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I would be careful with these kinds of statements if you haven't got in-depth knowledge of Northern European culture. For example, how many Swedish composers or writers do you know of?
Nobody is surely denying that Italy has a massive cultural heritage and has been of vast influence, but say that the Mediterranean countries have achieved more than the whole northern half of Europe... bold, very bold, and untrue. Just because you don't know Selma Lagerlöf or Edvard Grieg doesn't mean they didn't exist.
BTW, when did your cultured country achieve 100% literacy rate? 1970's?
Not just that he doesn't know. I don't know either, neither do a lot of people. Why do they remain unknown? Maybe because they were not significant enough. You may find a lot if you got in depth knowledge of northern European culture, but you will find a lot more if you dig deeper into southern European culture as well.
No one is saying Nordic countries have absolutely no culture, but it is silly to deny it offers a lot less than Mediterranean countries.
Also: when to achieve 100% literacy has no relationship with cultural richness. World cultural heritage was largely created by the elite 1%, not the mass who can read and write. So a country with 70% literacy is very likely to have more cultural than one with 100%.
I would be careful with these kinds of statements if you haven't got in-depth knowledge of Northern European culture. For example, how many Swedish composers or writers do you know of?
Nobody is surely denying that Italy has a massive cultural heritage and has been of vast influence, but say that the Mediterranean countries have achieved more than the whole northern half of Europe... bold, very bold, and untrue. Just because you don't know Selma Lagerlöf or Edvard Grieg doesn't mean they didn't exist.
BTW, when did your cultured country achieve 100% literacy rate? 1970's?
Why not?
I fear nowadays we don't even come close to 100% literacy rate, let alone in the 70s.
I'm not denying that Northern Europe has given (and is giving) great cultural contribution to the world, it's simply not comparable to Italy in any possible way.
This has many reasons: harsh climatic conditions, underdevelopment for lots of time, scarce populace and lots of warfare (well this applies to Italy too).
Then, you certainly are aware how little nationalistic I'm, I'm just stating a fact, likewise I'll always state that Northern Europe is ten time better in terms of welfare, economics, laws and corruption.
I'm not boasting anything, I have no merit whatsoever in what "my" ancestors did.
Not just that he doesn't know. I don't know either, neither do a lot of people. Why do they remain unknown? Maybe because they were not significant enough. You may find a lot if you got in depth knowledge of northern European culture, but you will find a lot more if you dig deeper into southern European culture as well.
No one is saying Nordic countries have absolutely no culture, but it is silly to deny it offers a lot less than Mediterranean countries.
Also: when to achieve 100% literacy has no relationship with cultural richness. World cultural heritage was largely created by the elite 1%, not the mass who can read and write. So a country with 70% literacy is very likely to have more cultural than one with 100%.
The Wonderful Adventures of Nils, one of the all-time most famous childrens' books? I doubt she did get the Nobel prize of literature just for fun. And Grieg was one of the world's leading composers of his time. They are not unknown. Likewise I could say that Dario Fo is unknown just because I haven't read anything from him.
And if you compare "Mediterranean", I think you mean Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece? They have around 130 million inhabitants, while we Nordics have 25 million, it is just proportional to population if these Mediterranean countries have offered five times more in terms of culture.
The UK and the Nordics were among the first to understand the value of an educated population and in the 1850's pretty everyone could read and write, while in the Mediterranean literacy rates were embarrassing up to WWII. I find that as a sign of culture. True about the cultural heritage though.
Well, sorry but no. Not that Italians, Spanish and French are smarter, but they arrived 2000 years before. No, public education was an idea of the Enlightment.
Public education existed during the Roman Empire. Public (Religious) education did exist during many periods of the Middle Ages in times when your country was still pagan.
Not that Catholics were much better than Pagans, but priests knew how to read and write.
Last edited by pampliment; 10-06-2015 at 10:55 AM..
Well, sorry but no. Not that Italians, Spanish and French are smarter, but they arrived 2000 years before. No, public education was an idea of the Enlightment.
Public education existed during the Roman Empire. Public (Religious) education did exist during many periods of the Middle Ages in times when your country was still pagan.
Not that Catholics were much better than Pagans, but priests knew how to read and write.
Arrived where?
There were no public schools during the Medieval age.
But I'm not talking about Ireland for God's sake x) I never said people in Ireland don't like to party. I said, in general, north european people don't party as much as we do (and we're talking about a lot of countries here)
If you have a problem with me generalizing this topic, I can't really do anything about it. I'm talking about what I know, about my own experience and about the experiences of people close to me. I can't talk about what I don't know. Unfortunately I don't have money to travel around the world and see how people live everywhere.
Sure there are north european countries where people party a lot more than in others. I've never been in those countries but I believe it to be true... nevertheless, I won't talk about it since I never experienced it. In any case, I also think it's common knowledge that people party a lot more in the south. I mean everyone knows that. Even the climate contributes to this simple fact.
But of course I agree with you when you say everyone has their own personality. Even people of the same country can be really different of course.
But that's the point, you can't say 'in general' because there is no 'in general', I can't see people in the South 'patying' more than people in the North at all! There is absolutely no basis to this argument at all, In general the people from different countries in the North are as different to each other as they are to people in the South! You say 'everyone knows that' but do they? What do you base that particular statement on? When I travel to the South I tend to see Northern Europeans out partying far more than their Southern counterparts but I wouldn't say 'people from the North party a lot more than people in the South' just because of my personal experiences and what I've seen at resorts!! You just can't make sweeping statements like that about millions of people!
Sure there are north european countries where people party a lot more than in others. I've never been in those countries but I believe it to be true... nevertheless, I won't talk about it since I never experienced it. In any case, I also think it's common knowledge that people party a lot more in the south. I mean everyone knows that. Even the climate contributes to this simple fact.
You've never been in Northern Europe, but you say they party less. Ok, something doesn't add up.
How would it be common knowledge that people in the south party more? I've never heard anything like that.
I think that if you would indulge as much alcohol as an average English, Finnish or Swedish gal you wouldn't party to 7am, because you would pass out before midnight.
First I was like meh, but the fruit thing was pretty good actually.
Still... meh.
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