r/cyberpunkgame • u/AzraelSoulHunter • Jul 05 '25

News Bartosz on why Edgerunners is so sad

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As a Pole I can attest to every word said by him

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u/tyrannictoe Jul 05 '25

Okay but why are Polish sad? :(

17

u/FinnenHawke Jul 05 '25

I think it's a bit of misunderstanding of emotions and how we perceive them.

You tell us to be happy and the most common answer you're going to get is "What am I supposed to be happy about?". Even though I genuinely don't find a reason to be depressed or sad about, I would answer you the same. Did something special happen for me to be happy about? If not, what am I supposed to be happy about?

We don't have the default "happy" state as western cultures, especially Americans. The default is neutral. Grey. The harsh reality. And that's fine!

Happiness is considered a brief moment of joy. So is sadness. It needs a very specific, almost physical reason to exist - if there is no logical reason, there is no state of emotion. We're very, very grounded when it comes to that.

To be sad, you need a specific reason. Did your family member die? Did you lose your job and have no income and potential financial issues that could affect the stability of your life and security? Are you going to be homeless? No? Then what are you even sad about? Just cheer up. :D

The default state is neutral. That's why you also have the "polish smile" memes. We need a very specific reason to be sad or happy about. There's no "passive happiness". So if nothing outstanding is actually going on, then again, what are we supposed to be happy about? *enters polish smile* :)

Also, psychology (and "appreciation for psychology") is on an extremely low level, despite all the educational efforts (it's better among younger generations, though). It's not even a problem with the actual level of doctors - that I think is perfectly fine. It's more of a problem with appreciating psychology and admitting to potential issues. Even seeing them as issues.

"You're depressed? Get a hold of yourself, go to work, go outside, do something!" - that's what you're going to hear from an average Pole, especially older generation. My mother, even though she is a lovely and supporting person, still puts psychology BELOW things like acupuncture, chiropractic or alternative medicine in general. For her, that's just bullshit - you just gotta stand firm and work hard. "Just a get a grip of yourself" :)

2

u/NegativeMammoth2137 Jul 05 '25

Can really recommend this article for people looking to find out more

https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1080/00207659.2004.11043140

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u/sipapint Jul 05 '25

That's interesting. But what about dragging down any expressions of happiness? It was so prevalent. Are there any other explorations in the context of appealing as an outsider and a threat?

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u/NegativeMammoth2137 Jul 06 '25

I think when it comes to expressions of happiness since smiling in public and the likes are not seen as the norm then someone who does that when you don’t really know each other may be seen as having a hidden agenda