How would you describe your nationality?

[Torsten]

If you were to describe the character of your nationality in general terms, what would you say? As for me, I was born and raised in a socialist country and I still can see a difference in mentality between West and East Germans. In most cases you can distinguish an East German from a West German person by their appearance, their clothes and their body language. On average, west Germans are taller than East Germans because of such factors like nutrition, recreation, alcohol and nicotine consumption and recreation. West Germans tend to dress more professionally than East Germans and above all, their level of self-confidence is usually much higher. This might have to do with the fact that a lot of East Germans have a rather funny dialect generating the impression that they don't care much about how they come across when they are speaking. Of course there is more to that but I'd like to hear your ideas first. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your nationality?
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[Alan]

Hi Torsten,

I would find it very hard to imagine a situation where my country had been divided into two parts and my contemporaries had been brought up under a different governance. On a personal note having known you now for several years I am always struck by your open and tolerant attitude towards your fellow human beings from whatever part of the world they may come.

As for the British character, well that's a problem at least for me. I am of a generation that was born very near in time to the colonial period in British history and grew up in the post colonial Britain. I well remember as a twenty year old cringing at the sad events when the prime minister, Eden, imagined that Britain was still in its colonial heyday and undertook the ridiculous attack on Suez mainly because Col Nasser had dared to challenge Britain's authority. I was in fact in the army at the time and actually saw firsthand the humiliation experienced as I was posted to the War Office in 1956. The problem is that though the UK is geographically small, it still has 4 distinctive nationalities - Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish and English. And it is the last named that is always referred to as the country by those outside the UK, thereby upsetting the other three. We use the word 'British' to cover everybody and the fashionable word for a member of the country is 'Brit', which to my mind seems corny. In fact over the last couple of years the present government has become more and more obsessed with the concept of 'Britishness'. (By the way the spellchecker on this site doesn't like the word and has suggested 'Brutishness'. Is it trying to tell me something?)

This very week it has been suggested that school leavers should be asked to take an oath of allegiance to queen and country so that they realise they are now going to become aware of their position as British citizens in the adult world. This idea I totally recoil from since the implication is that they have learnt nothing at school but this will all be put right by a meaningless charade on their last day at school in the hall.

But to your original question - I must by reason of where I was born restrict my remarks to the English national character. I would describe it as fundamentally tolerant and slowly coming to terms with the idea that Britain is no longer top dog in the league of world powers. It displays a sceptical view on the world but will eventually be accepting of outcomes. Above all else it has a strong element of compromise and has the unique quality of being able to muddle through most crises because it has an innate fear of too many rules and regulations and structures that could prevent such muddling. That said, I believe it has a natural cultural inventiveness and distinction in most of the arts.

Alan
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[Fan of Arabian horses]

Hi Torsten, have you ever heard speaking persons from "Schwarzwald" or "Ostfriesland"? Are you aware the term "Ostfriesennerz"?
I don´t think that Eastern Germans need to hide their tongue or are dressed in a different way from the Westerns. As for me, it depends on the point of view and don´t have to do with weaknesses or strenghts. Stupidly, that behave you discdribed above led to missunderstandings between a customer and the company I´m working for. They claimed we were doing all the wrong way (means, they tried to drive a plant they thought it were the right way and refused good advise) and our chief refused to listen to them. Now the plant don´t run and the customer tries to withdraw the contract.

Everything might be quite easy, but isn´t.

Regards
Michael

[underdog]

hi, torsten, i am surprised that there is still difference between east and west Germans. the only things i know about Germany are Hitler and Dirk Nowitzki. =)

as for myself, i am originally from China. China is way too big and complicated to describe in general words, because of its long history background.
i lived my first 21 years in Canton China, AKA Guangzhou. it is a very special province culturally. we have different lifestyle and values. we have more people who don't believe in Chairman Mao and communism... and so on.

so, as a China man from that place, i might have a different point of view of the current China than other chinese.
China is socialist country in a sense that she accepts the concept of the capitalism. she is controlling the market less and less. however, she is now going through what the west has gone through. money has become the dominant power. the right has money to buy policies that favors them. but them lack of the sense of community. so the wealth is gathered by only a few people who don't want to contribute back to the society. they only care about their own well-being. the difference between rich and poor is becoming greater and greater.

news is controlled and cooked by the government. almost everything we can see is good news. if you see one person have a different thought and shout out loud, you will probably not see him agian. education is controlled too. i was taught that socialism is good. the Communist party is good. Chairman Mao is good (i guess the teachers really wanted to take away one "O" from the word "good", so the sentense is read as "Chairman Mao is God"). we had a few classes every week to study things like this. how ridiculous!!!
besides, not only do the simplified chinese characters look ugly, but they also erased a lot of history and deep meanings of our nationality.
most people are educated by this kind of education system and they just can't get out of that frame

the Chinese folks, to me, are very jumpy and crazy. many of them talk about how patriotic they are everyday. if they hear you talking about the bad things about china, they go mad and attack you without mercy. and whoever talks about japan (even just by mentioning the name), they will say:"shut up, i hate japan!" and then they will call you trader. but, you may find those who spit on the street are one of them.
on the other hand, domestically, we like to attack each other. we disrespect people from other regions. we laugh at each other.

i see a lot of bad things. but of course, there're a lot of good things too. after all, with 1.3 billion population, we have an aweful lot of good men.

[Jan]

I have completely different experience in my opinion East Germans have helped to rescue the image of Germany , it is just impossible to describe how unprofessional may be Westerners. East Germans were mostly better educated , hard working , and facing open conflict not just from West "better Germans" but all the others.
I am German from West Pruessen but in Germany I would be always Polish same as Polish from East are in Poland always Russians.
Nationality is less important in place were you live it causes problems when facing
new situation and it is necessary to describe everything fast and clear.
The truth is we are related very much one step back ( one or two thousand years e.g.) and all of us may be Arabs spoken fluent Hebrew with strong tendency to become Romanized Christians .

Jan

[Ahmadov]

[Torsten]

Angela Merkel was born in Hamburg and raised in East Germany. East Germans have the same rights and opportunities as their western counterparts so they can take an active part in politics if they want to. Yes, of course there East German MP's and other politicians.
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[Ahmadov]

But Hamburg was part of FRG, no?

[Torsten]

Yes, Hamburg has always been in the "west".
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