Why is Brazil such a hedonistic society? (life, cost, country)
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It strikes me as being one of the most hedonistic, fun-obsessed societies on earth. But is that just an image/stereotype? Where does this reputation come from?
The more Brazilians I meet, the more I see this is just a stereotype. Brazilians are actually very religious and conservative.
I'm brazilian and I have to say that you are right.
While Brazil is still far, far away of being a christian version of Saudi Arabia, it's way more conservative than Europe and even USA. Religious and familiar values are still very important here and, as you move away from the urban centers (São Paulo, Rio, BrasÃlia, and so on), the more conservative and religious people you will meet.
I think the most prominent feature of the brazilian culture is the flexibility. Brazilians in general find creative workarounds for every situation, and this is a reason for brazilians being good at sports where improvisation is important, like football. But, definitively, not a hedonistic people as a whole.
Maybe the conservatism is the reason for the stereotype of hedonism, like resentful Catholics gone Wild...
Not likely some wacky sects of conservative Protestantism have infused and inserted themselves into the country and are far more more divisive and repressive than Catholicism as their beliefs aren't really very compatible with Brazilian culture. It should get "interesting" as their numbers grow.
I find it sad how Brazilians allow their country to be poisoned by evangelists and such pseudo-religious radicals.
There is indeed a strong urban vs rural difference, and it is no coincidence that SP, Porto Alegre, Rio etc. have a much higher HDI than most of the rest of the country, which is still more like a developing country.
I think there are lots of cliches in the West. Maybe because we usually hear very little of Brazil, except for Carnaval and Samba, both of which seem to be, well, hedonistic at first glance. There is also a lot plastic surgery going on, which adds to that image.
Maybe the conservatism is the reason for the stereotype of hedonism, like resentful Catholics gone Wild...
I think its simply perceptions created by international tourists based on the very small parts of Brazil that they visit (tourist areas tend to be more liberal), and possibly the events they participate or watch and the times they visit.
At least in the US, I think when people think of Brazil they imagine Rio de Janeiro’s extravagant carnival which makes Brazilian seem sexually obsessed.
This dychotomy between how certain groups of people view a particular country and what that country is truly like isn’t limited to Brazil. Countries such as Colombia, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica are some examples of this.
The worst part of the perceived image is that people will often do a confirmation bias. With this I mean that they would do ‘research’ via social media (Youtube, forums, and such) and find exceptions that are presented in those medias as if they are the rule for those countries, and they will use that as evidence to counter whatever the natives of those countries say regarding how their country truly is.
I think it will never matter how many times people that are better acquainted with the reality of Brazil, those non-Brazilians that can’t get past their confirmation bias will continue to base their opinions of Brazil on this:
And on this:
The people that base their opinion on Brazilian society from social media or tourist spots will never grasp how exactly their image of Brazil is wrong.
Like I said, this also applies to other countries.
Some foreign people get in trouble when they visit these countries with their incorrect perceptions and they go into the less touristy areas or inland acting as if the whole country is like the small tourist spot they visited. You can’t go into more normal areas of any country blatantly videotaping the butts and bodies of any woman walking the streets. You will simply be asking for trouble, especially from local men that are on the look out for creeps in order to protect the decency of the local women.
I agree that there is such a bias. People want to believe for instance that Germans are serious, boring, cold people. They totally ignore that Germans also have huge Carnaval celebrations, which are referred to as the 5th season there. People are just as cheerful and crazy as Brazilians during those days, but it doesn't fit into the popular biased image...
Another example is Britain. They are thought of as funny people due to Britcom. But when I lived there I didn't notice much of that at all. People were not funnier than elsewhere.
I agree that there is such a bias. People want to believe for instance that Germans are serious, boring, cold people. They totally ignore that Germans also have huge Carnaval celebrations, which are referred to as the 5th season there. People are just as cheerful and crazy as Brazilians during those days, but it doesn't fit into the popular biased image...
Another example is Britain. They are thought of as funny people due to Britcom. But when I lived there I didn't notice much of that at all. People were not funnier than elsewhere.
I went to Germany, was gray sure, but had the craziest party of my life, jajajjaa
Germany is fun.
I find it sad how Brazilians allow their country to be poisoned by evangelists and such pseudo-religious radicals.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AFP
Not likely some wacky sects of conservative Protestantism have infused and inserted themselves into the country and are far more more divisive and repressive than Catholicism as their beliefs aren't really very compatible with Brazilian culture. It should get "interesting" as their numbers grow.
This true in Guatemala also. Over the last couple of decades there has been a huge increase in Evangelical churches. The country has become a paradise for religious fanatics. Its kind of scary actually. I think people are traumatized from years of violence that they are desperate for something to cling on to. Evangelicals really appeal to the emotions. These churches also have strong links to right wing politics. Evangelicals are annoying as ****.
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