleasant, but inevitable experiences, rather than averting it.

Nadchodzi Trzecia Wojna Światowa – book review

Struggling to recall how I have learnt about the book, but beyond all doubt I immediately ordered it in the district library of Ursynów. To my surprise, the wait was not particularly long after a mere few weeks I was notified I could borrow it.

Th recently (autumn 2021) published volume is a transcript of extended conversations between Jacek Bartosiak (expert in international politics with focus on military issues) and Piotr Zychowicz (historian). The two men hold unbiased discussions in which they keep to themselves their private political views (the latter is a right-wing ardent anti-communist) and brush aside their prejudices. The outcome is a detailed, substantive analysis of superpowers in the contemporary world and how the spheres of influences might reshape in the coming decade.

The book rests on a paradigm that the era of post-history in which carnages of the First and the Second World Wars are not going to repeat, in which only local military conflicts are conceivable, but the highly developed countries enjoy peace, is drawing to a close. The authors claim something is about to give in less than a decade. They cite China’s ambitions to take over the dominant role from the United States as a major motive and dissect several other aspects as minor reasons potentially leading to a clash that could spill worldwide.

The script has prompted me to revise my views on armament spending, which for years I had considered mostly useless. My notion would have held true had there been no enemy to Poland, which most likely is a naïve claim. Modern, well-equipped and professionally-trained army with continuously updated contingency plans is like an insurance policy. A country pays the insurance premium to scare off enemies.

The authors are critical in their assessment of how Poland has handled its military policy over the last 30 years and cannot point at any government over that period that stood out positively. The unconstrained trust in the alliance with the United States, thoughtless armament spending just to stick to NATO’s requirements or for the sake of showing of earmarking a certain percentage of GDP for the military purposes, excessive purchases of aircrafts and other equipment from the United States to flatter the America – all that is slated by the experts.

Mr Bartosiak and Mr Zychowicz also take a look at the history of Poland around WW2, its subjugation to allies who turned their back on my country. The bitterly admit Poland should have focused more on its vested interests, rather than relying on allies and acting like a saviour of the world, sending its soldiers to shed blood for other nations. Drawing on those experiences, they insist Poland should curtail its dependence and reliance on NATO and be as self-supporting as it can, while staying united with Western Europe and strengthening this alliance wisely.

My read of the book coincided with Russia’s preparations to invade the Ukraine. I have pinned some hopes in good job of intelligences of several countries which foiled Mr Putin’s plans. Maybe it was naïve to think an action which everybody expects to happen is less likely, but the war should be about taking the enemy by surprise. Some experts claimed the invasion was unlikely during the Olympic Games, traditionally the time when warfare was on hold. They give an example of 2014 when the Crimea invasion occurred after the end of the event in Sochi. I suppose Mr Putin no longer gives a damn. Weather might play a bigger role. The north-eastern swathes of Ukraine are swampy and frozen ground would make it easier for heavy vehicles to move, so the time might be running out. On the other hand, some pundits say the positive temperature anomaly of 10 Celsius degrees might be conducive to Russians. Regardless of which version is right, it is disturbingly certain turbulent times are ahead.

Being happy in Alaska - book review

Last Saturday, while being at loose end at my girlfriend’s mother house, I grabbed a book written by a Spanish psychologist which I’d spotted on a shelf and, with a prospect of finding myself some way of passing time until she does the make-up before setting off for the wedding, read it from cover to cover.

I am not fond of guides, nor any sorts of books which are meant to utterly change your life in the wake of the read. As a person who likes to dive into intricacies, fascinated with complexity of the world, I am unlikely to be convinced to quick fixes or delusive simple solutions.

What particularly does not take my fancy is the notion of carefree life cherished in the book. Carefree moments are essential, but unless you are a selfish hedonist, carefree life appears a detrimental daydream. Besides, it is easy to advise people to abandon all their worries if you are a healthy and wealthy bachelor. Try recommending this to somebody who needs to earn a livelihood and pay for a therapy of their terminally ill child! Even if circumstances are not that dire, life is generally about mundane stuff, punctuated with joyful moments, about obligations towards the nearest and dearest and making compromises to foster relationships.

To avoid an impression that my judgement of the book is one-sided, I have noticed several threads which I see eye to eye with the author.

Life ought to be put into perspective – instead of craving for more, we ought to appreciate what we have and notice others are not lucky enough to enjoy good health, financial comfort, satisfying job, happy relationships etc. Gratitude for little things and delight in little pleasures should fill our lives.

Mental strength is to be honed and developed in all stages of life. Life should not be about fretting and worrying.

Humans should accept the inevitable and learn to live with the prospect of it. If there is anything one can be sure about, it is, except for taxes, one’s own death. The decease is something you should not fear, like all events which you can’t escape. There are, of course, events which you may strive to avert, such as traffic accidents. But fearing them makes no sense as well. Taking precautions does make sense.

A rest is natural state of a human. I believe in a balanced life there should be time for work and for rest. To foster mental health, a human should know how to relax and recharge batteries, so that the working phase is used possibly effectively.

The author also gives valuable hints on talking to people with different views. In Poland, we tend to clash about politics and other stuff which draw divide lines in the society. When a dissenter becomes an enemy, any form of dialogue seems out of reach. Bridging the worlds which are apart is a craft and may help overcome discords within the family or friends.

Moving to the critical look at the book.

Having had an experience with episodes of depression and having gone an extra mile to understand the causes of the illness, I realise a blend of medicines and therapy is essential to cure a person affected by it. The milder the symptoms, the more therapy, the less pills, but in awful cases starting a therapy is impossible without bringing a patient into order with medicines. The author shrugs it off and claims a positive approach to life is sufficient to combat several mental disturbances. Such view is contrary to how evidence-based medicine (these days I am particularly sensitive to all assertions which undermine science) explains causes of mental disturbances and hence harmful. A change in approach is recommendable to grumblers and whiners, but not to mentally ill who need professional medical help.

The author seems to disregard the fact people have different personalities, different sets of traits, different psyches and those differences are innate. A human can decide to work to reshape themselves, but within reasonable limits of “staying yourself”. I realise the ideas of programming consciousness have grown popular recently, yet I remain sceptical towards them.

Two other concepts I find outlandish are that after a romantic relationship ends people can stay best friends (a separate post could be written why I believe this is not the best solution, except for situations when people have children) and that lack of particular skills stems from lack of self-belief in those skills. No, if somebody who lacks talent for driving believes they are a seasoned driver, they may bring misery on innocent people. I am not a talented football player and this does not come from my self-limitation or flawed belief. I just do not need to play football well to be happy and should not be ashamed of this. But overcoming my self-critical judgement to free up my potential to become a master on a football pitch sounds like a ridiculous idea.

All in all, the read of the book which had come into my hands accidentally was quite daunting. After a few months of reading-wise laziness, I am about to catch up. Several books ordered online in a local library and await my attention.