Are We an Immature and Irresponsible Society?

Higher · 09-07-2012 03:15PM #1

It seems in every aspect of Irish life we come across as immature and irresponsible. Our Taoiseach cries to newspapers of being bullied, our economy is in tatters because of reckless bankers, we are one of the worst nations for getting drunk. When you compare us to the French or the Germans we really do come across as irresponsible children.

In how many countries can you see hoardes of adults in their 30s falling around the place on a Saturday night? I've never seen a German girl squatting down and taking a piss in the open at a festival in Germany.

When was the last time you heard about a certain nationality being banned from a hostel?

Should we be ashamed of ourselves? Is it time we stop blaming everyone else for our problems and take responsibility?

J.R Tolkein basing the hobbits on Irish people makes a lot of sense right now..

Roadend · 09-07-2012 03:16PM

We're only having the craic sure

FatherLen · 09-07-2012 03:17PM

Higher wrote: »

J.R Tolkein basing the hobbits on Irish people makes a lot of sense right now..

is that true???

DrumSteve · 09-07-2012 03:17PM

We do like to analyse ourselves don't we.

ThinkAboutIt · 09-07-2012 03:18PM

The country has a drink problem, simple as. Because it is so wide ranging we will never deal with it.

Feeona · 09-07-2012 03:19PM

Higher wrote: »

When was the last time you heard about a certain nationality being banned from a hostel?

Last week, I think

hondasam · 09-07-2012 03:19PM

I think all the things you listed OP are not just an Irish thing, these things happen the world over.
I agree we have a drinking culture which is out of control.

mikemac1 · 09-07-2012 03:22PM

Germans have drinks in the morning and at lunch and have beers in their office canteen. So do the Dutch

The Brits are fond of their liquid lunches

Neither of these happen in Irish workplaces in my experience

Why the self loathing OP?

Roadend · 09-07-2012 03:23PM

mikemac1 wrote: »

Germans have drinks in the morning and at lunch and have beers in their office canteen. So do the Dutch

The Brits are fond of their liquid lunches

Neither of these happen in Irish workplaces in my experience

For obvious reasons I'd have thought........

mikemac1 · 09-07-2012 03:24PM

Just come out and say the obvious reason

chin_grin · 09-07-2012 03:26PM

mikemac1 wrote: »

Just come out and say the obvious reason

....Catholicism?

:pac:

Pushtrak · 09-07-2012 03:26PM

Extend the "We" to humanity, and yes, I would certainly say so. But on the microcosm of Ireland/Irish, I guess the truism holds.

AH answer: Pull my finger.

Orim · 09-07-2012 03:27PM

Higher wrote: »

I've never seen a German girl squatting down and taking a piss in the open at a festival in Germany.

Then you've never been to a festival in Germany.

Tombi! · 09-07-2012 03:27PM

Okay now look, just because you don't know where the good S&M dungeons are in Germany doesn't mean they don't exist.

But yes, Ireland is a mess and probably will be for a long time.

chin_grin · 09-07-2012 03:31PM

Do you know what the problem with x is? It's full of x.

Insert Country/nationality for x.

eoins23456 · 09-07-2012 03:33PM

no were ****in legends!

hytrogen · 09-07-2012 03:34PM

Time for a recession-session

09-07-2012 03:34PM

eoins23456 wrote: »

no were ****in legends!

but not anymore?

Red_Wake · 09-07-2012 03:35PM

I'd say our problem is we're full of Irish.

AnonoBoy · 09-07-2012 03:36PM

Until most of us are spending all our disposable income on whoopee cushions I wouldn't agree.

charlemont · 09-07-2012 03:37PM

The op has a few good points.

Ellis Dee · 09-07-2012 03:42PM

Are we an immature and irresponsible society?

I actually don't believe we are very greatly different from any other post-colonial, reasonably developed society with a fairly high material standard of living.:):)

We differ significantly from other European countries in that, perhaps, we have a higher density per capita of self-hating eejits who love to extrapolate a few examples into sweeping generalisations. People like that are not exclusively an Irish phenomenon; they are to be found everywhere and often are the way they are because they have little experience of living in foreign countries for longer periods.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

daltonmd · 09-07-2012 03:43PM

mikemac1 wrote: »

Germans have drinks in the morning and at lunch and have beers in their office canteen. So do the Dutch

The Brits are fond of their liquid lunches

Neither of these happen in Irish workplaces in my experience

Why the self loathing OP?

I lived in Germany for ten years and never worked with a German who drank during work hours, never seen beer in German canteens, even attending the Munich Beer festival (for ten years in a row) I never saw the Germans behaving like the Irish do.

It could be the case that it was this way many years ago, but as with every country, health and safety legislation banned this a long time ago.

Blondini · 09-07-2012 03:46PM

Higher wrote: »

I've never seen a German girl squatting down and taking a piss in the open at a festival in Germany.

.. then you ain't born yet boy

Blondini · 09-07-2012 03:48PM

charlemont wrote: »

The op has a few good points.

I'd love a few good pints..

Dyr · 09-07-2012 03:48PM

yes we are father, oh god YES. God forgive me but we'd be better off handing the place back to the british, we're not fit for anything father. Beat me father beat me, I deserve it etc etc

twinQuins · 09-07-2012 03:52PM

Ellis Dee wrote: »

Are we an immature and irresponsible society?

I actually don't believe we are very greatly different from any other post-colonial, reasonably developed society with a fairly high material standard of living.:):)

We differ significantly from other European countries in that, perhaps, we have a higher density per capita of self-hating eejits who love to extrapolate a few examples into sweeping generalisations. People like that are not exclusively an Irish phenomenon; they are to be found everywhere and often are the way they are because they have little experience of living in foreign countries for longer periods.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Ireland also seems to breed a lot of nutjob nationalists who can't stand to see a negative word said about the country.

Pointing out that there's little sense of social responsibility and that 'idolisation of the cute hoor' are integral parts of Irish culture is not a "sweeping generalisation".

Fupping Grasshole · 09-07-2012 04:02PM

I think we're great.

Playboy · 09-07-2012 04:04PM

Ireland and the UK have a drink problem. Huge binge drinking culture in comparison to other developed western nations imo. Go East towards Poland/Russia and you start to see the same thing. Apart from the drink issue I dont think we are any more or less responsbile than any other nation

tdv123 · 09-07-2012 04:09PM

Were probably not as shabby as we make ourselves out to be.

09-07-2012 04:10PM

Down with that sort of thing........

Are We an Immature and Irresponsible Society?

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