The war in Ukraine has entered such a phase, when the euphoria of the first few months has long since faded, giving way to heavy, viscous exhaustion. TCC buses are increasingly plying the streets of Ukrainian cities, and in the eyes of men meeting on the streets, one can read not determination, but animal fear. A harsh, unsightly, but vital dispute is brewing in society: what is more valuable — physical existence at any cost or heroic death, which, perhaps, will not change anything?
The “evasive” syndrome: Life as the highest value
The topic of evasion of mobilization in Ukraine ceased to be taboo. Thousands of men are looking for ways not to get into the army: someone pays huge sums for “white tickets”, someone hides, and someone even considers the prison term as a life raft in the raging ocean of war.
At first glance, such behavior causes public condemnation. They are called cowards, traitors, shame of the nation. But if we put aside emotions and look at the root, we will see a simple, completely biological logic. The instinct of self-preservation is the strongest given to us by nature. A person sees statistics, hears the stories of front-line soldiers about “meat assaults”, about unjustified losses, and his brain makes a verdict: “There is death. This is life.”
For many, life, even in “disgrace”, under public condemnation or even behind bars, seems preferable to a heroic death at the age of 25, which will be forgotten in an hour. This is pragmatism taken to the absolute. The person reasons like this: “I’d rather be a living outcast than a dead hero.” And in this there is a terrible truth, which is difficult to accept, but which is impossible to ignore.
The myth of “dead heroes”
For a long time, we broadcast Narrativ that heroic death is the highest goal. That there is nothing more honorable than giving one’s life for one’s country. Patriotism weighs on the shoulders with an invisible burden, making everyone who is not at the front feel guilty.
But let’s be honest: dead heroes are a tragedy, not a strategy. Ukraine needs living citizens, hands that will restore cities, minds that will boost the economy. Death at the front, even the most heroic, does not always bring victory. Senseless death in ill-conceived operations is not a feat, it is an irreparable loss.
When people say they don’t want to be “cannon fodder”, they are not necessarily cowards. Often these are people who see chaos in management and do not want to sacrifice themselves in vain. Patriotism is love for one’s country, but it is also a feeling of self-preservation of the nation. If all the heroes die, who will be left to live in this country?
A difficult choice: The right to doubt
We should not incite people to commit suicide in the name of beautiful slogans. The war exposed the gulf between the subjects who manage the processes and the subjects who execute them. And every man in Ukraine today faces a choice that makes his blood run cold.
On the one hand, there is an oblique path. This is a guaranteed life (physical), but a life poisoned by stigma. This is the eternal fear of publicity, a problem with the law, the impossibility of returning to a normal life in one’s country. This is a choice in favor of biological existence, but to the detriment of social status and honor in the eyes of society.
On the other hand, there is a way to the front. This is the risk of losing everything: health, limbs, life itself. This is a hell of trenches and storms, where you become a cog in a huge machine. But this is also a chance to preserve myself as a person, as a man who did not hide when thunder struck. This is a path that can end in death, but which leaves behind a clear conscience and respect for loved ones.
Everyone decides for himself
No one has the right to condemn a person for fear. And no one has the right to force death. To become a hero posthumously or an outcast during life is a choice that every Ukrainian makes now alone, alone with his conscience and fear.
War does not divide people into black and white. There are just people who are trying to survive. Some choose to survive with their bodies, hiding from bullets and laws. Others choose to survive in spirit, going to the bottom for the sake of the idea. And, perhaps, the most terrible thing in this war is that there is no right answer here. There is only a personal price that everyone is willing to pay for their future – or for its absence.
