EXCEPTIONALITY OF SERBIAN PEOPLE

There are few peoples like the Serbs, who have such an eventful and brilliant history. They have managed to preserve their national essence and faith through centuries of slavery; through wars of liberation they have brought freedom to themselves and others. They have successfully bridged centuries of lost development. This includes the victory in the Great War and the establishment of the Yugoslav state, the victory in the Second World War, the adaptation to the new social conditions of the post-war period in the new Yugoslavia... Today, under unfavorable historical circumstances, there is a struggle for the preservation of the state and territorial integrity. We have mentioned the most important, but certainly not the only events that make Serbs proud. This pride often gives the Serbs a sense of exceptionality. Yes, the Serbian people are exceptional in many ways.

It becomes problematic when this "exceptionality" becomes a log in the eye, so that one can no longer see the present and reality from this log, but continues to live in the past. And, unfortunately, many are susceptible to this. Folk traditions and legends, the folklore of the past are believed more than the present, the moment we are in. Of course, as always, there are exceptions. Sometimes, for example, our people have to cross the ocean so that they can see from a distance what is happening "at home, in their neighborhood." I understood a lot from here, in Canada, where I work hard earning for my family. I realized that many of the stories told there long ago, are not exactly what they told us. Truth is a very broad concept.

Of course, here in Vancouver, when I read something about our famous tennis player or about Tesla, I am happy and my heart is full (just to mention them here, although there are many more famous and well-known among us). It's just that I have not read anywhere in detail how they achieved their success. The tabloids do not write about it, or they write dully like "he was in the basement fleeing the bombs". Nowhere anything about hard work, sleepless nights, suffering, doubts and sacrifices... One gets the impression that being a Serb is enough to be so successful and extraordinary. And this is dangerous thinking, especially for younger people. They pick up a tennis racket and expect to be the best right away, because the Serb is the "best tennis player in the world", and if you add "of all time".... Yay! What a joy, what a pride. And there's still a debate about Tesla and his nationality: Serbian by blood, Croatian by birth, American by profession and accomplishments. Or it's a little bit of each. That's what idlers do.

I understand that the emphasis on national "exceptionalism" is necessary for those who want to cure their own complexes, let's say about inferiority and lesser value. As the saying goes: "Us and the Russians - 200 million." Or: a mouse stands on an elephant and brags about its size. I just don’t understand why this doesn’t stimulate our esteemed minds to think and act. Time is running out, the world is moving on, and we talk about one thing after another.