Life / Individualism in Polish culture...Is it almost Nonexistant? [170]

Well, he said they still don't feel free in Poland. I'm guessing if censorship from communism was going on not too long ago there is still a hint of it going on, because it takes time for people to become unbrainwashed. I've never been there, so I don't know.

Life / Individualism in Polish culture...Is it almost Nonexistant? [170]


Oh haha I get it.


Now I am beginning to understand the historical influence for that quote. When communism went away, it mostly turned into completely rich and completely poor people right? So, what do you think needs to happen in the world before political and cultural changes can begin to take place in Poland?

When I say cultural changes, I mean a stronger national identity that cultivates the individual and no censorship in the media.

Life / Is it McPoland? [63]


I like that.


I know exactly what you are talking about and it drives me nuts. When the fries are fresh, they are delicious. Most of the time they are ok, some of the time they are not good, and they've got about a one in five chance of being delicious.

Mcdonalds food is crappy and full of chemicals, but when you need a quick bite, it won't kill you. If you don't have health problems or lead a sedentary lifestyle, eating it once a week or less isn't going to make you a big fatty. I used to practically never eat fast food, but now that I've been in college for a few years I've definitely gotten my freshman 15, although I was quite skinny then. I wouldn't quite say I'm too fat yet, but I'm definitely borderline a little too heavy. So, yes, if you eat fast food now and then, you will most likely not be slender, your waist will get bigger. I think you Polish should watch out and tell this fast food crap to go away, it tastes like crap and will ruin your culture. I'm also in favor of parents being strict on young girls (and even boys sometimes) about their diet. Fear has to be instilled in them about getting fat to counteract all the agressive marketing of junk food. They have to be taught that the taste of junk and fatty food is not worth what it will do to you and you should avoid it like the plague.

Work / Would it be easy to live in Poland next summer and find a job and a place to live? [14]

That sounds like it would be a fun experience! Wish I was Polish enough to do that.

Life / Individualism in Polish culture...Is it almost Nonexistant? [170]

@Boletus, you are interpreting everything I said too much in black and white, I am not going to take the time to explain it for you again. My impression of Polish culture is that because of certain influences, it seems to be more on the altruistic side. When I started the thread I stated my opinion and my impressions and was then asking what other people's opinions were.

Can someone explain to me what this Polish saying means? Under Capitalism, man exploits man; under socialism, the reverse is true.

Life / Individualism in Polish culture...Is it almost Nonexistant? [170]

I do not claim to be a social scientist or anything other than an opinionated person, but I am confident in the inferences I make based on what I observe. You are totally misinterpreting what I said. I tried to explain it a thousand times. Let me quote myself. [Let me repeat myself for clarity, I am not saying Polish people are not individualistic necessarily, I'm saying the culture isn't. Culture is gradually influenced by the masses over time and as things change.] These are not just things I've observed in Polish people, but all cultures. Although this varies quite widely in America and other western countries like it, people of a certain group tend to automatically inherit and absorb cultural personality traits of their kin. I can look around me and observe these things and see for myself that it is fact, I don't need to conduct sociological experiments or read scientific journals to know this is the case. I am merely stating my opinion for it to be heard, I have never understood why people on the internet are so hung up on members posting "scientific proof" for their beliefs, which is about as "debateable" as the history books and sources you point out. Anyone with an agenda can try to cherry pick their way into proving their hypothesis.

OF COURSE there are individualistic Poles who contributed to the culture, I was never saying that POLISH PEOPLE can't be individualistic like anyone else. Just from what I can see in traditional Polish culture is that individuality is not naturally encouraged through that culture. I am not saying this because I know a lot of Polish people, I'm saying it because I can tell that what is considered the cultural mainstream is not individualistic, because of history and religion. I know what individualism is, and I know on my own terms that cultural traits are absorbed into the next generation, further strengthening the cycle of what it promotes. Nothing is so black and white like you are making it out to be. On one hand someone could be very individualist and contribute something very original, but on the other they are absorbed into a culture that is altruistic/collectivist and they can't see anything else, so they are not an individualist in the pure sense. All cultures are collectivist to an extent, otherwise they wouldn't even be a culture. It is a very complex and abstract issue.

Feedback / Daily/Weekly Polls (suggestion) [19]

No, we do not need Polls, otherwise we'll have 50,000 opinions.

Life / Individualism in Polish culture...Is it almost Nonexistant? [170]

It was you who was doing that all along. I always insinuated that I was talking about Polish people in America. Yes, I am aware that "these days" globalism is taking over and every corner of the earth is slowly turning into a hell hole.

Life / Individualism in Polish culture...Is it almost Nonexistant? [170]

I know because I hear about it from my family, and I study history. But when I assume to know something about Polish culture, I'm talking about Polish-American culture in their communities. Some of these things I just know because I subconsciously follow them, even though I wasn't raised in Polish culture. I never said I knew anything about a country I've never been too, but one can get a pretty good idea from studying history from books and on the internet.

Life / Individualism in Polish culture...Is it almost Nonexistant? [170]


It's not hard to tell just by observing it in general. Let me repeat myself for clarity, I am not saying Polish people are not individualistic necessarily, I'm saying the culture isn't. Culture is gradually influenced by the masses over time and as things change. If a culture even has stereotypes at all, it usually can't be very individualistic. For example, I can't really make out a clear stereotype of a Brit or a Frenchman or an American. Most Western European countries are pretty individualistic, but there were times when they weren't.


eeew, sick, why did you post a link to that. You ruined my day.

PF MEMBERS, DO NOT follow the link, it is sickening and you will be sorry you did.

Life / Individualism in Polish culture...Is it almost Nonexistant? [170]


I'm sure this is a big deal for Poles living in their home country, but when I say the smothering influence of the family is bad, I'm talking about immigrants living in contemporary America. It creates a culture clash and the customs are totally unnecessary. Not to say families shouldn't stick together, but many take it to an irrational, extreme level.


I think I'm going to have to agree with you here. Individualism is not a "refusal to cooperate." I tend to think of cultures in which you see the same distinctive traditions and customs of a nation, and same personality stereotypes as more collectivist rather than indvidualist. I think a lot of this is probably from the influence of the catholic church. Although I will say that Magdalena is right in saying that MOST people aren't stubborn and uncooperative . Polish culture isn't really individualist, Poles just have to process ideas through their own head and follow their own will, whatever it may be. They will never take someone's word for something. Being stubborn and opinionated is different from being individualistic in which you are influenced by your own unconventional ideas rather than tradition. There may be very individualistic Poles, but as a whole their culture is not very individualistic IMO.

Genealogy / Do I look Polish? (my picture) [375]

Yes. I am somewhat versed in anthropology, and you look like a mixture of Eastern European subraces, primarily East-Baltid. However, your profile shows more of a neo-danubian influence. Besides your slavic genetic makeup, you do remind me of the "Polish look" that I can faintly see in myself and others of Polish descent that have the widely spaced eyes, high forehead, and prominent cheekbones. I would guess you were about 1/4.


He does NOT look German at all. At least not the real stereotype, maybe he could pass for being from that country.

UK, Ireland / Crying Polish truck driver on British roads is Internet hit [269]

uhh huuuuh huuuuh huuuuh uhhh huuuuh huuuuh huuuh *makes sad face*

*Wipes eyes and sniffles*

youtube.com/watch?v=0A89VTMk8HA

This is actually hilarious to me because when I got stopped one time for tailgating I cried uncontrollably because I was afraid the cop was going to take away my license or something because he sounded so mad.

Life / Individualism in Polish culture...Is it almost Nonexistant? [170]

Sorry, I don't believe this. What proof do you have?

Yes, Polish parents are very controlling (my sister's friend married a Polish man and his parents ruined the marriage). This is actually one of the reasons I doubted individualism in their culture, because the parents have so much influence and control over the children their whole lives. I was talking about the closeness of the Polish FAMILY, not the parents in particular.

UK, Ireland / Crying Polish truck driver on British roads is Internet hit [269]

He was probably upset because he didn't know exactly what was going on. But that is weird the way he was crying though LOL!

Genealogy / my Polish Grandfather in Hitler Youth? HOW? [65]


It could be that you're not very German and because of what they measured in racial tests they thought your ancestors were more German than they were but they never examined the records like they did with some people. They may have put Polish because that was the nationality of his ancestors for a long time, but assumed he had German pheasant blood because of his appearance.

A lot of times when there wasn't enough information to prove someone they were Germanizing was Aryan (like gaps in the family tree), they would simply do racial tests (face measurements) and base someone's acceptability on that. You technically did have to have pure German ancestry to be considered aryan like the other member said, but if you passed a racial test you were assumed to be. There were loopholes in that. This may be the reason it says "Polen" instead of Polish on his hitler youth card. I don't think you should feel affected by what you found out about your ancestors, because chances are, they maybe had some little connection to Germany and were just doing what was mandatory to survive.

Genealogy / my Polish Grandfather in Hitler Youth? HOW? [65]

Because that was probably the nationality of his ancestors going back a few generations, but if they thought you had Germanic blood of pheasants that migrated there and you passed racial tests they could make it mandatory that you be Germanized. They needed to increase their birth rate so they were trying to get all the flesh and blood they could. You couldn't survive Germanization without being deemed "Aryan" and all Aryans were required to join the hitler youth.

Genealogy / my Polish Grandfather in Hitler Youth? HOW? [65]

Fully German, that's why I think he and his sister were probably Germanized based on subrace.

Genealogy / my Polish Grandfather in Hitler Youth? HOW? [65]


Is it possible the mother moved to Germany because it was mandatory that they be Germanized and she had the choice not to leave them or was it just because she had nowhere else to go because of the war?

Genealogy / my Polish Grandfather in Hitler Youth? HOW? [65]


I didn't know they wanted Poles cooperating with them. To join the Hitler youth I assumed you had to be purebed German or pass as Germanic from their racial tests.


In rare cases they took children as old as 12.

Genealogy / my Polish Grandfather in Hitler Youth? HOW? [65]

@Slavicaleks

Was he a stolen child that was Germanized? That was happening more in the 1940s though.

Language / Learn Polish or Russian [86]

No, I meant there is no Polish community so it would be a useless skill. Its no fun unless you use it in everyday life to talk to people, like for part time jobs or a career. The language is really fun to speak and interesting, not like boring Spanish or German.

Language / Learn Polish or Russian [86]

I think Polish could be a very fun language to learn in my spare time. The problem is it would really be a total waste of time because there would be no one to speak it with. What is most difficult about the language? I don't think I'd have a hard time with the prununciation, but if the grammar is really complicated like German for example it would give me a problem. If I ever moved to like Chicago or something I would def try to learn it.

USA, Canada / Chris Gets Dumped on the Bachelorette for Being Polish! [52]

Yes he is, he said so himself. He said, "On a scale of 1 to Polish, my family is... Polish."

USA, Canada / Chris Gets Dumped on the Bachelorette for Being Polish! [52]

Who is that, a friend you know in Chicago?

Genealogy / Americans of Polish descent. How many of us are on Polish forums? [216]

It would be very interesting if I found one of the members here to be a distant relative of mine. However, I don't think I could have many blood relatives in actual Poland, if at all, because almost every single young family member of my ancestors emigrated to the USA at some point. The only people left were maybe distant relatives and the old folks. They left at a good time though right before WWII, it's like they were psychic or something (lol jk).

Genealogy / Americans of Polish descent. How many of us are on Polish forums? [216]


pseudo know-it-all

I don't mean my description is like modern people in Poland today, I mean it's like the traditional core of what it means to be Polish.

Genealogy / Americans of Polish descent. How many of us are on Polish forums? [216]


No, eyebrows hehe. I actually don't wax that area anyway, I do something different LOL TMI!


No one has thousands of friends, if so they're not real friends, just acquaintances. No human can possibly process that many relationships at the same time. Maybe 50-100 at the most for some people.

USA, Canada / Chris Gets Dumped on the Bachelorette for Being Polish! [52]

I'm not crazy. I was joking when I wrote the thread. Emily wants to be in the spotlight and continue her southern bell legacy, I said this a million times. Even though Arie is not very American, he's a race car driver and that's enough to continue her southern bell lifestyle. She lost attraction to chris long before she dumped him. Her portraying Ricky as the center of everything is only supposed to distract from her real intentions about wanting to be more famous.

Genealogy / Americans of Polish descent. How many of us are on Polish forums? [216]

No, technically it could be considered either one. ;)