‘Little Polish hell’

I’m sure that some self-righteous Poles are going to bash me for this. I’ll be called a foreign agent. Total nonsense and yeah – let their criticism flow. I’ve decided to share my take on the Polish psyche with you. As I’m Polish myself, that makes me a bit of an expert.

We’re capable of great acts of kidness, as demonstrated by our treatment of Ukrainian refugees at the beginning of the war. At the same time, our psyche is so complicated it’s hard to decipher even for me – a Pole. Let’s delve into the mysteries of the Polish soul, shall we?

We have this phrase – polskie piekiełko. Yes, it’s an actual phrase. Just ask any Pole. Loosely translates as a little Polish hell, although piekiełko is like a humorous version of hell. Piekło in Polish is hell, and piekiełko is like a little hell. English can’t let me convey this properly but you get the idea. Why do we Poles say polskie piekiełko? Well, once you’re done reading this piece, I’m sure you’ll understand.

Poles are highly critical of each other. Finding fault with others seems to be our national pastime. For example, if you want to avoid a barrage of caustic comments when speaking English, you’d better make sure your pronunciation is perfect. Your every word and every sound is going to be analyzed by armchair linguists who want to feel better about their own terrible English by bashing you. That’s why so many Poles are unwilling to speak English, unless their accent is perfect. To me, that’s kind of a colonial mentality because I don’t see other nations that obsessed with their accents, in fact, they are proud of their accents.

We’re usually nicer to foreigners, listening intently to their opinions. That’s why foreigners are often surprised, if not shocked, that Poles can be so critical, if not downright vicious, to each other. Well, we’re a bundle of contradictions. We often value what is foreign more than what is ours. It’s likely a result of hundreds of years of fascinating and turbulent history. Torn between three states for more than a century, with a bit of French fascination and influence thrown in (we mention Napoleon in our national anthem), and of course a thousand years of shared history with the Jewish people makes for quite a mix.

Not every Pole likes to admit it, of course and suggesting to some (some, not all, to be clear) that there could be a Jewish ancestor in their family, oh my, watch the horror written all over their face. Yes, it’s a strange, strange, mentality, where we love criticizng others (Americans are dumb and don’t know geography; the Czechs and the French are cowards; Brits are backstabbers who betrayed us (they did betray us before the Second World War, that’s fair, except it was also Polish naivety and vanity that led to it) and of course we have a lot to say about our Jewish friends. Polish people love to criticize but try to criticize them and watch the epic indignation unfold like you’re watching an offended princess. Mention the fact that Poles did have a non-aggression pact with the Nazis for five years (1934-1939), a historical fact, and watch some Poles explode.  

We often thrive in foreign environments. When I worked in China, Polish people were highly valued by the locals as smart, organized and disciplined. Same in other areas of the world. Yet, we rarely appreciate each other. That’s why you’ll find many Poles who shine on the global stage because they couldn’t thrive in polskie piekiełko, but then their local little Polish hell, grinning through gritted teeth and simmering with envy, has no choice but to accept their success. 

Romanticizing defeat, infusing it with “messianism,” continues to be the coping mechanism for many Poles to this day. There’s no better example of this than a Polish novella titled “Gloria Victis.” Glory to the defeated ― rather than woe. I think you’ll agree it’s a noxious mindset, the antithesis of realpolitik.

I prefer the mindset where patriotism is about your enemy dying for their country. I believe that’s the Israeli mindset as well. Too many Poles continue to wallow in victimhood, refusing to take a critical look in the mirror.

The current state of Poland is a result of the historical hecatomb. People sometimes say history isn’t important. I disagree. Historical events shape a country’s mentality which is then fossilized and becomes a culture. Polish people were often acknowledged as a formidable foe by our enemies. Otto von Bismarck said that the Poles just needed to govern themselves and then they would destroy themselves without any external intervention. Was he right?

Given what happened in our convoluted, fascinating and tragic Polish history, the Prussian wasn’t wrong. Polish history has so much movie potential, you could have an entire Hollywood department devoted to Poland. Intrigue, tragedy, comedy, epic battles, prejudice, pride, whatever you want – it’s all there. And, of course, and again I expect holier-than-thou individuals to be screaming at the screen right now – the history of the Jewish people is an integral part of Polish history. I have my own theory that genius is often forged in hostile environments. As such, I’m not surprised many geniuses responsible for changing the world can trace their, official or unofficial, roots back to my part of the world.

Poland is a beautiful country, no doubt, and, as such, there’s always some external force wanting a piece of it. That’s just how it is.

Now, back to Bismarck. The ultimate question is – will Bismarck be proven right yet again and will Poland be wiped off the map – or will he be proven wrong this time?