To ask about people from different countries

[TyraBanksEyeTwitch]

I don't know how well I can express myself here. Currently on holiday somewhere with lots of Europeans, Spanish, German,Italian, Scandinavian, French and of course British.

The Italians are outgoing, social, glamorous. The Danes are reserved, polite, healthy.
The Germans are practical, family orientated, humorous.
This is just my interpretation based on one holiday park obviously. I have spent time in all these countries too.
But how do different cultures form personalities? There must be Italian introverts, but on the whole is it the weather, location, history, language?
What makes them more likely to be engaging, social, care about appearances, enjoy chatting and laughing for long amounts of time?
I was thinking about our history and whether our status as an island made us rule breakers? Did it make us the rebellious, stubborn, funny, resilient people we are? Did our weather make us more prone to socialise with our immediate family more, compared to the bigger social networks of the Southern Europeans.
It's funny because I belong to two cultures but I am most definitely British. I feel my Britishness in every inch of my body. But would I have the same personality if I grew up in another country?

It’s often the way they dress, hair style, the way they behave, talk loud, shout at their kids (!), the way they look. Of course you can’t tell all the time, but quite often.

Fascinating thread! I think about these things often. I’m enjoying reading the responses.

Where in Italy did you live?

I lived in Milan for several years and found the locals to be quite reserved and guarded in public. When they got to know you it was a completely different story, but people certainly weren't striking up conversations with strangers on the Milan Metropolitana. They would consider it quite strange if you attempted to do so.

@marcopront By hearing them talk or getting to know, knowing of them etc

There are clues if you look close enough. Like the language of the book/newspaper they're reading, the label on the clothes, even shoes (certain brands popular in some countries but not all).

Sorry IcedPurple, I should have specified that I lived in Naples for years and for a while in the Cilento and Sicily. Yes, Milan would be a very different ball game.

Southern Europe - babies and schoolchildren are welcomed everywhere and anywhere until all hours. That makes it easy for parents to socialise and kids to play together. I really think that is a big factor in their laid back style and openness with others. The weather helps, but even in Winter (which is never freezing anyway) the same principles apply.

Northern Europe- not the same attitude to taking kids everywhere. Strict meal times and bed times. Longer school terms. Strict school rules (fines etc,) and Weather.

Just a couple of observations, and I'm sure there are many more.

That's why I can't do it. I don't think I've ever studied anyone that closely. How do you manage to look at someone's clothes labels or shoe brand without bothering them? I've never peeped over someone's shoulder and looked at the language of their book. I tend to look at local sites, architecture, go to restaurants and cultural events. We all travel for different reasons I suppose.

I moved to England just after Princess Diana’s death, and thought I’d arrived in a country of total maniacs. I remember looking out the window of my accommodation at a very regulated bus queue with everyone obediently standing in line an equal distance apart, and then seeing the tv news with people weeping and screaming over the flowers…

@username44416 Id say that trying to guess peoples nationality when I'm not in the uk is one of my favourite things to do I love people watching though.

Its mostly not that hard

Milan and Naples seem like totally different countries much of the time. Which I guess makes sense, since until relatively recently that's exactly what they were.

Just because you can’t read people well doesn’t mean that others can’t. Got nothing to do about reasons for traveling. That is just a daft comparison.

I'm not British but have lived here for q decade and the last thing I'd describe the British as (if I were to generalise several countries like that) is rebellious or rule breakers 😅 quite the opposite to me.

Socialisation I presume though. If you grow up in a south European country doing a lot of socialising at night when it's cooler in the way I've noticed when I've visited that'll be what you're used to and what you'll do. Whereas if you grow up in Scandinavia like I did where most socialise in their homes, particularly in the colder months, you probably socialise with smaller groups and less often.

I have a few friends from South Africa. They can't get over how bonkers we all go at Christmas ( which starts in October). They were like this is next level insanity.

Well, in the eyes of the the Italians anything below Rome is a different country! I have heard northern Italians call southerners "i Greci". The diet, the lifestyle and outlook are culturally very different. I love the north but at heart I will always be Napoletana.

It's not something that occurs to me. I don't really care where other people are from, like I said, we all have our own interests. Enjoy your travels.

I manage to look at both architecture AND people when I travel.
Neither the buildings nor the people have ever complained

Yes, imagine that. 😂

Oh I have, very much so for 35+ years. And will keep enjoying them for many more if I am lucky. Thank you.

It does strike me as a bit odd not to care or be interested in where people come from, if you are an avid traveler I love different cultures and find it fascinating to learn more. I do hope I will never become tired of it.

I have heard northern Italians call southerners "i Greci".

I've heard them call Southerners a lot worse!

Excellent thread, I find the formation of culture absolutely fascinating. I personally think it's a huge combination of all sorts of factors, from weather to history, from landscape to music. What I find really interesting is how cultures change though... When I was growing up, the British were renowned for being polite, graceful and reserved - I don't think we'd be accused of any of those things any more! What happened, and was it intentional?

I think that most of what OP is seeing is confirmation bias. There are lots of unhealthy Danes, introverted Italians, and child-phobic Germans.

Perhaps there might be one or two national characteristics that show up in a holiday situation where people are otherwise from comparable socio-economic backgrounds (e.g., the Spanish kids might go to bed later than the Dutch ones), but as any social scientist will tell you, within-group variance is always greater than between-group variance. What are Luxembourgers supposed to be like?

I used to work in an organisation with nearly 50 nationalities. At no point did anyone suggest that Klaus or Pierre were the way they were because of their national origin. It simply wasn't an issue.

Consider that in both Italy and Germany, the people from one end of the country have very strong ideas about what people from the other end of the country are like, to the extent that in Italy there is a political movement in the north that basically wants to be rid of the south.

Or just look at the UK — or even just England. You might be talking to a French person who has just had their first proper conversation with a British person. If that Brit is from Tunbridge Wells versus Hull, do you think the French person might have different opinions about what "Brits" are like? (Spoiler: The person from Tunbridge Wells is a mechanic and the one from Hull is a barrister.)

With all that said, though, it is a hard scientific fact that the French do shout at their kids a lot!

If you go way back, for example in a Scandi country that wasn’t crowded and so no need for people to invade each other’s space when talking etc, many people still feel strongly about their personal space. Don’t come too close when talking, or queuing for the bus for example. It’s interesting.

Really interesting subject

I'm convinced the weather has something to do with it

Southern Europeans spend more time outside chatting into the late evening

Brits are in the pub

But we're all so different??