I always feel sorry for the unluckiness that hits the majority of Polki.It is like a road full of suffering a Golgotha of tortures.But it is caused largely by their actions although I have to adapt to slavic superstitions and accept it as a result of fate.
On the positive side, Poles show a lot of camaraderie in class. Interacting amongst themselves is quite natural for them. This is a really endearing quality that I like in many of them.
It applies to women in general :) Women in general are more emotional and it comes from the differences in upbringing betweem girls and boys. Boys are taught to bottle up their emotions, keep their feelings for themselves, never cry and be strong, while girls aren't an object of such pressures. That's why women feel freely to show their emotions and talk about their problems. Men, in the other hand, if they have problems they tend to isolate from the others and bear with their inner problems alone.
The biggest misunderstanding between the genders is that women are complaining. When women complain, men think that women tell them about their problems because they want an advice or a solution. They don't. They just want to vent their frustrations or simply chat. A man gets frustrated when he offers a solution and it doesn't work - a woman still complains. On the other side, women get frustrated when they are offered a solution because in fact they don't ask for a solution so they see it as a way of trivilise their problems or a way of brushing them off.
That's in a nutshell. How to solve the problem? Give them what they want - a little bit of attention. They will deal with their emotions quicker and you'll be a tender, carring and loving husband/boyfriend in their eyes :)
Fair points, Maaarysia :) Attention is what they crave, yes, and I could also throw in sth about timing. I often feel like I'm on standby, waiting for that moment when my wife is free. You made a great point about offering solutions. I've found that 'no, nie wiem, no' is quite effective when I never thought it would be. A Scottish woman would perhaps feel disappointed with her man for what she perceives as weakness in this situation. For some Polish women, it is a sign that you are listening but don't want to tresspass into their domain as they should be finding solutions when at work, for example. Men have to accept that some Polish women will launch off into a monologue about sth that has been gnawing away at them.
Men have to accept that some Polish women will launch off into a monologue about sth that has been gnawing away at them.
Do you know that the author of the book is American? ;) I mean maybe Scottish women are emotionally strong but it seems that your wife's problems are nothing unusual in the globe scale as the book was world-wide bestseller ;)
Nationality is not so important in such cases. Perception is :)
I like my wife's approach at times. Like my family in Scotland, she doesn't suffer fools gladly and educated Poles can be this way. They don't like 'wieśniaki' when they exhibit plain ignorance. Some would interpret this as pouring their derision/scorn on others but it's more like they are disappointed with what they see in them. Such Poles can be critical but, in this case, it's a good thing.
Western and mediteranean women are way stronger than slavic ones especially germanic women who are very cold blooded.Slavic women notice that here that mediteranean women have a thicker skin(of course it makes them less feminine and attractive as well).
To get away from generalisations, we could focus on a specific difference in types. Again, it shows a polarity amongst Poles. There is the anarchic type that resents authority, therefore resistant, and another which rigidly adheres to the letter of the law. This is a source of much conflict here. You could say the same about many cultures but it's very evident here.
Slavic women notice that here that mediteranean women have a thicker skin(of course it makes them less feminine and attractive as well).
I love such generalisations. My russian girlsfriend, and most of her friends, are pretty strong. They must be, since growing up in such a mess like Russia needs a strong will. The same is true for all women in slavic countries, since all these societies changed very much in the last 20 years. Compared to Slavic women women in western, stable countries get pampered.
The only difference I notice is that Slavic women prefer a more traditional role in a relationship, since their societies are much more traditional too. But even here I see a big difference between, lets say, Czech and Russian women.
Genetics v National Character, cultural traits and conditioning :o ???
Anyone here read psychology, ever?
People of Polish cultural heritage tend to be like everyone else, each and every individual different, with capacity to be at best the gentlest, polished, gallant and noblest creature, and at its worst the cruelest, coldest human animal that walked this earth.
The experience that changed and shaped today’s culture and differentiates Poles to other cultures is the experience of 200 years of oppression and systematic attempt to destroy it, witnessing the worst betrayal of any human values perpetrated by the “enlightened” hypocritical neighbors and tolerated in silence by promoters of these values.
And yet in no small feat they have survived despite all sorts of hyenas feeding of their flesh for centuries, and it has nothing to do with genetics, or nationalism or even patriotism. Res Publicum Polonorum was not a nation it was an ideal.
So yes most are proud, arrogant, immensely independent, strong, hard and indomitable, yet gentle, kind polish and all too often naïve hoping for best, preparing for worst relaying on no one but their own ingenuity and living every day like it may be their last, cautious eternal optimism of jaded pessimist hardened by the reality of life.
Sometimes we procrastinate, are tetchy, explosive, angry and full of hurt pride and feelings, cold and uncompromising, ready to stand for principles and die, sometimes we weep and hate ourselves, and procrastinate, but we mend our wounds, we learn and grow, then we dance and laugh, all that because we love life and we tend to live it truly, fully and truthfully to who we are even if often we are ignorant of it ourselves.
Again yes often we are divided, spiteful of each others successes, jealous and mistrustful, this is the legacy of failed social experiment by communist occupation and their servants and thieves, where people who suffered horrors of war for nearly 6 years were now once more occupied and sold for peace for 45 years where family members was forced to inform on their brothers, mothers and fathers.
Where for 45 years people who fought against tyranny and died for their homes, families and dignity were killed, persecuted and subjugated. The scars are fresh and deep, they itch and will keep itching for generations to come.
Yet I am confident that next generations will learn how to trust each other again and perhaps in my lifetime traumas of our yesterday however still alive in cultural memory will mend (my polish naiveté popping out hahaha :> )
Have listen to this interpretation by Marek Grachuta the poem written by Tadeusz Nowak. youtube.com/watch?v=YnCR1xhc3KQ
petty and competitive, noble and trustworthy- everything depends on the situation as it seems these elements belong to every national character in the world. There is only the question of how these traits are expressed, not whether or not they do.
Overly assertive in a defensive fashion - The smart person pretends not to have the monopoly of info on any one subject and will say that they simply don't know. However, quite a few people here just can't confess to not knowing sth and will even say 'of course' when the answer is not that. I saw it yesterday in a game show too. The 'of course' suddenly became 'nope, you are wrong' as the answer was given. It's quite visible in some circles.
Hello , my Father was Polish ,married an English woman after the war and settled in England. My Father was tough ,hard working, very loving towards me and openly affectionate, not a trait that I had noticed from my friends Fathers I have to say, Dads did not hug daughters much that I noticed in those days [ I was born in 1954]. He was very compassionate towards people in need of a bed for the night, food, money, a kind word. Our house was an open door to anyone that was down on their luck. My freinds loved him and were always made welcome. If sombody dropped in unexpected the first thing to be offered was food and drink. He loved animals and missed his family farm that he could not return to after the war [ read my other posts]. He taught me not to judge people and told me that we can never know a persons story that may have led them to be, [for example ], living on the street or addicted to alcohol or drugs. I went to visit Poland for the first time when I was 7 and the love that I felt from all of the relatives was overwhelming . My polish Grandmother squeezed me so tight and kissed and hugged me every 5 minutes. I was heartbroken when we had to return to England. Growing up there was a Polish community in our town and to be among those people was always the most fun. I found them to be very hard working,kind, fun loving, straight forward, down to earth.I was born and raised in England but love Poland and Polish people and feel at home there. I now live in Canada and find Canadians very kind and open hearted people.
I don't believe stealing is an ethnic trait. Just because your fiance is a certain way, doesn't justify a whole country of people and their behaviors/characteristic!
I am third generation polish and proud! My mother is pure polish and my dad is irish. My mother is very laid back, easy going, red cork screw curls and a little on the heavy side, she is a great mother and strong believer in God shes also very outspoken and a rational thinker. She loves horses and is kind to everyone! My father is a very hard worker, fireman, blonde hair green eyes red irish skin. Loves nature, God and animals, impatient, his very sarcastic, always walking around, rarely sits down, loves his beer! very smart he has a very high IQ.
Generosity, courage, nobility - these are some of good sides of the character. Bad: temperament. some of people just are like a wind. Some even call Polish national treat (philosophers). Sometimes they want to helpful, sometimes they just forget about it. Poeple promise something, and when the time comes to make the thing, they just pretend or just strongly belief that nothing happened.
example: I'll call you tomorrow. You wait for the call and nothing happens. The person forgot. It makes me feel stupid. I
Indeed, and hospitality can be perceived as a offshoot of gebnerosity. On the minus side I would note straw enthusaism with a lack of follow-through.Like a straw fire Polish enthusiasm flares up in a bright but short-lived blaze and nothign comes of it.
Another bad trait is disinterested envy towards one own. The Polish cauldron in hell joke is a good illustration. So is the one about the neighbour's pig dying.
Like a straw fire Polish enthusiasm flares up in a bright but short-lived blaze and nothign comes of it.
Very true! Everything right away, full (and usually joyful) enthusiasm to have it all right now and offended if someone is more reserved but no sense of next month.
Hard work and bossiness are two (my mom was from Poland) my father was from Italy. I dont know which was the stronger influence. Poles are also religious, conservative, romantic. And they can be petty and spiteful
Intelligence, stubbornness, high general learning capability, word of honour still means much, ability to overcome sudden and unexpected issues, hospitality, warmth, sense of humour.
lol! Do you know ANY people who would claim to be stupid, dishonest, etc ett????? Since I am not Polish, I can be more objective than Poles ;) and of course there are intelligent and stupid people, honest and dishonest, hardworking and lazy people, etc etc... among Poles like among other ANY population.
However, I can easily say that Poles are very sad (especially men) and cold (I have South European genes so I can compare) ;). They also drink alot.
Intelligence, stubbornness, high general learning capability, word of honour still means much, ability to overcome sudden and unexpected issues, hospitality, warmth, sense of humour.
Firstly I think it should be specified what OP means by traits. Secondly I think Poles shouldn't really comment in this thread, I mean not as a direct response to the OP inquiry.
Home / Genealogy / What are common Polish character traits?
