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What makes you proud to be British?

189 replies

AnythingButMagnolia · 18/09/2018 12:21

A friend and I were talking about coming home from holiday and appreciating the UK 'anew' after being in other cultures. One thing she said was "we are so *tolerant". It gave me a warm fuzzy glow. I think that's really something to be proud of.
*
i recognise some posters may disagree but I am thinking in broad terms and historically etc etc...
Don't mean to start a 'heavy' thread, just a place to share other warm fuzzy things. Brew

OP posts:
VauxhallVectra · 18/09/2018 13:59

What I do like is that at street level people are non-judgmental (not my experience in Germany or France)

Haha! That's so true. When I go to the Caribbean I'm astounded by the way people behave towards others in the street- staring, openly commenting on their bodies, clothes, faces etc. At least in Britain everyone ignores each other.

DemocracyDiesInDarkness · 18/09/2018 14:00

I'm not offended by it at all!

I find it annoying when posters try to censor other people because it doesn't chime with their thoughts though.

AnythingButMagnolia · 18/09/2018 14:02

Not trying to censor anyone. Just meant that I wasn't deliberately trying to be controversial or provocative.

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Thatstheendofmytether · 18/09/2018 14:04

Well I'm Scottish, I'm proud of that. I wouldn't class myself as British tbh

crochetmonkey74 · 18/09/2018 14:04

I like the sense of humour, the quirkiness and the backing of the underdog. The down to earth practicality and the Welfare State. Things seem bonkersly British sometimes - I'm a cliche but the Danny Boyle Olympics opening ceremony makes me so tearful!

AnythingButMagnolia · 18/09/2018 14:06

Thatsthe- no probs, feel free to post on what you like about Scotland. (Same applies to any other country, don't want to exclude non British posters).

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AnythingButMagnolia · 18/09/2018 14:08

I agree about humour and backing of the underdog.

Also how you can't buy an item in a supermarket without saying 'thank you' to the cashier about 8 times.

(Sadly less often now with advent of more automated tills. Although they still trill 'thank you', usually too late.)

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Wormzy · 18/09/2018 14:09

I am not a British citizen yet, but know that I will feel a lot of pride in being one once it will have happened. Maybe people who don't have to go through the whole conscious process of becoming part of a country they've always lived in just don't know how to value it - like anyone with anything that's given to them for free, I guess. I know my parents aren't proud of their home country and I suppose I've never felt pride in my citizenship there, hence why I have arrived in Britain.

I like the British optimism and resilience displayed especially by the older generations. The kind of Blitz spirit attitude that some things in this country may be rotten, but we'll all get through it somehow. The getting-on-with-it personality, who, instead of moaning at quirks such as separate hot and cold water taps, wafer-thin walls and wonky walls either finds a way around the problems or just accepts them for the oddities they are.

I like how that extends to personality quirks. The British understanding of tolerance is such that you barely get a second look, however you choose to express yourself - whether that be rainbow-coloured hair, a full goth look or a body full of tattoos. There was a time in my home country where just wearing a dress on a normal day would get you stared at; so the feeling of freedom here is so much greater.

The British sense of humour is great - dry, dark and to a foreigner quite confusing, as if done well you're never entirely sure whether the person is serious or you're thoroughly having the piss taken out of you.

There is lots more to be proud of, here. I wish people could see how lucky they are.

AgentProvocateur · 18/09/2018 14:09

Absolutely nothing makes me proud to be British. Compared to many other places, it’s a mess at the moment.

AnythingButMagnolia · 18/09/2018 14:10

Wormzy, what a lovely post, thank you.

I feel proud to live in a country which has welcomed you.

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squashyhat · 18/09/2018 14:11

Nothing. We are the laughing stock of the world.

DemocracyDiesInDarkness · 18/09/2018 14:19

Not you, Anything Smile

dinosaurkisses · 18/09/2018 14:19

The NHS.

I love that even the most conservative, middle class baby-boomers still value the health service as something that everyone in the state should be able to access.

There’s no “I’m alright, Jack” attitude when it comes to healthcare here- it’s on its knees at the moment, and everyone is complaining about it from every political background. From the Daily Mail to the Guardian, they know their readers want it to survive.

MrDarceysMistress · 18/09/2018 14:26

In the spirit in which it was intended:

  • decent cup of tea
  • getting really excited at a biscuit
  • putting said biscuit on a plate
  • ‘taking the piss’ (I believe there’s no American equivalent expression) *Fawlty Towers and OHAH
  • having some of the best higher education in the world *boaty mcboatface *the six nations (France and Italy games are never quite as intense) *warm beer *strwaberries and cream at Wimbledon
  • saying sorry to the person who’s just stood on your foot
UpOnTheDowns · 18/09/2018 14:28

The fact that the inhabitants of a small set of windswept islands forged the greatest empire the world has ever seen is quite the point of pride for me, regardless of how un-PC that might be today. Quite apart from our towering achievements in the sciences and humanities, the fact that the world speaks our language, etc etc etc...

karyatide · 18/09/2018 14:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

VauxhallVectra · 18/09/2018 14:30

The fact that the inhabitants of a small set of windswept islands forged the greatest empire the world has ever seen is quite the point of pride for me, regardless of how un-PC that might be today

They didn't. Millions and millions of slaves were stolen from their homelands, sold into back-breaking labour, raped, abused, tortured, murdered, and dehumanised to make the vision of a few rich, white men a reality.

Definitely something to be proud of Hmm

justabigdisco · 18/09/2018 14:33

That time when David Blaine suspended himself in a glass box over London and was attempting to go without food for days. People came and flew drones with McDonalds up to him and cooked BBQs underneath. That was the moment I was most proud to be British

UpOnTheDowns · 18/09/2018 14:34

Like I said, the far-left view of history has prevailed. But in reality every other country would have done anything to build an empire like ours - they just weren't nearly as good at it.

VauxhallVectra · 18/09/2018 14:35

@justabigdisco

Oh my God, I remember that. It's a very British train of thought to see news that someone's living in a box in the air and the first thought to be "how can we make this hell for him?" Grin

karyatide · 18/09/2018 14:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DemocracyDiesInDarkness · 18/09/2018 14:39

Doesn't really make it something to be proud of though does it? That we were the best at murdering, raping and pillaging entire nations. Shock

VauxhallVectra · 18/09/2018 14:40

Like I said, the far-left view of history has prevailed. But in reality every other country would have done anything to build an empire like ours - they just weren't nearly as good at it

I don't think it's particularly far-left to recognise the horrors of slavery Hmm
You're right, it's probably true that most other countries weren't as good at empire building. But given empire building involved enslaving millions and millions of people, raping them, torturing them, and working them until they dropped down dead, colonising lands in which the British had no right to be, bringing disease, famine and war to populations that were rubbing along perfectly fine beforehand, I don't really think being better at it than everyone else is anything to be proud of. I'd be fucking ashamed if it were my heritage.

WumfyDumfy · 18/09/2018 14:41

And the only criticism anyone ever makes against Belgium is that it's boring

Yeah but Belgium is pretty boring

bellinisurge · 18/09/2018 14:43

I've travelled a lot and lived abroad a lot.
Tea.

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