American mentality

Jay Pentatonic · 23-06-2010 05:56PM #1

.I just saw an interview with Landon Donovon & when he was asked about a U.S. goal being disallowed, he said something like,

"you can either moan about not getting something you want or you can just get on with it."

I've always admired the American mentality, it's such a "can do" & positive thing to have.
So I was wondering, on the other side of the pond, why are us Irish (& the Brits) so negative & moan so much more (look at us with all this France lark).
And it's not just in sport, seems to be in every aspect of life.

Anyway, I'm gonna stop going on about this now, & just get on with it!!!

My name is URL · 23-06-2010 05:59PM

You've got to grab life by the horns.. and shoot it 7 times in the face with a legally held firearm

4zn76tysfajdxp · 23-06-2010 05:59PM

No blood for oil.

Sofa King Great · 23-06-2010 06:01PM

Its easy to say that when you've topped your group and are through to the next round. If the disalloed goal had knocked them out of the world cup it might be a bit different

ejmaztec · 23-06-2010 06:02PM

They've got a lot of moaners in the US, and unlike us they have guns.

Fighting Irish · 23-06-2010 06:02PM

I agree, the irish made a show of themselves when france got through and ireland didn't

And people thinking that an irish player wouldn't do the same thing to help their team win, lol

kuntboy · 23-06-2010 06:06PM

Because anyone who tries to "get on with it" gets slagged and criticised to death.

PeterIanStaker · 23-06-2010 06:11PM

kuntboy wrote: »

Because anyone who tries to "get on with it" gets slagged and criticised to death.

sure I knew him when he had nothin'

Demonon · 23-06-2010 06:12PM

So the mentality of 1 American soccer player represents the mentality of the other 300 million of them ? I've been to the states and this is definitely not a common attitude amongst them.

AnonoBoy · 23-06-2010 06:17PM

When life gives you lemons make lemonade and then supersize the lemonade for only 25c and then put some sugar in it and then deep-fat fry it and then go out for lunch afterwards.

AnonoBoy · 23-06-2010 06:18PM

Demonon wrote: »

So the mentality of 1 American soccer player represents the mentality of the other 300 million of them ? I've been to the states and this is definitely not a common attitude amongst them.

It's a common attitude in everyone out there except the people that you met personally or have heard expressing a different opinion on television, on radio, on the web or in newspapers.

Let's see you prove that one wrong......

orourkeda · 23-06-2010 06:19PM

Landon is a big hitter on offense in the end zone. Awesome

deisedude · 23-06-2010 06:29PM

I actually agree with the OP ven if it is a big generalisation. I'm just back from the US after being there for 9 months and they don't tend to bitch and moan as much as we do. All the bitching about the recession here would make you suicidal

parker kent · 23-06-2010 06:38PM

deisedude wrote: »

I actually agree with the OP ven if it is a big generalisation. I'm just back from the US after being there for 9 months and they don't tend to bitch and moan as much as we do. All the bitching about the recession here would make you suicidal

Did you see the bitching and moaning by Americans over the disallowed goal against Slovenia?! All the comments about where the referee was from etc. Americans moan just as much as everybody else. A winner in anything always says things like Donovan said.

Find an interview with a losing American or anything Landon Donovan said in one of his many bitching/moaning sessions about David Beckham (even if is correctly bitching/moaning!)

Sonnenblumen · 23-06-2010 06:41PM

Fighting Irish wrote: »

I agree, the irish made a show of themselves when france got through and ireland didn't

And people thinking that an irish player wouldn't do the same thing to help their team win, lol

Disagree, the French got through, and what then? Shameful performances on and off the field, and culminating in the arrogant refusal by Domenach to shake the hand of his South African counterpart at the end of a humiliating and eliminating defeat.

Also some weeks ago Sarkzoy made fun of Irish Gov displeasure with the whole affair, and dismissed Brian Cowen's attempts as spurious and not a political matter. This week Mr Sarkozy (on an ignominious backfoot) is politically engaging to sort out a humiliating disaster caused by France FA etc!

The Americans do have a very positive can do attitude but also contrasts starkly with how they can swiftly and sometimes harshly deal with dissent eg Rolling Stone's interview with the US General.

Azure_sky · 23-06-2010 06:44PM

The Americans have the Protestant work ethic, we have a victim complex.

Latchy · 23-06-2010 06:46PM

PeterIanStaker wrote: »

sure I knew him when he had nothin'

Last I heard he was living on the streets

dr.bollocko · 23-06-2010 06:49PM

Bob Dole don't care what you think about Bob Dole. Bob Dole's still trying to kill Ralph Nader.

Joe Cool · 23-06-2010 06:52PM

Elian Bumpy Hand wrote: »

No, blood for oil!

FYP

PandyAndy · 23-06-2010 06:53PM

AnonoBoy wrote: »

When life gives you lemons make lemonade and then supersize the lemonade for only 25c and then put some sugar in it and then deep-fat fry it and then go out for lunch afterwards.

Do you want fries with that?

Donkey Oaty · 23-06-2010 06:54PM

As much as negative attitudes can grate, there is such a thing as a healthy disrespect for people who crow about their success.

InTheTrees · 23-06-2010 06:57PM

I've been in the US for 20 years and there's certainly truth to the US being a more "optimistic" place.

But there's drawbacks, its no accident that there's a brit judge in most american reality shows. Americans avoid negativity at any cost, even to their disadvantage. It can hinder self analysis and growth and learning. They'll be "can do" even when they cant.

On the other hand they're a cheerful positive can-do bunch and we work together well. American enthusiasm plus european cynicism.

Overheal · 23-06-2010 06:59PM

InTheTrees wrote: »

I've been in the US for 20 years and there's certainly truth to the US being a more "optimistic" place.

But there's drawbacks, its no accident that there's a brit judge in most american reality shows. Americans avoid negativity at any cost, even to their disadvantage. It can hinder self analysis and growth and learning. They'll be "can do" even when they cant.

On the other hand they're a cheerful positive can-do bunch and we work together well. American enthusiasm plus european cynicism.

You don't watch much political punditry then?

sagat2 · 23-06-2010 07:02PM

Man you want to live here. There's plenty of yanks today spending more time moaning about the disallowed goal in today's game and the one in the last game then actually celebrating the win. The players weren't moaning, fair enough but the general public hasn't shut up about the goal that never was all week.

Killer Pigeon · 23-06-2010 07:03PM

War,
Fast food,
High levels of obesity,
It's color, not colour!
... poorly educated,
Europe's a country,
Only watch Fox News,
Uphold the second amendment to the US constitutions.
God Bless America,
Joe Colemans everywhere (with an Alabama accent)

bonerm · 23-06-2010 07:03PM

What I like most about Americans is that they're all the same.

InTheTrees · 23-06-2010 07:04PM

parker kent wrote: »

Did you see the bitching and moaning by Americans over the disallowed goal against Slovenia?! All the comments about where the referee was from etc. Americans moan just as much as everybody else. A winner in anything always says things like Donovan said.

Find an interview with a losing American or anything Landon Donovan said in one of his many bitching/moaning sessions about David Beckham (even if is correctly bitching/moaning!)

Its because in American football plsy stops, they wheel out a video booth (i'm not kidding), and the referee and various umpires and interested parties will review the tapes. It can take a while, and in case you thought it was in the interests of fairness think again; it provides hugely valuable commercial breaks in the TV coverage.

The concept of one guy making a call and not even having to specify why is pretty alien.

Killer Pigeon · 23-06-2010 07:06PM

bonerm wrote: »

What I like most about Americans is that they're all the same.

Yeah, it's a bit like the way all Chinese people look the same except with Americans they all have the same mentality.

Killer Pigeon · 23-06-2010 07:08PM

Azure_sky wrote: »

The Americans have the Protestant work ethic, we have a victim complex.

Protestant work ethic ... pfft, pffffffffffffft, PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT.

InTheTrees · 23-06-2010 07:10PM

Overheal wrote: »

You don't watch much political punditry then?

LOL!!

A good point indeed. But then look at the change thats happened, when I first arrived I was quite confused by the whole concept of "bipartisanship" that US politics required to get anything done. Congress works best when both parties work together; weird.

Back home I was used to "opposition" parties not happy happy joy joy working together crap.

But that was 15 years ago and more. Now the republicans are acting more and more like an opposition party in their negativity. And I dont know that its a good thing for the country.

parker kent · 23-06-2010 07:19PM

InTheTrees wrote: »

Its because in American football plsy stops, they wheel out a video booth (i'm not kidding), and the referee and various umpires and interested parties will review the tapes. It can take a while, and in case you thought it was in the interests of fairness think again; it provides hugely valuable commercial breaks in the TV coverage.

The concept of one guy making a call and not even having to specify why is pretty alien.

I am well aware of American football and the crass commercialism associated with it

(This post has been brought to you by Bud Light...ahh the refreshing way to relax mid post on Boards.ie).

Doesn't change that they are just as capable of moaning as anybody else.

American mentality

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