Revista Romana de Economie (Dec 2007)
MENTALITIES OF THE ROMANIANS BETWEEN THE TWO WORLD WARS
Abstract
Mentality is defined as an assembly of manners of acting or thinking about someone or something. Related to the history of mentalities in the 19th century the core elements were the building of the nation and the constitutional law and only at the beginning of the 20th century the economic development and the relations between social classes. Mentalities change hard and slowly. Therefore, quick leaps (social, economic, political and cultural) cannot be done within a population which is immersed in old mentalities. The traditional rural society is animated by religious dogmas and conceptions. Old mentalities of the population very often generate social unrest. In Romania between the two world wars these mentalities were the background of the future social changes imposed after the Soviet model and which continue to influence even today the development of the country. Enlightened minds of Romania concerned in the first decades of the 20th century about learning and evaluating the mentalities specific to our nation. Foreseeing the important and creative role of individuals for a nation on multiple levels, these free-thinking minds inferred the assembly of conscience and behaviour traits that build up the national characteristics of the Romanian nation. In a comparative regard of the studies quoted hereunder, that we might characterise as being of reference for characterising the mentalities of our nation in the period between the two World Wars of the 20th century, we may conclude that the Romanian nation pertains to the extended family of the European nations and world nations; demanding times endowed the Romanian nation and its representative with some negative behavioural traits, but which are not predominant; the Romanian’s nature is positive, constructive and creative. A logical conclusion imposes itself: despite the relatively low number of population, along centuries, the Romanian nation still holds a place of honour in the world gallery of sciences and arts, with original, innovative, creative, unique ideas which added in furthering human knowledge towards new thresholds of progress and civilisation. Even if they had sometimes to face hardships of time and people alike, the mentioned priorities prove beyond any doubt the ancestral virtues of intelligence and investigative minds, the millennial creative and enduring genius of the Romanian nation. This is the specific of the Romanian nation which has not yet had its last word in the evolution of Humanity towards Good, Progress and Civilisation.
