British characteristics

R

richboy

New member
On another thread we've had two Americans try to define what it is to be British in the way that the concept of "freedom" defines what it is to be American.
One used the word "dignity" and the other "proper".
Both for me have a kernal of truth (certainly for the more middle class people and nice people like me!) but I feel Britain has so many other people that don't conform to those words that they just aren't accurate enough.
Maybe they were accurate years ago?

Does anyone else have any other ideas?

I must admit I'm having trouble coming up with much myself.
Of course we also have the separate identities of Wales, Scotland and Ireland so that makes it even trickier.

I have a nebulous sense of how I feel to be British but can't really define it. For every idea or attribute I can think of I see countless people that don't have that attribute or idea.

We queue up for things. But then I guarantee some muppet will cut me up tonight to get one car ahead of me in traffic. Like most nights.
 
R

RatulK

New member
I would tentatively suggest we love games.

Now the love of games, whether active (eg football) or passive (eg monopoly) is certainly not unique to the English, Irish, Scottish or Welsh, and my suggesting it as a national characteristic is in no way implying that it cannot be an attribute of other nations. That aside, the British as a nation seem to have invented or reinvented numerous games, and I've rarely met a person that doesn't enjoy playing or following at least one form or another.

This naturally leads to another suggestion... we are certainly an inventive bunch.
 
E

ElMONEY

Member
I'm not going to comment on what I think the British use to identify themselves with that distinguishes them from other nations, because I have absolutely no clue. However I think you could easier define it if you stop looking at individual people and how they contrast with what has been proposed so far, and look more at "national identity" meaning how everyone acts as a whole. If you took every British person and put them into one person, then sent them around the world . . . what would define them? People often act a lot different when they are thinking themselves to be representing a collective of people, a culture or set of ideals, then they do when they are just being a single human.
 
S

Sl{@RRex

New member
I think this should be "English people" possibly extending to the Welsh. Teh Scottish have no defining attributes, except maybe being truthful at the wrong momentss.
 
B

bluedaisy

New member
Valid point.

Scottish attributes include tight-fistedness, aggression and a hatred of the English (from a subconscious sense of innate inferiority).
 
D

DianaK

New member
Prettymuch. Although I'd add in "scary dmenour". English people aren't very scary, and even when they are it's mostly bravado and you can slap it out of them.


Except Bisping, he's scary.
 
J

Janetm95

New member
I believe sarcasm is indicative of the British aversion to success, which is related to the class system. It is frowned upon to try to better yourself in Britain and failure is scorned so people don't want to try again.
 
Top