If you have Russian colleagues or friends, you might notice they understand goals, dreams, and destiny differently than English speakers. These cultural differences are quite normal. For example, when you ask "Are you happy with that?", you might get a lengthy response from a Russian friend that starts with their childhood.

In English, dreams are seen as deep desires and visions for the future. They guide us towards our destiny – the final path we're meant to follow. "Destiny leads the willing but drags the unwilling."

In Russian, dreams (мечты) are important and valuable goals that reflect personal needs and meanings. A Russian proverb says, "A person without dreams is like a bird without wings." However, dreaming in Russian can also mean "having your head in the clouds" without a clear future goal.

According to Russian language scholar Alexey Shmelev, the word "destiny" (судьба) is unique in Russian because it includes the idea that the future is unpredictable and not controlled by the person.

In English, people believe they can shape their lives and destiny. In Russian, people often accept their fate and circumstances. The English word "destiny" is related to "destination," meaning the final goal. In Russian, "судьба" (destiny) is related to "судить" (to judge), implying how others judge you.

So, should we give up on goals for Russians and let them just follow their fate? Not exactly. There are key moments when "fate is decided." Until then, the future is unpredictable, and a person can change their fate and create their own destiny. But once fate is decided, events become more predictable.

"It is not external circumstances that direct a person's life, but their character. For it is the person themselves who makes choices, both small and large... And their destiny is decided from those choices," wrote Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

For Russians, a person's character is the bridge between dreams and destiny. They believe in dreaming but know that willpower is needed to follow their destiny. They tend to focus on self-improvement, while others build action plans. Keep this in mind.