National character

[Dannyalcatraz]

A very good question that the answer to will, of course, be coloured by the background of the person who answers. To me our traditional character would be summed up by the following:

- a nation of consiliators born of diplomacy, not rebellion.
- who don't jump to rash conclusions, but rather think important things through
- who will stand with our friends
- who won't start a fight but, by God, will bloody well help finish one
- who won't stand idle while our neighbour suffers hunger or illness

Or you could say that we have a plodding nature that tends to be hidebound by tradition, over innovation. Not quite true given our technological contributions, but not necessarily too far off either.

What about the inhumanly high tolerances for maple syrup & beer?

 

[Ryujin]

What about the inhumanly high tolerances for maple syrup & beer?

I took the urban racial variant that switches those out for inhumanly high tolerance for international cuisine (still keep the maple syrup tolerance). It also let me switch out Language: French for Increased Resources at level 3.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Clever!

 

[Morrus]

It's interesting that you mention tradition. One thing I think we in the U.K., and probably in Europe, see that word differently simply based on the age of our countries. Not that any definition is less valid than any others, but it's how it's perceived. It's kinda like buildings in the US being described as 'historical' when they're younger than my house. Well, not my current house.

 

[Umbran]

One thing I think we in the U.K., and probably in Europe, see that word differently simply based on the age of our countries.

In the Boston area, we have something approaching history, but still, yes.

The saying I recall is, "The difference between Europeans and Americans is that Europeans think 200 miles is a long drive, and Americans think 200 years is a long time."

 

[pedr]

I think that part of it may be that to be (United States) American has had an element of theory or philosophy in it - revolution, then manifest destiny, later anti-Communism. So there can clearly be people within the polity who do not share those views - who believed revolution was a mistake, or who thought the U.S. should focus on the East Coast, or who were Communist, etc - and that can potentially create a clearer internalised sense of national identity - which others can be judged against - than is necessarily the case in countries with more organic development of modern society.

Though Brits will often judge people against stereotypical regional characteristics and attitudes and (mockingly) argue that others aren't Yorkshire enough, or Cockney enough, etc.

 

[Ryujin]

It's interesting that you mention tradition. One thing I think we in the U.K., and probably in Europe, see that word differently simply based on the age of our countries. Not that any definition is less valid than any others, but it's how it's perceived. It's kinda like buildings in the US being described as 'historical' when they're younger than my house. Well, not my current house.

A fair bit of that tradition is hand-me-down from The Motherland, as tempered by our original status as a wilderness colony. I would say split the difference between the UK and the USA, and you have Canada.

.... or Australia.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The saying I recall is, "The difference between Europeans and Americans is that Europeans think 200 miles is a long drive, and Americans think 200 years is a long time."

I never head that one, but I have said something like that more than once.

 

[Morrus]

In the Boston area, we have something approaching history, but still, yes.

The saying I recall is, "The difference between Europeans and Americans is that Europeans think 200 miles is a long drive, and Americans think 200 years is a long time."

I have an unreasonable distaste of that hoary old chestnut. Mainly caused by endless repetition. Who originally coined it? They're on my TARDIS assassination list.

The travel radius for most people is identical in most Western countries. Nobody drives 200 miles to work, or to watch a movie, or to do any of the things people do.

Population density reduces the distances a little in the U.K. and Western Europe, but not drastically. The average person's radius is the same in the US as everywhere else - you might be in an area five time larger, but you don't habitually wander across deserts and mountains to visit the local supermarket.

There are exceptions, of course. Some people live out in the sticks. Then again, lots of people live in London or New York or Tokyo and have everything they'll ever need within a few yards.

The main difference is family visits after relocation. There, in the US you're probably talking a plane flight if it's a cross-country move. But that's not everyday activity.

 

[Morrus]

I never head that one, but I have said something like that more than once.

That surprises me. I've heard it literally thousands of times. Always by Americans; which leads me to suspect it was coined by an American. Most every American I know has said it at some point. I'm sure I could Google it and find out in about 3 seconds.