Do you think that Polish people are rude?

Quite a bit of misinterpretation too which can lead to percieved rudeness.

E.g. I've noticed that Poles tend to say "Tak, tak" in fairly quick succession when agreeing about something.

"Yes, yes" said the same way, and at the same speed, with Polish intonation doesn't translate well sometimes - it can sound abrupt or impatient to English speakers.

You 're hysterical Seanus ! Even in remote villages or working class areas eg Stalowa Wola men will help women carrying heavy bags and kiss their hand !

You are probaly not surrended by well mannered Polish gentlemen.... LoL

this doesn't say much for the locals where u live.
offering a seat to a pregnant woman is the most dangerous. "i can manage by myself, thank you".

I imagine it to be the case in much of Eastern Poland too, Wrocław. All these imagined norms are grossly blown up. I just dislike blanket statements but I do see a fair bit of kindness and camaraderie here.

this is certainly true.

It's like they have the best of intentions to perform those 'norms' but don't actually perform those actions enough to constitute a norm. The downside of Polish romanticism, i.e self-delusion.

Come on Seanus, no one is saying that is a "norm" nowadays (maybe in the past) but you can quite regularly encounter this attitude in Poland; besides, I have certainly never seen in any of the "western" countries I go to (UK, France, Switzerland, US, Italy, Germany)

Quite regularly encounter what attitude, bullfrog?

In Scotland, it is quite normal to hold the door open for a woman with a pram.

The gallant attitude towards ladies.. If it happens also in Scotland, then great, they're not in the list of countries I quoted (been there only twice, once in Edinburgh the other on the Isle of Arran, must say I loved it).

You may have a point, bullfrog. I haven't seen enough of Poland to say definitively but I'd conjecture that it isn't a norm. Don't mistake genuine gallantry for wanting to get into pants ;)

A month ago I was waiting for a check-up in a medical centre. I'd offered my seat to a woman but she refused it, saying that she had a bad back and felt more comfortable standing up. An elderly lady doctor left her room and started loudly berating me for sitting down while a woman (incidentally much younger than me) was standing. The other patients all had big sh1t-eating grins as they enjoyed my embarrassment. ffs

You can't win sometimes. The thing is, kindness is only sometimes acknowledged with gratitude here. Others view such offerings with suspicion.

My family has been Americans since the early 1800's. A fact we are very proud of. My experience with Polish from the old country is they are rude from how I was raised, Now from how they were raised I am sure they think it is the Americans that are odd, nuts or out of our minds. lol That's fine, but not if you plan to stay here and become part of American society. I would not think of moving to Poland and not show respect to the Polish people by not working to fit in.

Recently I was in St. Louis where the local church had a festival. How sad is it that they actually needed to say in the newspaper ad that no firearms were allowed. We were visiting friends and had planned to go until that. The polish communities I have visited in Trenton, NJ, Philadelphia, PA and St. Louis, MO are in the worse sections of those towns. That is in part due to the fact the new Polish immigrants don't want to become Americans. Why come all this way to live locked away?

I am proud to say my grandparents were Polish. It would be nice to hear the Polish coming here were just as proud to become American.

What in the world? It's not like the festival was taking place in Tombstone, Arizona in 1875.

You need to understand the section of town the Polish community is located in St. Louis. It's not the Polish shooting each other. St. Louis has the second highest murder rate in the country. Last year it was #1. We were there for two weeks just this month and they had a shooting a day. I pass when I have to dodge bullets from some idiot shooting from a car even if it is for some home made Polish food.

Hi; Im Turkish from İstanbul. Istanbul is the oldest largest and most important city in Turkey Istanbul people is the best speaking Turkish accent and education, culture best,that city seen 3 empire in history,Roman, Bizantios and Ottomans,and we proud of we have best speaking Turkish and use,we proud of we are most polite and cultured educated people,but Ive been in Poland Ive ever never seen polite and hospitality people like polish people I think they are the best.I always think Japanese are polite one in the world but after seen polish people I thinking again.I been in Russia I never seen rude people like that when I live in Turkey many German tourist visit they were not rude like Russians but they are not polite like polish.Polish are modest,hospitality,clean,polite and so friendly,Im glad to meet people like this because I think world will be rude and rude but polish succeeded stay like perfect humanity. Thanks for Poland and Polish people ,I think Polish best of the best ,I'm gonna say everybody like this and write every where like this,my compliment not enough for Polish people,they need more then mine.

I had to smile when I saw the comment from the Turkish fellow that Poles are "the best." I have a Turkish friend who says that about Americans all the time. He can't stop telling everyone how much he loves his new country.

I don't think anyone is saying the Polish people are bad, I hope not since my name is Majewski, just that the Polish culture is different than the Americans and that applies to Polish Americans. I say hello when I meet someone new while smiling. Someone from Poland on this forum wrote that Polish people think Americans are stupid for doing this to someone they don't know. He asked why would someone do that since they didn't know the person being greeted? I have met alot of nice people just with a smile and a hello.

Polish people is very good . At least , as business partner , I 100% trust them . They can keep promise . I like to do business with people from this country .

No.
In some situations I see genuine politeness and regard that I wouldn't see elsewhere. In some situations I see active disregard and a spite towards others (strangers) that I wouldn't see elsewhere. Poles are most polite when they have something to gain through it, like everyone else. Poles are rudest when it works to their detriment- that's the part that is most odd.

The thing is, Poles like to turn most things into a p*ssing contest, even manners, it's part of their competitive nature.

Something that is often missed in these discussions (but I'm not saying that it is particularly poignant here) is that there is a difference between manners and etiquette. The two are often confused. It is possible to be well versed in etiquette but still be rude. Similarly, a person can be ignorant to various customs & country specific etiquette, but still have good manners.

Or to put it another way: etiquette is knowing a desert fork from a salad fork; manners are not highlighting that others are using the incorrect fork

: )

well said:)

Yeah, I'm asking the same.....

Don't get me wrong... I'm planning to go to Poland, I really like it.... But also I am a little bit worried, bcoz all the pics I have seen in the hostel's webpages, are from people that seem to be from Europe, even Poland... and I'm Mexican and I totally look like a Latin girl, so will they treat me well? I'm very polite, and friendly, and I also respect people. I'm not racist at all. so... i dont know. I'm traveling alone, that's why is something I'm worried about. I would love to make friends everywhere I'm planning to go.

I'm kind of like smiling anyone... and saying "Hi" if they look at me... even if i don't know them.... and it happened to me once, here in Mexico, that i found my Polish friend on a club, he was kind with me, but his friend (also Polish), who doesn't know me, was kind of rude, because I said hello to him too... and he was like: do i know u?. I was just being polite... I don't know if he took that rude or something.... or like over familiar...

For4's posts is one of the best on the thread. He summed it up in a nutshell.

I have one friend who is Polish & I love her to death , yet she can be rude without realizing it. She & I have discussed this , because it has become an issue at my business with my customers. Polish people I have met in person have been mostly rude to me. Not always, but most have been very unfriendly or have no manners when they come into my shop. I do not know why they are rude to me and my employees, two who are actually POLISH! I am very polite to everyone I meet! I know that I have not done anything to make my customers or employees or any other Polish people angry or mad. HOWEVER, there is something that REALLY ANNOYS me about the way that most Polish people speak & write in English. I do not understand why Polish people DO NOT use conjunctions when speaking or writing? I see it in most of the posts above, which I am assuming are from Polish people? If you don't understand what a "conjunction" is, this is the exact definition: a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause (e.g., and, but, if). I realize that it is not always easy learning another language, English can be such a difficult language to read & more so when writing it. I hope that one day I will meet more nice people like my friend from Poland, until then I will keep my fingers crossed!

Actually they are very much the same, manners are a part of etiquette or lack thereof. Etiquette & manners go hand in hand. The exact definition of etiquette is the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group. Manners are either a person's outward bearing or way of behavingtoward others, for instance: "his arrogance and pompous manner or a shy and diffident manner."

another definition is the one more similar to ETIQUETTE... Manners: polite or well-bred social behavior. EXAMPLE : "Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" They both are social behaviors & or habits. A great comparison is an animal, a dog for instance. Say you you have a pet dog. When people ask what kind of dog that is, you don't tell them its just a dog, you tell them the breed of dog. "My dog is a Chinese Shar Pei." This is just a comparison. I disagree with your comment, I have years of experience on this topic. I am by no mean trying to be rude to you @ all! I hosted and presented many classes for young ladies such as "White Gloves & Party Manners" for 10 years teaching them about etiquette at social events. Thats how I learned a lot about etiquette & manners.

Assuming your "exact definition" is 100% correct and beyond debate then I don't see how what you say really contradicts what I posted.

Note "customary" !

FFS girl, relax!!!! If you are so "Latin" looking then duh,that means Spanish and Spain is kinda in Europe......even if you don't look Spanish,so what, this is Europe,not Arizona ;)


Well, you are a Woman so this is only going to be a problem in so much as lots if not most guys will think you are flirting with them,its different for us guys on a country by country basis in Europe. I do the smiley thing a lot with strangers too and some countries get it,others look at you as if you landed from Mars :)


Thats not culture,thats just rude.......or a lad being a lad,ie not being very good around girls :)

Today first time I seen some rude Polish woman, she works bank and she was rude like stone, but not only for foreign she was rude for all people, it means some people could be rude some not,but Polish I've seen 95% so friendly and polite,I have been in metro with my 6 years old daughter and two times guys gave place to sit for my daughter, really even they didn't thing a second. In England are they give? I never been there but I heard about, never happen,even I seen some TV show here west European is don't like to tradition give place to sit for old people,and they said'' they look at in my eyes like I cant sit I must to give place for her/him.'' Sorry I'm not agree polish are rude ,They don't need defended to them but I'm also foreign and what I seen and I tell through. Sorry but let me criticize about UK people ,I never been there just many of them tourist in Turkey,and we seen those people they never listen others opinion,when they talk just they act people must to have same idea like them ,and they act front of people like ignored ,when he/she said their opinion. Yes many of that like this but polish ever never like that, they know very well how to listen, they know very well respect to others opinion,never ignored other people what I've seen. And maybe they are also know what does it mean to be immigrant, what doest it mean to work hard for get future,and they seen poor times, they know how to share if you have something, even conversation ,even when they are tourist they are the most respect and frank,really in my country people respect polish tourist so much. I don't know but really they know how to act . If you act like you are better than others , maybe they act could be cold and rude. Feeling also important, people can understand acting fake or real. You know UK people in Turkey they show act so fake sorry for I say that but feel like that like Turkish are primitive first human and they come close them like that. But polish they act what they act ,but 100% REAL, NOTİNG IS FAKE. Please don't miss understand to me I thing you are kind person but you said about what you seen on polish people act ,and I said what I seen UK,and Polish people act and difference between . Best regards

I think it is slightly naive to try to generalise with 'people from here are nice' and 'people from there are rude.' It depends on the person, but I can say this, many Polish people in shops, do not understand the meaning of customer service. Having said that, at least if they are nice to me, I know it is sincere. A lot of Brits can give you all that 'how yoy doing mate' and then stab you in the back and twist the knife. Or not to be a little less extreme, talk crap about you to others.

Top post, WP. There is also no getting away from the reality that more and more are lusting after money. I've actually grown sick of the talk I hear. When people feel they are not getting enough, they can be rude and really not give a toss about you. Thankfully, many Poles have learned to be happy with their lot and get by based on a frugal lifestyle. God Bless them as I really have no time for the money talkers.

I dont think they're rude.at the contrary they're friendly and polite.
i have some polish friends and we chat on facebook.they're respectful and humble
By the way i al algerian