Karakterologija Bošnjaka
Characterology of the Bosniaks

Summary/Abstract: This paper is a synthetic study of a discussion from the symposium entitled Characterology of the Bosniacs. Previous papers relating to a description of the mentality of the Bosnian Muslims have come from the pen of Serb or Croat authors, and are seen as intended to dehumanize, and then to dennationalize, the Bosnian Muslims. These are an anachronistic approach to the study of the characterology of a given people. The message from those attending the symposium, therefore, was that Bosniac researchers must embark on their own studies of the Bosniac mentality. How do the Bosniacs see themselves? Though not exhaustive, the paper sets out a number of features of the Bosniac character. Tolerance, the capacity to live in peace, sensitivity to the misfortunes of others, patient endurance, unworlddliness, hospitality: these are seen as positive characteristics of the Bosniacs. A number of negative characteristics are also given: envy of the success of other Bosniacs, the need to unburden themselves, the feeling that others are under an obligation to help them, politically unconstructive in outlook, lacking the sense of self-protection, a sense of inferiority and a pandering outlook towards others, and so forth. These features of the Bosniacs should be regarded as the imppressionist opinions of individual Bosniac intellectuals, which need to be verified by further investigation.

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