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British people are only loud when drunk. They're very quiet and reserved otherwise. You're unlikely to see anyone being loud on the Tube, and such behaviour would get a disgruntled sigh or head shake - but nobody would say anything, as that's part of being British - complain about things to you friends or family, but for the love of God, don't attract attention to yourself in public
British people are only loud when drunk. They're very quiet and reserved otherwise. You're unlikely to see anyone being loud on the Tube, and such behaviour would get a disgruntled sigh or head shake - but nobody would say anything, as that's part of being British - complain about things to you friends or family, but for the love of God, don't attract attention to yourself in public
The stereotypes of trashy Brits being loud, drunk and horny on "loose" women apply to trashy Germans and Danes also. It's generally the same "breed", really. How about going to Magalluf or Varna (Bulgaria) and see the well-behaving German lower-class?!
Here is a famous page from Germany documenting what the hell is going on during Oktoberfest. And there are probably more foreigners attending this glamorous event than Germans
Many British are loud, they drink too much and they can't contain their bladder, they can't handle their drink...but they only bother other tourists because locals, at least in Spain, are used to them.
Brits have been coming here since early fifties, they are part of the furniture and some have been coming during so many years so they are like family, like that drunk uncle that visits you once in a year.
They are not rude when you know them, and they don't horrify anymore when they hear locals eat squids and octopus!!! They don't drink huge amounts of sangria anymore and many know a lot about local food. They love Mexican hats.
Germans are more orderly, they get drunk at the same time, they laugh at the same time, just like Boy Scouts. Brits are more wild, anarchic. Danes go to their bars and places in Mallorca.
Many British are loud, they drink too much and they can't contain their bladder, they can't handle their drink...but they only bother other tourists because locals, at least in Spain, are used to them.
Brits have been coming here since early fifties, they are part of the furniture and some have been coming during so many years so they are like family, like that drunk uncle that visits you once in a year.
They are not rude when you know them, and they don't horrify anymore when they hear locals eat squids and octopus!!! They don't drink huge amounts of sangria anymore and many know a lot about local food. They love Mexican hats.
Germans are more orderly, they get drunk at the same time, they laugh at the same time, just like Boy Scouts. Brits are more wild, anarchic. Danes go to their bars and places in Mallorca.
Australians are similar. We inherited a lot of that from our colonial past. Plus we were a nation largely built by convicts, the...shall we say, least refined among society well represented lol.
There are many differences. I think germanic countries are more orderly and efficient, less spontaneous, promote more autonomy as a value, interpersonal relations are cooler, respect more the laws, austere, more phlegmatic etc while mediterranean countries are more spontaneous, less organized, they have less vision of the future, more "carpe diem", are also more conspicuous, enjoy life on the street, more dependent on family, less politically correct, more temperamental and sociable...
Just my opinion
These are very good points however somehow it kind of belittles a bit the Romance countries. In all honestly efficiency is great but the Romance countries in terms of art, architecture, landscape are prettier than their germanic counterparts.
Although the interesting thing i did notice while living in Europe is this. Without being stereotypical certain (how do I word this?)ethnicities do things better or worse than other ethnicities in regards to doing certain things.
What do I mean??? Let me explain:
Here in the USA a hodgepodge/melting pot of people from all over the globe we are taught we are all the same in capabilities. Although living in Europe has taught me that:
For efficiency, bureaucracy, and administration the German's just blow the Italians out of the water.
However, if you want a beautiful dress or painting NOBODY can make those things better than Italians. The Italians just have something in their blood this innate knack which gives them this edge to make both themselves and everything around them beautiful they are the worlds best ARTISTS.
So basically I do believe that certain people such as Germans have an (innate) edge over others for certain things just as the Italians also have an (innate) edge over others for certain other things as well.
Basically you can make the argument that all us humans are born with the same capabilities but Italy can't get their trains to run on time while Germany has it down to a science.
Meanwhile the German Presidential Palace is a clean white neoclassical looking structure that is a model of efficiency. The Italian presidential palace has 1,200 rooms most of which monumental (highly decorated with frescoes and gold leaf) and contains art, furniture, chandeliers, tapestry, and variuos masterpieces that are utterly priceless!
See what I'm talking about!
None.
The whole distinction is quite fruitless honestly: I live in the Northernmost part of Italy, I have much more in common with Austrian and Southern/Central Germans than Neapolitans, the same applies to Bavarians and Icelanders.
If we make this distinction purely basing on language, then, despite its imprecision, there might be a point, otherwise is just a bunch of stereotypes grouped together: the classical "Germans are hard-worker, ultraefficient but boring, no humour and cold", Spaniards "funny,lazy, siesta, toreros and corridas", French "smelly,arrogant, great cuisine, not speak English", Italians "pizza,pasta and mandolino, hairy, smelly [by the way I VERY rarely saw bidet outside of Italy, just to say],mafia,Berlusconi, corruption" etc etc.
They might be partially true: undeniably many Italians largely fit in that description but we are speaking of, at least, 350 millions of people, we can't generalize, we can't label and group millions together basing on what we saw during a two weeks holiday.
If we go into history, it's fruitless also: Europe is what it's today because it mingled all its states, in a series of wars, marriages, massacres, exchanges, commerce and so on.
To give you an example: before 1860's (when Ruhr started getting industrialized) Germans were mainly known as "lazy,drunkards with no real skills", quite a different stereotype from nowadays, isn't it?
Then, obviously each of us can have a preferable taste for some countries: I always admired Germany despite my being Italian, and thus "generally pro-Romance".
Be it clear, I am proud of Italian history and I would never change my native language with any other one, yet I can appreciate the beauty of others.
I've always been more interested in the countries of the Romance speaking world: primarily Italy, France, Spain, because of their longer history, I prefer their culture (more vibrant, outdoorsy), attitude to life/love of life, cuisine etc. I find the Germanic world interesting as well - especially Britain, for cultural reasons, but as a place I find southern and western Europe more attractive and interesting.
For this poll:
Germanic - UK, Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia
Romance - Portugal, Spain, France, Italy
Germanic is the best, much more liberal and have a higher culture of equality since the ancient times when the vast majority of Germanic-speaking tribes lived in Southern Scandinavia and northern Germany. They loved freedom and hated tyrannical rule like that of the Romans and eventually Romance people. It the Germanic tribes who eventually out the Roman Empire to its knees. Goths, Franks, Allemans, Burgundians and much later the Saxons, etc... This continued in our modern times, it was again Germany, England, Switzerland, Scandinavia who stood against the injustices of the Church in Europe and brought in the Reformation and in the long run more freedom. The Anglo-Saxon Laws are just an importation of Germanic laws and culture which were already practiced much earlier in Northern Europe. England was one of the countries in Europe which had a representative parliament which had its beginning at Magna Carta. It was the same culture of freedom which led some English to flee their own country where they thought that they lacked enough freedom to go found nations such as America. The Vikings much earlier found Iceland as a refuge for those who were rejected in Scandinavia particularly Norway, and they even reached parts of North America. At the same time, Germanic people were a simple people, less sophisticated and not pompous like Romance people who were quite organized. Germanic people are on average of lighter pigmentation than Romance people.
Light pigmentation of Germanic people.
These are extremely blonde people (typical/distinct Germanic people), they do not represent the average of any Germanic nations including Scandinavia. Please do not confuse distinct/typical with average.
Sweden( Southern Sweden was actually the cradle of Germanic people and also their culture).
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