My latest taxi driver surprised me with a very exotic comparison. He said that he wants to leave Armenia… to move to Uruguay. I was confused. I asked him why he wants to go to Uruguay (people usually say Singapore). The driver, who was surprised by my vague knowledge of the country, told me the following story. It seems that the first president of Uruguay, who, according to the driver, was in office at the beginning of the 20th century, was ethnically Armenian. He was a former officer of the Russian Army who ran away to Uruguay. He started in serfdom, but then the revolution took place and he became, in the words of the taxi driver, “Uruguay’s Lenin or Pashinyan.” And it’s thanks to that Armenian that Uruguay became one of the most prosperous countries at the beginning of the 20th century. I should also mention that, according to my information, Uruguay became independent in 1825. The first official president was Juan Antonio Lavalleja (1784-1853). There is an influential Armenian community in the country and many of them are very respected in the country.
The story the taxi driver told me was a great show of our people’s mythology, that if a) something happens in the world, then Armenians are definitely involved, and b) one person’s supernatural efforts will be able to solve all the country’s problems. That’s why someone can find a country far away and blindly believe in its mythology without trying to obtain any knowledge. Of course, we have similar myths about Armenia, including about the past 27 years.
Arguing with people and their perspectives and trying to convince them of something else is meaningless. Ignoring them and talking down to them isn’t only meaningless, but also up for judgment. On the other hand, if you have some information and you say opposing things just to bully them, then I think that’s wrong too.
I think that knowledge and the facts you know need to be presented in a calm, serene manner, without any passion and without going against anyone or anything. As soon as you try to defend your convictions, you fall from your own mythological trap. Because no truth is perfect.
There are two types of tolerance: 1) I am right no matter what, but it’s ok, I’ll let you speak, or 2) There’s no right for you and me because there’s no separation between you and me; we’re all part of a unified group.
Aram Abrahamyan
