Life / Are there any neutral or positive stereotypes of poles? [40]


Fearless, stubborn, freedom-loving, maniacally romantic...etc

Life / Are there any neutral or positive stereotypes of poles? [40]

There are simply many good remarks here, but I just wonder how many of them come from non-Poles? As an absolutely non-Polish person, I think the praises from outside are more insightful!:)

Life / The strangest things in Poland [468]

The strangest thing about Poland is that the Poland is one among the extremely few countries in the world, whose environment has been "specially" conditioned so that every human could reach the highest development of character or intelligence, yet sadly most of Poles have not only not reached that state but they also complain a lot and very LOUDLY.

An observation from a foreigner.

Feedback / Subforum about Polish History? [10]

A Polish forum without a special sub-forum dedicated to Polish history is either extremely negligent or excessively godly.
<hr />
You can check this ancestry forum and find the description on the main page:

For those who seek their Polish roots. Polish history, traditions, and culture.

Admin

USA, Canada / American attitude towards Poland [89]


Why on earth is a Pole flattered when he is mistaken to be an Irish???

By the way, I think at this moment the depiction of Poles in American media is still slightly negative (just remember the hype of derision surrounding "Bush forgot Poland").

Love / Matrix says that POLISH GIRLS= NOTHNIG SPECIAL [279]

The point I want to make is that I have watched lots of films of many different countries and I find the the Polish actresses are the most stunning. So if Polish best are the best, could we reasonably deduce that Polish average are also the best?

Life / What makes you proud to be Polish? [150]


Do not worry, about 20 years ago, the Irish thought the same about their country and now they are among the richest in Europe (thanks immensely to the EU). I think Poland will definitely follow the same path in the next 20 years and just adding the big population plus a proud history, there you have a most enviable country!!! So cheer up!

Travel / What attracts tourist to Poland? [54]

One special word for all foreign tourists to Poland (even when I have never visited Poland): It is such a tremendous waste of money to visit Poland without understanding to some extent Polish history, culture and especially Polish psyche beforehand. The shallower the knowledge of Poland you possess and more easily influenced you are by mainstream Media (i.e. Western), the more likely you will get disappointed with your travel. Poland is not a simple, smiling 'cheap' location that desperately covets your money. Rather, it is among rare places that can potentially offer you a special and unique kind of enlightenment (drawing from its exceptionally complicated experience). Poland demands as much as she can give.

By the way, I detest and abhor all sorts of sex tourists!!!

History / Katyn- forgiven and forgotten? [111]

It is truly one of the most horrific event in world history. I myself feel greatest respect for the unknown Polish officers and soldiers who refused to cooperate and thus were systematically murdered. You are absolutely right to honour their memory and to try to recover their scattered remains, but my point is that the collective sense of victimhood never does you any good (just look at either Israel or Armenia). Sometimes it is very hard not to dislike someone or something, but it should not entail any feeling of being either oppressed or dominating. I can see the Katyn issue increasingly damages the Polish-Russian relationship (which is already notoriously bad) and the result is that Poland is now treated as the 'black sheep' of Europe while Russia becomes as sullen, mistrusted, isolated and power-hungry as ever. Perhaps your best way to honour the WW2 heroes is to make yourselves individually and Poland as a whole truly free and happy.

News / Polish myths. Poland is one of the countries that count in the world. [49]


I think you should have known Polish contribution to world music much better than me, a total foreigner. Okey, Chopin may be half-French, but then the Russian Dimitri Shostakovich had a Polish father too. Tchaikovsky in a letter to Madam Von Meck expressed his belief that he had a Polish ancestry too (just look at an extraordinary amount of his beautiful Mazurkas, Polonaises and his Third Symphony-Polska). About true Polish composers, beside Szymanowski, henryk Wieniawski was a brilliant composer and intrumentalist for violin, who even the great contemporary violinist Joshue Bell considers as 'the God of Violin'. Talking about intrumentalists, I suppose you should now that Poland has produced two of the greatest pianists of all time: Ignacy jan Paderewski and Artur Rubinstein (this one was actually a Polish Jew, marrying a Catholic Pole. One of his most patriotic act for Poland was in San Francisco conference 1945 (which founded the UN) when he played the Dabrowski's Mazurka before the whole gatherings after noticing that there were no Polish representatives whatsoever).

Anyway, I think you underestimate your own Polish heritage. Certainly, its contribution is not as influential as, say, France or Greece, but it is immensely interesting and abosolutely valuable to the whole Europe. Criticism of your own country or yourself is fine and encouraging but just make sure it will not turn into self-pity or cynicism. You want your country to be great? Cool, just make yourself great first (not necessarily materially)!

Life / About Polish People (who are the hardest working).... I found Poland a wonderful country [9]

If you are not Polish, it is just fine, but if you are, then it is indeed an appalling way to reciprocate an outsider's respect of your country.

ps. Though as a person of some connection with Wales, I do find the first post passionate yet ludicrous.

Life / Polish positive attitude [24]


If it does not exist, then certainly Poland would have never been revived again and again in its troublesome history (because it did not worth doing!)