Russia clearly miscalculated. It thought heavy armor and heavy handed propaganda (e.g. saying Ukraine doesn’t even exist) was some kind of abuse-based recipe for easy dictatorship.

It’s displaying the importance of learning the ages-old lessons of small talk and small arms.

First, consider small talk theory.

…everyone can forge mind-to-mind connections through creative, lesser-known small talk strategies and techniques from the field of linguistics to create more meaningful “small talk” that leads to rewarding “big talk.” Approach small talk by forging a mind-to-mind connection with stories that:

• Bond you with others over a professional, social, or personal cause (pinpoint a shared value such as empathy, integrity, and honesty and then build a story around it).
• Illustrate a skill, method, or process important for personal growth (stories make things easier to remember just as with Isaac Newton and the apple).
• Highlight how to overcome a shared challenge (think of powerful decision-making moments in your life that have the potential to inspire your counterpart to make similar decisions in their lives).

Second, I’ve written before about a history of small arms economics.