In our society it’s accepted to speak about European values without clarifications or in an abstract manner. We don’t clarify what exactly these values mean. Fortunately the current “openness” of the world allows us to closely meet the value system of Europe, to feel it in our daily lives. Many people today have the opportunity to study in European countries, participate in various conferences and seminars organized in Europe. That way they get closely introduced to these “abstract” values. I also personally had such an opportunity. I lived and studied in Lisbon for several months. In the daily life first impression of mine is that the overwhelming part of the European countries abides with these values to form the “European society.” There is no need to have the order of the prime minister to cross the street in a duly manner by checking the traffic light. Moreover, if our society was brought up with the principle “get as much as possible from life” then the European society is brought up with the principle “know your rights and respect the rights of others.” If we follow the principle “far from trouble and problem” by not caring about the problems and issues of others then in Europe, specifically in Portugal I have numerously encountered situations, which would prove the opposite. You ask a stranger on the street, where the nearest metro station is. Although the person you ask doesn’t speak English but he understands your question. And you don’t understand his Portuguese answer. So what can be done? Usually one of these options works. Either the given passerby makes you understand to follow him/her and walks till the nearest metro station or finds somebody, who can speak English to explain to you where to walk. One thing is clear for sure. They won’t leave you alone. They don’t ignore you, try to cheat you or turn their heads away. The train that goes from Moscow to suburbs is not inspected at the stops and technically it is possible to take a few stations of the train without a ticket. And the majority of people in Moscow, who take this train, act exactly in the mentioned manner. They don’t check tickets from Lisbon to nearest suburbs either. But having known this fact, people still buy tickets. They know they nobody is going to check the tickets but they still buy those (indeed there will be lawbreakers as well). And try to imagine that nobody makes these people to do what they are used to doing. They are educated and brought up that way. Of course, we too propagate at home, in school on TV that these are the right things and talk about tons of good things but we don’t abide based on these principles. Our actual life and “propaganda” differ from each other. In the meantime, in Europe is the opposite. They have a society, union of citizens, who are based on these values and who collectively abide with the set values.
