Why are the British so rude?

[Anonymous]

I'm British and I live here (and I love it and don't complain about it!) and from my perspective, one of the main behavioural differences between English people (I'm not going to speak for the others in Britain as I'm a Londoner born and bred) and Americans is that Americans are generally very friendly and polite, at least on a superficial level, whereas English people are not. I think it's not that English people are rude people once you talk to them and get to know them, but they are not immediately open and friendly to strangers. So here, people in shops and restaurants say "have a great day", etc; people say hi or smile when walking in the street (this does happen in more rural places in England but very rarely in London or other cities); people will approach strangers in a friendly way, etc. English people don't generally do those things - I see that it comes across as rude if you're not used to it but it stems from feeling that you should mind your own business. Some English people also find the "have a nice day" thing fake - I think it's quite nice but I do think that the surface level friendliness means that I'm often surprised by how hard it is to penetrate beneath and actually get to a genuine friendship with someone. I think with English people the difference would be that you don't start on that high with a potential friendship!

As for the "obnoxious" patriotism, I generally really like this about Americans - it's good to be proud of your country. It's a bit sad that in England that kind of patriotism would be ridiculed or it would be assumed that you are fascist/xenophobic. The only time I find American patriotism annoying is when it is combined with a total lack of interest in anywhere else in the world on the basis that America does everything best and there's no other country that matters. I have encountered that attitude a few times and it's annoying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm British and I live here (and I love it and don't complain about it!) and from my perspective, one of the main behavioural differences between English people (I'm not going to speak for the others in Britain as I'm a Londoner born and bred) and Americans is that Americans are generally very friendly and polite, at least on a superficial level, whereas English people are not. I think it's not that English people are rude people once you talk to them and get to know them, but they are not immediately open and friendly to strangers. So here, people in shops and restaurants say "have a great day", etc; people say hi or smile when walking in the street (this does happen in more rural places in England but very rarely in London or other cities); people will approach strangers in a friendly way, etc. English people don't generally do those things - I see that it comes across as rude if you're not used to it but it stems from feeling that you should mind your own business. Some English people also find the "have a nice day" thing fake - I think it's quite nice but I do think that the surface level friendliness means that I'm often surprised by how hard it is to penetrate beneath and actually get to a genuine friendship with someone. I think with English people the difference would be that you don't start on that high with a potential friendship!

As for the "obnoxious" patriotism, I generally really like this about Americans - it's good to be proud of your country. It's a bit sad that in England that kind of patriotism would be ridiculed or it would be assumed that you are fascist/xenophobic. The only time I find American patriotism annoying is when it is combined with a total lack of interest in anywhere else in the world on the basis that America does everything best and there's no other country that matters. I have encountered that attitude a few times and it's annoying.

Many of us patriotic Americans find it annoying, too!

[Anonymous]

We are competitive. Capitalism attracts the most competitive people on earth. We like to win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are competitive. Capitalism attracts the most competitive people on earth. We like to win.

So.much.winning. (Ugh)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you're the best, people are naturally envious. It's a lot to ask when you're the best for people to also give up their competitive nature and just love you also. If I were a competitive person from Britain I would feel trapped in a euro country where they throw impediments in front of trying to achieve your dreams. I would feel like I was missing out by not being an American citizen .

Nailed it.

When you're a competitive man driving around in a mini and a hummer cuts you off ... Your dick shrinks 3 inches.

Actually, you just nailed why they hate us. Despite all our internal flaws, Americans walk around thinking we are "the best" which basically means we think we are better than everyone else. Given the opioid epidemic, our inability to elect an adult in the White House, Nazi's openly marching in our streets, issues of police brutality that always make international news..., our arrogance doesn't go over well.

Annnnnd people are still coming here illegally because it's better than their country.

Of course it's better here than Mexico. This thread isn't about Mexico, the pp was referring to being the best relative to people in Britain and other European countries. I don't see a huge influx of illegal Europeans.

Not very smart, are you? Do you know how many Canadians overstay their visas?

Thanks for schooling me. I had no idea Canada was in Europe. Anyway, I stand by the sentiment that if Europeans hate us, it's not out of Jealousy, it's because of Americans' arrogance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are competitive. Capitalism attracts the most competitive people on earth. We like to win.

And we like to whine if we don't, starting with our leader.

[Anonymous]

Me thinks you voted for Trump OP. Otherwise, Brits are nice to Americans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm British and I live here (and I love it and don't complain about it!) and from my perspective, one of the main behavioural differences between English people (I'm not going to speak for the others in Britain as I'm a Londoner born and bred) and Americans is that Americans are generally very friendly and polite, at least on a superficial level, whereas English people are not. I think it's not that English people are rude people once you talk to them and get to know them, but they are not immediately open and friendly to strangers. So here, people in shops and restaurants say "have a great day", etc; people say hi or smile when walking in the street (this does happen in more rural places in England but very rarely in London or other cities); people will approach strangers in a friendly way, etc. English people don't generally do those things - I see that it comes across as rude if you're not used to it but it stems from feeling that you should mind your own business. Some English people also find the "have a nice day" thing fake - I think it's quite nice but I do think that the surface level friendliness means that I'm often surprised by how hard it is to penetrate beneath and actually get to a genuine friendship with someone. I think with English people the difference would be that you don't start on that high with a potential friendship!

As for the "obnoxious" patriotism, I generally really like this about Americans - it's good to be proud of your country. It's a bit sad that in England that kind of patriotism would be ridiculed or it would be assumed that you are fascist/xenophobic. The only time I find American patriotism annoying is when it is combined with a total lack of interest in anywhere else in the world on the basis that America does everything best and there's no other country that matters. I have encountered that attitude a few times and it's annoying.

I agree fully. Other Brit on the thread. The friendliest place I have lived is LA

[Anonymous]

I am so glad I am Canadian...

[Anonymous]

I worked in London for close to decade. In general, people are lovely but I know what you mean about snide remarks. "Schedule?. Oh you mean the "Shed-yool" (British pronunication). They speak English and I speak American and all that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I worked in London for close to decade. In general, people are lovely but I know what you mean about snide remarks. "Schedule?. Oh you mean the "Shed-yool" (British pronunication). They speak English and I speak American and all that.

Doesn't matter where you go in the world, you can always find an asshole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm British and I fully agree, most British people are rude, but not just that, they are generally xenophobic.

The difference is, they practice their rudeness freely because guns are illegal in the Uk and the worst that usually happens is someone is rude back or tries to punch them in the face.

...or stabs them

+1
Or runs over a crowd with a van.

Europeans are generally far more xenophobic and hostile to immigrants than Americans could ever imagine. When immigrants complain about the US, I advise them to try UK.

--an immigrant

Yep. Lil ol teenager me was shocked when I visited Europe for the first time and someone asked me why I was hanging out with a black person

Eastern European here, who lived in 3 European countries and visited many other countries. So true, my mom told me she will disown me if I dated, married, had anything to do with a black guy. She doesn't even pretend to be accepting and mask it. She doesn't know any black, Asian, etc.. people. My BIL is so racist, that my kids don't want to talk to him and tell me that he is stupid and ignorant. I don't think he ever met a black person. In Norway, they will cross the street if they see a black person coming towards them and warned me not to go shopping in "Chinese district," (it is literary half of one street and a few stores in alleys around) as I will be in danger. This was said by an educated white Norwegian couple who had kids at a private school I was teaching at. Europeans like to act like they are not racist, but isn't that easy if you never met a person of another ethnicity. And not only that, Germans hate Turkish and Eastern Europeans, English hate just about everybody, French hate the Spanish, Croats hate Serbs(even though they speak the same language, they fought against each other in several wars). Heck, Croats burned Nikola Tesla's house twice because he was an ethnic Serb, but now they claim he was a Croat... Polish hate Russians, all hate Gypsies, all hate Bulgarians, but even Bulgarians hate themselves, on and on it goes....

Ha-ha-ha, I live in the South, and my E. European mom was shocked we were not planning to move when DS was born. To raise a child with so many minorities around? OMG. Come to think of it, her hatred of the South is akin to that of the DCUM liberal crowd!

+1

When I lived in the south I saw hardly any racism. DCUMers are just nuts and out of touch. Also saw WAY more interracial relationships there than I EVER saw anywhere else

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you're the best, people are naturally envious. It's a lot to ask when you're the best for people to also give up their competitive nature and just love you also. If I were a competitive person from Britain I would feel trapped in a euro country where they throw impediments in front of trying to achieve your dreams. I would feel like I was missing out by not being an American citizen .

Nailed it.

When you're a competitive man driving around in a mini and a hummer cuts you off ... Your dick shrinks 3 inches.

Actually, you just nailed why they hate us. Despite all our internal flaws, Americans walk around thinking we are "the best" which basically means we think we are better than everyone else. Given the opioid epidemic, our inability to elect an adult in the White House, Nazi's openly marching in our streets, issues of police brutality that always make international news..., our arrogance doesn't go over well.

Have you ever been to Britain? The British walk around thinking they're the best. There are also very, very serious issues in Britain- don't forget that's where skinheads started. You sound like a very uneducated, gullible fool

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm British and I live here (and I love it and don't complain about it!) and from my perspective, one of the main behavioural differences between English people (I'm not going to speak for the others in Britain as I'm a Londoner born and bred) and Americans is that Americans are generally very friendly and polite, at least on a superficial level, whereas English people are not. I think it's not that English people are rude people once you talk to them and get to know them, but they are not immediately open and friendly to strangers. So here, people in shops and restaurants say "have a great day", etc; people say hi or smile when walking in the street (this does happen in more rural places in England but very rarely in London or other cities); people will approach strangers in a friendly way, etc. English people don't generally do those things - I see that it comes across as rude if you're not used to it but it stems from feeling that you should mind your own business. Some English people also find the "have a nice day" thing fake - I think it's quite nice but I do think that the surface level friendliness means that I'm often surprised by how hard it is to penetrate beneath and actually get to a genuine friendship with someone. I think with English people the difference would be that you don't start on that high with a potential friendship!

As for the "obnoxious" patriotism, I generally really like this about Americans - it's good to be proud of your country. It's a bit sad that in England that kind of patriotism would be ridiculed or it would be assumed that you are fascist/xenophobic. The only time I find American patriotism annoying is when it is combined with a total lack of interest in anywhere else in the world on the basis that America does everything best and there's no other country that matters. I have encountered that attitude a few times and it's annoying.

I agree fully. Other Brit on the thread. The friendliest place I have lived is LA

Los Angeles or Louisiana? I'm guessing LA since it has a high British expat population...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can tell you this, I'm a Brit living in the USA and I fully intend to become an American citizen in the next year or so. I absolutely love it here, flaws and all.

I have no interest in living in England anymore, there are some wonderful things about it but the country has pretty much destroyed itself in the past decade.

Aw thank you. We're glad to have you!!

As someone with British ancestors I think it's sad to see how much Britain has changed. That goes for Europe too. It's not the same place I visited as a teen (I know everywhere stays the same, but the changes seem.... drastic)