Do you consider yourself european?

karma_

c_man wrote: »

I thought the OP was pretty clear, that we are given geographic reasons but that was expanded on (by and by where are Europe's eastern borders???).

Interesting how the no/meh answers are really irking some people.

The Urals.

DLMA23

karma_ wrote: »

Bollocks of the highest order.

You are, but we forgive you

Iwasfrozen

karma_ wrote: »

Bollocks of the highest order.

Christ. You're very touchy on the subject. We have more in common with the countries we formally colonized. Sorry if that offends you...

karma_

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

Christ. You're very touchy on the subject. We have more in common with the countries we formally colonized. Sorry if that offends you...

It doesn't offend me. You have proffered an opinion on the matter but have not provided ONE single example to back it up.

I've lived in the states for a number of years and know with absolute certainty that we have almost nothing in common with the average American, culturally, socially, politically (LOL) or psychologically (??). Indeed the only thing I found that we had in common was language, and even that had its differences.

And 'we'??? LOL

Iwasfrozen

Well I've lived in the US briefly and I disagree. It's perfectly fine for two people to disagree on something.

karma_

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

Well I've lived in the US briefly and I disagree. It's perfectly fine for two people to disagree on something.

A two week holiday doesn't count.

jimgoose

karma_ wrote: »

It doesn't offend me. You have proffered an opinion on the matter but have not provided ONE single example to back it up.

I've lived in the states for a number of years and know with absolute certainty that we have almost nothing in common with the average American, culturally, socially, politically (LOL) or psychologically (??). Indeed the only thing I found that we had in common was language, and even that had its differences.

And 'we'??? LOL

I've worked with Yanks (and old Confederacah sharpshooters! ) all my adult life, and I've spent more time over there than most, and I disagree. This is my opinion, which is my own.

Iwasfrozen

karma_ wrote: »

A two week holiday doesn't count.

I agree. What's your point?

Saruman

I'm married to an American for 10 years and it has probably taken her 5 to 7 years to become used to life in Europe, not Ireland, Europe. She lived in Prague for a year before here. Our lifestyles are so different, so laid back compared to the US.
Even the Irish Americans (she was an O'Brien) have little in common with Ireland in life attitude.

We are closest to the UK because they have had the largest influence on our culture in the past but we are quite similar in many ways to other European countries.
I find we get on very well with people from Finland for instance.

karma_

jimgoose wrote: »

I've worked with Yanks (and old Confederacah sharpshooters! ) all my adult life, and I've spent more time over there than most, and I disagree. This is my opinion, which is my own.

And you call then Yanks? I'm sure they love that.

Go on then, enlighten us all to the similarities?

jimgoose

karma_ wrote: »

And you call then Yanks? I'm sure they love that.

Go on then, enlighten us all to the similarities?

They love what I tell them to love. They like me, that's why they call me a weird Mick bastuhd with the usual potato fetish. Go from sea to shining sea and all you'll find is moderately conservatve folk of Dutch, German, Scandinavian, British and Irish descent. To me, it feels just like South Tipp only with more space and bigger cars.

karma_

jimgoose wrote: »

They love what I tell them to love. They like me, that's why they call me a weird Mick bastuhd with the usual potato fetish. Go from sea to shining sea and all you'll find is moderately conservatve folk of Dutch, German, Scandinavian, British and Irish descent. To me, it feels just like South Tipp only with more space and bigger cars.

I got on with pretty much the same with all the Americans I became friends with, I think the world of them still, but I can't ignore that huge cultural difference that exists between us.

DeadHand

The Corinthian wrote: »

Not a very good argument really.

Sports, no; the emphasis on sports is quite different between Dublin and non-Dublin - a Dublin lad is far more likely to be playing Rugby that the lad from Leitrim.

And food, please - I suppose Supermacs is big in Dublin?

As to rituals growing up, I can attest to them not being the same having gone to school down the country and coming from Dublin. How many Dubs will have experienced harvest festivals, 'hops' or hare coursing?

You've missed my point entirely.

My point wasn't that the culture in Leitrim was just the same as in Dublin, it was that the cultural differences between Dublin and Leitrim would be less dramatic than those between Dublin and Southern Italy. The poster I was replying to claimed they would be equally alien to each other.

And in the hypothetical I presented it's perfectly possible that any combination of alliance form between Ciro, Seamus (the Leitrim lad is now Seamus) and Damo, all three get on like a house on fire or all three despise each other irrationally. My point was that having grown up in cultures far from identical yet more similar to each others than to Ciro's, all other factors being equal, it was more likely the Irish lads would click with greater ease.

Ok, the language I used may have been too absolute but I stand by the argument.

You seem to have a cliched, slightly contempteous take on Irish ruralites. Supermacs? Really? Are you going to tell me Black Americans all love fried chicken next? That Dubs all eat batter burgers?

A 'hop'? A harvest festival? When did you go to school down the country? The 1930s?

Also, hare coursing is firmly a minority pursuit even well beyond the pale. I'd wager a robust majority of country dwellers have never attended a coursing event.

By "rituals" I meant more First Holy Communions, Confirmations, family funerals, christenings, weddings, sporting events, exams, debs, concerts, festivals, driving tests, etc. Not that they wouldn't have any and all those things in Southern Italy, just that Irish people, urban and rural, would be more likely to have had broadly more similar experiences of these events than our beloved Ciro.

It was unfair of you to choose either ridiculously antiquated, long extinct events or a relatively tiny, controversial, arguably barbaric pursuit and hold them up as common rural rituals (they clearly aren't) instead of the many more benign, positive or modern ones you could have thought up.

jimgoose

karma_ wrote: »

I got on with pretty much the same with all the Americans I became friends with, I think the world of them still, but I can't ignore that huge cultural difference that exists between us.

Mmm. Didn't notice it myself, chief. Still, a vast and verdant land, wha'?

karma_

jimgoose wrote: »

Mmm. Didn't notice it myself, chief. Still, a vast and verdant land, wha'?

A vast, verdant and culturally different land indeed.

jimgoose

karma_ wrote: »

A vast, verdant and culturally different land indeed.

To be sure. From NYC to East Texas. ; )

Kev_2012

Yes. Born in England to Irish parents, grew up in Ireland.

Limerickman first, then Irishman, then European

The Corinthian

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

We have more in common with the countries we formally colonized. Sorry if that offends you...

We? Last I checked the England, and later the UK, colonised what became the USA and had already lost it by the time we became part of the UK. Both the US and Ireland speak English because we were both colonized by the same people.

Call a spade a spade, there are similarities between somewhere like the US and Ireland, which are inherited from our former rulers; common law, somewhat simelar educational systems (at third level, less so below), some residual attachment to the Imperial measuring system, Victorian attitudes twoards sex and, most importantly, English.

But the claim you made that we're closer to them culturally than to other Europeans, not that we have something in common and so far you've not exactly made much effort to prove your point.

For example, I can point out to you that many of our attitudes and cultural perspectives are much closer to mainland Europe than the US.

Our politics, and definitions of left and right, liberal and conservative, and essentially European and bare little similarity to American politics where their 'liberals' would often hold positions on a par with our conservatives.

Many American attitudes are completely alien to us; specifically in areas such as religion or gun control. There too we are much closer to Europe.

Americans are far more 'optimistic' less interested in looking back at history than us Europeans; it's a large reason why they are noted for their 'can do' attitude while we are accused of being stuck in the past ("Old Europe).

We believe in socialized health. And a social safety net. Like other Europeans. Attitudes to this are, as we saw with opposition to Obamacare, less positive in the US.

And that's off the top of my head.

Of course, if you're a monoglot, I can understand how a nation that speaks the only language you speak might seem more familiar, but seeming is not the same thing as being so.

TheBeardedLady

Been in Spain 5 years so have a grasp of the lingo now at this stage and it's only when you do get it down do you realise how much we've in common. Funny, the Spanish I've asked this question don't see themselves as European either yet in Ireland, we'd view them as being one of the "main" European countries and an integral part of this continent.

I've a lot of American family and have spent a good bit of time there, though haven't lived bar the J1 for three months and apart from the language, I feel we're very different. I think the language barriers between European countries creates a bit of a distance and we're more similar than we think and the shared language between the US and Ireland gives the impression that we've more in common than we really do.

fleet_admiral

I did. Now im becoming more and more Euro skeptic

Nodin

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

I disagree culturally, politically, socially and psychologically we have far more in common with the US and Canada than France and Germany. Especially Canada.

Do you get sexually aroused when you see a red coat?

bb1234567

bnt wrote: »

I'm "European" in my drinking habits: occasional drinks with food, no drinking to get drunk. The way you do it here in Ireland - explicitly planning to get "locked" - is not "European".

I think youre confusing all europeans with posh middle aged women eating their al fresco dinner in the french riviera. If my european friends from germany, ukraine, hungary and spain are anything to go by (aged 18-21) then europeans drink a lot, and getting drunk is just as big a part of a night out as it is in ireland

Drakares

bnt wrote: »

I'm "European" in my drinking habits: occasional drinks with food, no drinking to get drunk. The way you do it here in Ireland - explicitly planning to get "locked" - is not "European".

Having been in several European countries, I have to say that this is absolutely nonsense.

bb1234567

No I dont really think of myself as european. I identify more as a westerner because we are english speaking, like I think we are more like america, uk, australia and nz than mainland europe.

Heikki

Yes for sure.

GotTheTshirt

Only when the Ryder cup is on.

crannglas

What is European exactly? Loads of countries in Europe just not in EU. Majority of those countries hate the other and would as someone put it gouge out each others eye balls if not economically tied. Every one of them are of different cultural ways and mannerisms. My friend told me from poland, when theygo home now it is a culture shock for them how rude people are to them in shops and likes. No smile no please or thank you. She said,she forgot she wasn't in Ireland and said how are you to shop girl. She gave her a dirty look apparently ignored her. Lol She believes as does many of my friends from other countries we are most polite. Ireland isn't even in Europe geographically. The only thing European about Ireland is they say we are in EU. Nothing else. Ask a polish person do you feel european . Nine times out of ten they will say no chance. As for myself,no I feel Irish and never European. Irish is my heritage identity and proud to say I am Irish and rave about our lovely albeit dysfunctional family of miscreants

Iwasfrozen

Nodin wrote: »

Do you get sexually aroused when you see a red coat?

Depends on who is wearing it.

Do you get sexually aroused by asking stupid questions?

crannglas

bb1234567 wrote: »

I think youre confusing all europeans with posh middle aged women eating their al fresco dinner in the french riviera. If my european friends from germany, ukraine, hungary and spain are anything to go by (aged 18-21) then europeans drink a lot, and getting drunk is just as big a part oof a night out as it is in ireland

Of course they do. Its just not media beaten into the country because they can blame the tourists lol All the polish I know who worked on construction sites bought beer on way to work and drank it for their lunches. But someone no doubt will blame drunken loud Irish for this bad influence. Lol

Jussnot Fairmann

Definitely see myself as more 'british-isles'-ian than European. Got feck all in common with anyone from the continental mainland