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Reading the comments, I have to wonder if "uptight" wasn't an unfortunate term to pose the question in. The judgement is implied immediately that anything being described as "uptight" is wrong.
I've lived amongst Brits for over a decade, and in areas where they vacation by the thousands, I know many Brits and am frequently surrounded by them in stores, restaurants, etc. I would make the generalization that middle class and upper class British people are more reserved in their social interactions than their U.S. counterparts. But much of this reserve comes to the fore in superficial contacts with strangers or people not well known, and has nothing to do with being unfriendly.
The fact that these Brits do not feel moved to gush over people they meet casually or spill their guts to everyone does not make them "uptight."
Perhaps one might consider whether we Americans should be characterized as "phoney." Contrary to what I said in the previous paragraph about what some Brits don't do, we do gush over people in the most extreme ways, almost like the next step was going to be to get naked together, and we tell even the most personal details of our lives to total strangers that anyone with a grain of maturity would save for a psychiatrist or a clergyman...and we behave in five minutes as if strangers were our oldest and bestest, bestest, bestest friends in the whole world and forget about them ten minutes later. Maybe it's not really "phoney," maybe it's "adolescent."
Or maybe these are just negative characterizations for patterns of contact that in themselves aren't particularly negative.
By the way, anyone who thinks Brits are "uptight" has clearly never met many working class Brits. "WHAT YOU LOOKIN' AT MOITE!!!!!!!!!!"
Lolz ...good lord .. we sing songs like one love ..one world ..we the world and go gaga over issues like these .. lolz seriously ..i mean people across 7 continents do we have a different coloured brain,muscles,skeleton and etc etc ..lolz ..the only difference i see and perceive is of intelligence ..apart from that .. is it some kinda joke ..life is a joke butt seriously not ! ..im not lashing out on anybody or our so called human race with out the ''G'' .. uptight ..lolz brits and americans ..lolz there are all types of people in all types of cultures and all those typecast attitude is typical just about everywhere lolz ..enuff said ..
Ridiculous thread. I have been to the UK many times and you simply cannot generalize. Although relatively small in terms of land mass, the population is around 60 million. Differences are everywhere, from north to south, England, Wales, Scotland. London itself is a different kettle of fish altogether. I have never really noticed any kind of stiff upper lip, nor do modern Brits seem constrained by "traditions" on a day-to-day basis.
Of course, the wealthy anywhere could be construed as "uptight", but that's better than rubbing it in your face and touting their success, as many wealthy Americans love to do.
It really does depend on the area. In London you can wait for the same train every morning to go to work standing next to the same people year after year after year, and no one speaks a word to each other.
In Scotland - outside the big cities - you know each other's life story within 10 minutes of standing next to them.
Ridiculous thread. I have been to the UK many times and you simply cannot generalize. Although relatively small in terms of land mass, the population is around 60 million. Differences are everywhere, from north to south, England, Wales, Scotland. London itself is a different kettle of fish altogether. I have never really noticed any kind of stiff upper lip, nor do modern Brits seem constrained by "traditions" on a day-to-day basis.
Of course, the wealthy anywhere could be construed as "uptight", but that's better than rubbing it in your face and touting their success, as many wealthy Americans love to do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colddiamond102
Ive always agreed with a this quote (I believe its from General George Patton)
" American's and the English are a similar people separated by a common language".
I think it depends on the what the issue is for either side to be "uptight" about.
Well done, you two.
This is quite an interesting thread because I was just in a conversation about this last night.... I am not intending to offend ANYONE but state this very truthfully: I think this is a ridiculous thread. For those of you who think the Brits are uptight, do you actually KNOW any Brits and have you actually spent a significant amount of time in the UK? There truly is a huge difference in everyone, according to social class, upbringing, region, etc, just like the same applies in the US.
The Brits are more reserved than "the yanks" in many ways. They are bigger on formalities and such, just like we used to be. So what.
I really wish my fellow Americans (and Europeans and whomever else is on this board) would broaden their horizons and spend more time in an area without any prejudice before forming some closed-minded opinions. I know, the truth is harsh, but the truth is the truth
I think that many Americans are definitely more uptight regarding sexuality. Where else would anyone be "offended" over seeing two people of the same sex hugging each other in public?
But it does seem that some of the British are more uptight over what they consider proper manners and such.
Because to an American it indicates the two men are probably homosexual.
Of course, this would be a perfectly valid and normal expression of brotherly love in many other cultures.
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