«Ժողովրդի հոգեբանական դիմանկարը» - Հարցազրույց Ալբերտ ՆԱԼՉԱՋՅԱՆԻ հետ

Introduction and Methodology
Nalchajyan justifies the need to study ethnogenesis and the early historical period in order to understand the enduring traits of national character, citing the testimony of Movses Khorenatsi about the shortcomings of Armenians that remain relevant to this day. The formation of ethnic character is examined by analogy with individual character—as the result of the interaction of heredity, culture, and social environment, as well as, possibly, the "collective unconscious" in the Jungian sense, which carries information about ancestors at the subconscious level.

Family and "Family Egoism"
Special attention is given to the phenomenon of familism as a value that simultaneously hinders national consolidation. The concept of "family egoism" is introduced—the readiness to sacrifice the interests of society for the good of the family—which the psychologist links to the historical tradition of the absence of Armenian statehood and the resulting forced individualism.

Intra-Ethnic Aggression and Ethnic Identity
The author identifies a number of key psychological problems:

a high level of intra-ethnic envy and aggression that hinders the flourishing of talents within the country;
a tendency to reject "inferior" representatives of the nation on the basis of language proficiency or confession;
the need for systematic ethnic socialization through historically established symbols (the flag, historical figures, geographic images), which are especially important for children's perception.

A Socio-Psychological Portrait of Contemporary Society
Analyzing the social composition of Armenia's population (the predominance of the trade and craft spheres), Nalchajyan notes the spread of a "shopkeeper" psychology in the spirit of Erich Fromm's typology—the prioritization of profit over spiritual values. He also examines the distinction between "the intelligence of cunning" and "the intelligence of truth": in the author's observation, Armenians more often take pride in cunning than in the pursuit of knowledge, which impedes the development of science and culture. He also notes the penetration of a mercantile logic into foreign policy.

Continuity Between the Soviet and Post-Soviet Periods
The psychologist points out that a change in the state system does not alter the deep psychological makeup of the people: vices that were suppressed under Soviet rule found free rein with independence, in the absence of state regulation.

Conclusion
The key conclusion of the interview is that a scientifically grounded, holistic psychological portrait of the Armenian people has still not been created. Nalchajyan announces his own program for the systematic description of ethnicities across 15 thematic blocks (character, ethno-defensive mechanisms, cognitive abilities, and others), intended to provide an objective picture of Armenian identity both within Armenia itself and in the diaspora.