You know what? You should read this...

There are certain phrases which Armenians are very fond of. “Why not? (eenchu che?)” and “You know what? (keedes eench?)” are two I hear all the time.

This is because Armenians, as a people, nurture a healthy belief that anything is possible. They also always want to teach you something.

And you know what? I think this is great. I think that everyone should be more like Armenians. I think we should all try to be more knowledgeable and open to possibility, it could happen, why not?

Of course, as with any rule, there are exceptions. Armenians may be very open to possibility, but in many areas they are staunchly opposed to considering a new approach. Like sexual education and recycling. But I’ll save those elephants for another post.

My favorite expression by far is “tsavut daneem” which means “give me your pain”. It can be used as a greeting, “Hello Mary, give me your pain!” or as a means of expressing sympathy “Oh, what an ass he is, give me your pain.” It can be used as a toast in which all of the drinkers are giving and receiving each others’ pain.

“Tsavut daneem” denotes a certain predisposition for empathy that is uniquely Armenian. We have big feelings, and we understand this about each other, and want to shoulder each other’s pain if it means relieving the pressure for just a moment.

It also hints at our tendency to view pain as a tangible thing. Something to be acknowledged, and something that can be set aside when necessary. While viewing it in such concrete terms might be destructive to someone who finds themselves unable to simply put their pain on a shelf and walk away from it, if you practice enough you can at least find yourself some peace of mind, if only for a few moments. 

And if you can't, then you can call me and we'll have some soorj and talk about it, ցավտ տանեմ: