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I live in the states and I have had the pleasure to meet man and his family who were from England. They moved here about 5 years ago and they go back to visit England very regularly.
I have known this person for about 2 years off and on. To get to my question; I have noticed that they have a very cold personality's and that they only seem to be able to loosen up with a little alcohol.
Second issue I noticed is that they tend to be very private. In fact they seem to become a little hostile when I ask them a little more information
then I should; such as, "how much money did you make last year?"
Lastly, I just get the overall feeling that they are very dull and pale. Are most of the people in England like this?
Wow...private people would be a welcome pace...I need to meet some
Brits...not sure where you are in America...but I was taught that it is
rude to ask people about money as well...so that may not just be a
British issue....seems that recently Americans wear their lives on their
sleeves and think it's okay to invade other peoples personal space
and information...however, it may not be greeted with a welcoming spirit...
However, if I am working in a similar area as another person I would like to compare so might ask what the salary range is - or if I know the person well, how much they earn... I think its natural.
It's not natural here!! I think if someone at work asked me what I was on I'd think they were being competitive - if I was on less they'd be smug and if I was on more they'd be resentful - what other reasons are there for asking?
Those I know , yes.
last winter eg we went on a bus tour in the Canary islands with "English only" middle aged couples...we didn't hear a sound, they laughed sometimes at the jokes of the tour guide, but it was in a very subdued manner.
Now don't get me wrong, I'd rather be with this kind of people than with boisterous, noisy , rude Italians, but funny No they are not even accounting for the second degree English sense of humour.
Would it not have been rude if they had all been talking at the same time as the tour guide?
I've always found Scotland a friendly place to live. On numerous visits to England I've never really had a problem with finding the locals there unfriendly. In particular I found York an extremely friendly and welcoming place.
I suppose all nations have people of all personalities.
D&&, this thread has taken off, good grief!!! Thanks for all the reply's!! I guess I'm just more transparent then most people. I've started a business that generated 30g a year from the ground; but I'm shutting it down becasue I'm moving; so there!!!
Sadly people connect money to how much they are worth as a person which is why I feel they are reserved from telling others how much they have/make and so forth. Other wise why would you give a D%M!!
The statistics don't lie, most people are in the same boat as far as how much they earn, but try to appear as if they are higher then what there balance sheet says at the end of the month. You know, leasing high end cars, toting Fendi crap, 500 dollar sunglasses; all while a man is homeless in there own city???
Anyway, my only experience I have had from Europe were a Caucasian family from England and my belief still stands firmly to the fact that they are very cold/dull but on the upside they are exceptionally cordial which at the end of the day really not mean anything. I fully understand that they don't represent the hole country but I can't help but to form some kind of opinion...
Last edited by Morphous01; 11-26-2008 at 11:04 PM..
disagree here ... love the jeans and flip flops- hate the stiff upper lip ... but that's mainly southern england ... join us in the north (manchester) and enjoy something a bit more laid back ... also be surprised by the dress up here ... you'd be wishing for flip flops and jeans in no time: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/80/27...86ec77a5ae.jpg
Having had the good fortune to number several Brits among my friends, I totally disagree that they are without humour and boring. Clearly not all Brits have the same sense of humour anymore than do all Yanks. However, my friends tend to have a dry, wry sense of humour that "sneaks up" on you rather than hits you over the head. And, far from boring, I have had some of the most fun in my life with my British friends. Of course should anyone, on either side of the pond, begin asking me rude question about money, sex, or other private matters, I would know that they were not the kind of person with whom I would enjoy a friendship.
I really enjoyed living in the UK, and found it delightful to be able to walk to school, shops, the park - and meet friends and neighbors all along the way. There is always someone washing the car or mowing the lawn, always loads of kids playing in the park, people I know at the local shops to stop for a chat. I miss that in the USA...people are very nice, but the over-use of the car and the lack of community is a little depressing.
You can easily find that in America today, in small towns.
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Privacy is kind of overrated. I'd rather be among people who are a little rude but make some effort to get to know you rather than people who treat you like you're invisible. Kinda becoming more common everywhere.
There is an upper-middle-class English neutrality that is raher dull and studious. But statistically that's the type of person more likely to have either worked hard to gain the grades necessary to have a successful life and career or to have had the contacts available to get ahead.
That's if they didn't already have parents who've mapped out their whole lives and careers before they've even had time to go on safari or a tour of the South American Amazon to see where Che Guevara got shot or once rode his motorbike or whatever it is of course. Or whatever it is they feel they need to do before settling down to a life of aggressively unrestrained Capitilism.
Alot of the unique and charismatic things about England have been neutralised somewhat by the unrepentant tide of gentrification and middle-of-the-road sterilisation of once beautiful places.The countryside is a virtual ghost town during the week now until such time as the transpants from the City of London feel they may want to 'get away' or 'view their investments' and it is becoming less and less common to find invidual character traits or the type of charismatic people that used to have a great sense of humour in the UK.
Only the upper-middle-upper class can really afford to go out to restaurants in the most tourist friendly parts of the UK so this is the impression of the UK most people get. Walk into a country or central London pub now and you won't find a local character spinning a far fetched yarn anymore or having a laugh and a joke with his friends. Most likely you'll find nothing but eerie silence, a group of office workers tucked away in a corner and a couple from the City who nervously avoid your glance for the dreaded fear that you might say something along the lines of 'Hello, how are you doing?" In my opinion, alot of English people take themselves far too seriously these days.
And there's a kind of insular, "let's live our lives on Facebook" attitude that makes too many people in the UK view their lives as something to sell rather than something to live and much of England has become a rather more diluted and uninteresting place as a result. The UK has become a divisive place where you have either made the giant leap up to become part of the elite establishment or you have been left marginalised and banished from view as far as the wider world can see or give a hoot.
Which is partly the reason why internationally, the English are usually portrayed as dry, awkward, bumbling and rather petrified of talking to anyone or anything but their mobile phone application. As this category of middle-upper middle-Englanders are type of people most likely to be able to afford to visit a country like the U.S, Canada, Australia, South America, India, etc..., it's hardly surprising that this is the impression people get of England as a nation as a result. And It's not too surprising if that assumption is that the English are a rather mild-mannered, polite but bland and humourless bunch who are far too precious and effete to ever dream of letting their hair down. And who it might be rather tortuous to spend an entire evening with down the restaurant or pub.
Last edited by Fear&Whiskey; 08-25-2010 at 03:29 AM..
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I think if someone at work asked me what I was on I'd think they were being competitive - if I was on less they'd be smug and if I was on more they'd be resentful - what other reasons are there for asking?
