The more subtle differences: Ireland/Britain v Poland

not me. i'm not complaining how **** poland is, and i'm not asking stupid question like "what do you think about poland". both things are wasting of time.

The discussion is about " The more subtle differences: Ireland/Britain v Poland " as a British person, Harry or anyone else has the right to point out what they consider the differences. Now you could consider, the British to be overly patriotic and consider all things British " best " and you would be 100% correct in your assumptioN, that is British nationalism and it is something that has been educated in the British psyche. ( rightly or wrongly )

In respect of walking into an English pub and setting out to insult the locals, this would not be a smart thing to do, but if you had a debate with a British or Irish person and aired your observations about their country, wether it be positive or negative, I believe the vast majority would not be offended and would be open minded to your views. This is NOT the case in Poland. Further to your point about how it works at the higher levels, I will give an example from one former ambassador who said " ambassadors are thoroughly decent people, who are encouraged to lie on behalf of their nation "

In an ideal world, interpersonel intelligence,should apply to all aspects of human life, wether it's work, family or your country. Unfortunately too many media and marketing companies try to manipulate social intelligence into behavioral science in order to create consumers.

That is not what we are talking about: we are talking about the inability generally displayed by Polish people to accept any comment, no matter how it comes up, that anything about Poland or Poles is in any way less than ideal.

Your comment about English people shows how little you understand about them. Englishmen understand that to be born English is to win first prize in the lottery of life. As an unfortunate (i.e. a foreigner) you are to be pitied and humoured: nothing that you say is of any importance anyway.


I can't remember ever saying anything of the kind. But I suppose it is a bit much to expect you to actually address what I say, much easier for you to rail against what I do not say.


I have no respect for people who have proven that they do not deserve it. Holocaust deniers are one group of such people.

Good for you.

that's true... Americans are the same way... everybody is...

smart post DariuszTelka...

English people aren't: as a foreigner your opinions are automatically of less value than what their dog thinks. But most of them are far too polite to let you know that (unless they are drunk).

i could agree with you, but then we'd both be wrong...

Could it be that the only reason why your opinion is not less important than what my dog thinks is that I do not have a dog?

my opinion in the most important one on this forum! period! and don't argue that because you will always be wrong!

In a survey about what is shown on television, the most airtime in the USA was dedicated to the financial crisis and the rise of China as a new super power. In Poland the number one spot was Doda and celebrities lifestyles. Go figure everyone is the same...

I just said English, but could just as well said, Swiss, Finnish, Maori or Vanuatuan for that matter. It's about the big picture, about how people react when you critizise them in their own living room or talk about their country. Like the way you simply cannot write a sentence without either "stating a fact", calling somebody a liar or insulting someone. How about it Harry, why don't you try and be a little more people friendly, huh? Being so confrontational has to wear you down?

Englishmen are a one-of-a-kind breed, I'll give them that, but that's why people love them so much too. Unfortunately for them, they are emigrating en masse every year to the States and Australia because of the political insanity that currently runs their country. Over 100 000 brits leave the Island every year:


I don't really have the time or energy to sit and read through all your posts, but I remember that you haven't exatctly been the promotor of diplomacy and level-headedness here on PF. If someone could sit down and count how many times you wrote something derogatory or personally insulting, it would take them an entire evening. Or two. And I remember people gave you back as good as they got. You don't find this kind of debate tiring? (It takes two to tango...).


I don't deny the holocaust. I question certain aspects of it. Don't worry Harry, I have enought respect for the both of us.

DariuszTelka

Which? The numbers maybe?

Doesn't exist north of Oldham.

Nor west of Plymouth.

You can wish for the future,but you cannot change history.

What ran deep in the hearts and minds before socialism, keen observer of Polish people?

...........

Dariusz, you must consider posting here a bad habit, because chat here is clearly way below your level. Your comments are always welcome though. Take good care.

I dont work down a pit, but I like to put my jim jams on when Im fresh.


I wash both in the evening and the morning..just takes less time in the morning, as you say, its to freshen up..


Gross...I wouldnt want sex with someone with hygiene habbits like this! How often do you change your bedding?


All my family are evening AND morning showerers...Friends of mine are in the main evening and morning showerers...There is no rule that states one must do one or the other...Long leisurly shower in the evening and then a quick one in the morning..


Its respecting peoples wishes.


Which it is..Zet plenty practice this in the UK as children we came in the back door and left our shoes in the utility room and changed in to our slippers for around the house, honestly there is nothing unusual whatsoever in this practice.


One for hot one for cold - nothing strange about his - but mixer taps are becoming more commonplace..

But you've got burning hot water out of one, and freezing cold water out of the other. When visiting, the brain struggles to comprehend why anyone would do that.

English sense of humor obviously.

Fair enough. Pretty certain it's unusual though.


Don't worry - I wasn't asking ; )

The English are a self-made race... which relieves god of the respnosibility.

Another subtle thing which might be worth noting is the lack of queueing for buses etc, the practice of saying "thank you" when leaving the table, saying goodbye when leaving a train carriage.

Also, those little paper serviette things on the table in bars and restaurants which only Poles can take out individually... foreigners take one and pull the whole lot out.

Drinking hot tea or coffee from glasses with no handles.

I'm not sure about the self-made part.
Would you consider stealing the wealth of half the globe during the British Empire times a sign that the British are a self-made race? Or a race of thieves?

Lol, The British museums are absolutely fantastic because of it.
They robbed so many cultures, it's amazing.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Museum#Controversy

But, I Love going to it and seeing all those amazing artefacts under the same roof. (the roof itself is impressive too:)

And the Orkney Chessmen which the National Museum of Scotland wants, not without justification.

Having said that, there are some pretty important parts of British heritage in museums around the US, and the single most valuable item in Germany, museum or otherwise, was made by Greeks and plundered from Turkey.

Only because you guys "discovered" the place, notwithstanding that there were people already there :)


What's that?

Indeed. People sometimes forget though, how much crossed the atlantic during the C20.


Not Greek, in fact. My bad. It's the head of Nefertiti, solid gold. The Germans, understandably but oddly, want Priam's Treasure back from the Russians. The original owners want both.

elginism.com/20100220/2744

I can see why they want it but the "He did it so it's ok if we do it" debate is a losing one and you know it :)

a little off topic i think

I agree. And more on topic is a particulardifference between UK and Poland. That being the huge cultural, artistic and architectural heritage of the 17th and 18th centuries (or before) in the UK and the dearth thereof in Poland.

I'm sitting in the UK now, in northern England, in an area with heavy industrial development, heavily bombed during WW2 and nothing particularly special. Yet within a quarter a mile there's a ruined medieval castle, a Saxon church and a handful of five hundred year-old houses. Not to mention several palaces in the area and beautiful Georgian Squares. Also the permanent colections of works by Barbara hepworth and Henry Moore, both local, just down the road.

In Poland there isn't much of this at all, and never was.

?

I beg to differ, there are quite a few castles around here, the nearest ruin to me is from the end of the 14 century, it was a customs house but there are many more like it.

I have posted about them but in my threads (the ones nobody reads because nobody argues:)

The royal castle in Dobczyce

Niepołomice's castle

and of course the Wawel and there are plenty more...

You have been living in Warsaw too long.


Fair cop guv, you know how it goes though, discussions evolve especially on Friday nights;)

And by far the greatest concentration in Europe are in the British Isles.


Warsaw conversely is the most likely place in Poland to find large scale 18th century neo-classical buildings.

My point is that Poland has some interesting and historical buildings, but really not many, and the best ones tend to be well known. Britain is groaning under the weight of them.