Does nationality affect personal confidence/self-esteem?

Affable

For example, In two genetically identical people, each from countries of differing status, will their confidence levels be different?

Would the same principle apply to levels of wealth?


Something I've always wondered about-

Is confidence all down to 'innate' force of personality or is it also circumstantial?

My view tends towards the latter.

Predhead

Confidence..arrogance..I find a lot of Irish people very very arrogant when they leave these shores for some reason..I'm one myself but in places like Australia and America I've come across some real gimps..unless they were gimps to begin with but they couldn't all be..could they?! So yeah I guess it does, perhaps when one is in another country..if you get me..or have I gone off the point a bit? Sorry!

mikemac

Irish people aren't exactly confident.
We tend to sit back knocking each other and hate our neighbours being succussful instead of being pleased for them.
Due to begrudgary (sp?) and a fear of being left behind

Ever watch those X-Factor shows?
You'll see Irish and British people crying and getting upset when the judges rip them to shreds.
Most Americans will argue back, even if they are talentless. They just have loadsa self-confidence

Sherifu

Hmmmmm. Don't think i'm arrogant here really. Depends on the person, being abroad could bring it out in someone I guess.

Affable

micmclo wrote: »

Irish people aren't exactly confident.
We tend to sit back knocking each other and hate our neighbours being succussful instead of being pleased for them.

That's just entirely human envy. Americans claim to be free of it, but are in fact just as bad in how they suffer from it. I don't think what you've described is a particularly Irish thing.

445279.ie

I work with a South African girl and she is super confident. Sometimes a little scarily but very confident.

Overheal

Irish are spiteful and forget nothing. 800 years bladdy bladdy blah. Remember that time you got drunk and said that incriminating thing etc etc etc. And love to be racist while at the same time shouting Neutral. On the world stage Ireland is like the old guy that sits at the dark corner of the pub and just watches the matches and knocks back pints; the reason he never says anything is because he secretly hates everyone in the pub.

Americans, we're egotistical. We'll do anything to get a step up or call attention to ourselves. Whats mistaken for self-confidence is self-importance. When you try and attack that yeah be ready for a fight

Blisterman

I was reading a survey of people in different countries asking how proud they were with their nationality.

Irish were number One.
America number 2.

South Africa last.

I would have guessed Germany would be last, but this was done before last year's World Cup.

MooseJam

well I'd say your confidence wouldn't be too high if you were starving to death in africa so I'd say yes

Kovik

On the internet, people of every place of origin perpetuate crazy negative fantasies about their nationality. You can see the same vocabulary and rhetoric banded around in relation to Ireland by people in all these kinds of threads. It's fairly amusing but more than a little pathetic. In England and back in Australia the online situation is identical and you see it all the time on Japan's 2chan.

In reality, nationality has little to do with any major personality traits except in the face of racism or perhaps when isolated in an entirely alien environment (at least in my experience).

Kold

I think there are cultural differences alright. As said above, most Americans seem to be very assertive in comparison to your general Europeans. Intelligence doesn't seem as valuable over there as it does here so they don't seem to mind thinking out loud so much.

BraziliaNZ

why the F*CK when discussing anything about Ireland does some W*NKER have to say the word beF*CKINGgrudger every time??? GOD I HATE THAT WORD. SHUTUP!!! Is it even a word? If you google it you only find it on irish sites. Ban that f*cking word.

Xavi6

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

why the F*CK when discussing anything about Ireland does some W*NKER have to say the word beF*CKINGgrudger every time??? GOD I HATE THAT WORD. SHUTUP!!! Is it even a word? If you google it you only find it on irish sites. Ban that f*cking word.

You're just begruding him the use of that word. Typical Paddy

Overheal

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

why the F*CK when discussing anything about Ireland does some W*NKER have to say the word beF*CKINGgrudger every time??? GOD I HATE THAT WORD. SHUTUP!!! Is it even a word? If you google it you only find it on irish sites. Ban that f*cking word.

Ha ha. You've a grudger on the word grudger. You grudger.

A real Moby Dick of our time.

Spanish people are definitely brought up to be confident and loud. I remember as a kid, that exuberance was knocked out of us, we'd get scolded for shouting out in class or interrupting people, whereas in Spain it seems to be encouraged. When I was working there as an au pair, the mother constantly asked me why I was so quiet and shy and how come I wasn't loud like the Spanish teenagers. I tried to explain that in Ireland that behaviour is seen as obnoxious and rude (Spanish kids on buses, anyone?) but she just didn't get it.

We aren't brought up to believe we're great and we should let everyone know it, we're brought up to see that as negative behaviour and I think Irish people tend to be quite self deprecating/modest so as not to come across as cocky. The Spanish seemed to interpret that as some sort of deep rooted self esteem problem, they really think you're weird if you aren't really loud.

larko

On my first work trip to America, I was very nervous about my abilities, skills etc. When I got over there for training I realised that I knew more than the trainers. They certainly knew how to talk the talk. I found it all very entertaining.

When I got back, my boss asked me if I learned anything from my trip. Eh yeah... that I work too hard and I'm not paid enough. Now make me the Vice President cos that's what they all seemed to be over there.

helimachoptor

larko wrote: »

On my first work trip to America, I was very nervous about my abilities, skills etc. When I got over there for training I realised that I knew more than the trainers. They certainly knew how to talk the talk. I found it all very entertaining.

When I got back, my boss asked me if I learned anything from my trip. Eh yeah... that I work too hard and I'm not paid enough. Now make me the Vice President cos that's what they all seemed to be over there.

Yeah Americans tend not to know anything and yes they all are VP's of something or other!

A friend of a friend is working in NY and he's VP of branch operations..

Basically he's assistant manager of a bank branch!

He says the best one he's heard is VP Environmental Engineering... There was a waste company 2 man operation....

TomMc

[quote=[Deleted User];55886056]Spanish people are definitely brought up to be confident and loud. I remember as a kid, that exuberance was knocked out of us, we'd get scolded for shouting out in class or interrupting people, whereas in Spain it seems to be encouraged. When I was working there as an au pair, the mother constantly asked me why I was so quiet and shy and how come I wasn't loud like the Spanish teenagers. I tried to explain that in Ireland that behaviour is seen as obnoxious and rude (Spanish kids on buses, anyone?) but she just didn't get it.

We aren't brought up to believe we're great and we should let everyone know it, we're brought up to see that as negative behaviour and I think Irish people tend to be quite self deprecating/modest so as not to come across as cocky. The Spanish seemed to interpret that as some sort of deep rooted self esteem problem, they really think you're weird if you aren't really loud.[/QUOTE]

Yes the Spanish (and without stereotyping) are what I would call boorish, where as their neighbours in Portugal are a more cultured race.

While Irish people in previous generations were quite down to earth and unassuming, many of todays generation are uppity, smug and self-satisfied since the arrival of the Celtic Tiger. Also probably partly due to sharing the same language (English), American culture (and I use the word in its broadest sense) has taken a grip on the masses in both Ireland and the UK. Much more so than continental Europe, where these Europeans are move civilised as a whole. Their attitude to alcohol, standards of behaviour and how they value family, and further education (after they have finished school) only highlights this. Far too many people over here are more concerned with social climbing and proving themselves through conspicuous consumption, than bettering themselves culturally or overall quality of life.

Kovik

TomMc wrote: »

While Irish people in previous generations were quite down to earth and unassuming, many of todays generation are uppity, smug and self-satisfied since the arrival of the Celtic Tiger. Also probably partly due to sharing the same language (English), American culture (and I use the word in its broadest sense) has taken a grip on the masses in both Ireland and the UK. Much more so than continental Europe, where these Europeans are move civilised as a whole. Their attitude to alcohol, standards of behaviour and how they value family, and further education (after they have finished school) only highlights this. Far too many people over here are more concerned with social climbing and proving themselves through conspicuous consumption, than bettering themselves culturally or overall quality of life.

I think what you're saying is that teenagers are morons. I think that's universal. Only now they're morons with money.

I don't think you characterisation really fits any "new people" beyond that age group. You could maybe accuse college students at a stretch, but I don't think it's discernable among people beyond that.

ART6

Here's my offering for what it's worth (OK, I know--I know)

Germans: Suffering from a guilt complex for the sins of their fathers and grandfathers. Assertive on a personal level where beach loungers are concerned but as a nation desperate to be seen unassertive.

French: Convinced of their national superiority over all other nations and bewildered that the world doesn't speak French. Incapable of recognising that they have been walked all over so many times in the last few hundred years that they should consider their opinion of themselves.

Italians: React to every situation and challenge by wild excitement without actually doing anything constructive about it.



Spaniards: Bake in the sun and take a couple of hours siesta at mid day, then decide tomorrow (manyana!) whether to bother with it all.

Japanese: What can you say about anyone who eats raw fish, some of which is poisonous?

Indians/Pakistanis: Emigrate, open a corner shop, work 24/7. Arrange mariages for daughters and kill them if they don't comply.

Scotsmen: Have no idea what they want but are prepared to die for it. Fiercely nationalistic. Don't like the English or anyone else who is not Scottish, but appear all over the world anyway.

Englishmen: Keep quiet. Don't make a fuss. Apologise for the Empire (see Germans). Put up with everything until the 13th hour then fight like f**K.

Irish: Someone once said, to the Irish a thousand years ago is yesterday, and tomorrow is a thousand years away. But the Irish have still colonised hallf the world. Another quote: " God invented the Guinness to stop the irish ruling the world".

Attact about racism are anticipated!

Welsh:

Overheal

larko wrote: »

On my first work trip to America, I was very nervous about my abilities, skills etc. When I got over there for training I realised that I knew more than the trainers. They certainly knew how to talk the talk. I found it all very entertaining.

When I got back, my boss asked me if I learned anything from my trip. Eh yeah... that I work too hard and I'm not paid enough. Now make me the Vice President cos that's what they all seemed to be over there.

My dad spent a long time working here in his industry and in the last 2 years hes gone back to work on a bigger project. He says he's totally baffled by the difference in competency its ridiculous. As if they just do what they have to to get through the net.

That said I'm excited to see what happens when I take my Irish-bred degree and take it back home for a spin next year