The main character traits of the British briefly. National character traits of the English people

Each nation has its own special character traits. This applies especially to the English. Every Englishman, wherever he lives in currently, has a set of qualities that will not allow him to be confused with a representative of another nationality.

It can be said that the characteristics of the English are the result historical development country, a reflection of its traditions and customs, as well as a consequence of England’s island position.

Many authors have tried to describe from the perspective of a typical Englishman, his character, habits, interests. But we should not forget that each person is unique, so it is important not to simplify or exaggerate information about the life of an entire people.

Constancy of character

Among the national character traits of the British, one of the main ones is their constancy and commitment to various rituals and traditions. Some traditions turn into performances, such as the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London or the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

Some traditions are deeply embedded and even attempts to change something are not considered. An Englishman's own vision of the world cannot change under the influence of external factors how his habit is unable to change.

It is believed that the people of England are calm in any situation. Their equanimity and self-control are determined by the fact that from childhood they are taught to react in a certain way to life situations, not showing true feelings, overcoming hardships and hardships. It is rare to see an expression of emotion on the faces of the British, be it surprise or anger.

Paradoxical and eccentric

Despite the constancy and restraint, among the character traits of the British, not the least important is their eccentricity, which provokes some paradoxical behavior. Showing emotion during football matches is not typical for an Englishman.

Also, the British rarely hold back their emotions when faced with criticism or ridicule of their traditions or way of life. This is a fairly patriotic nation, ready to pay taxes to support the royal family, which may be dissatisfied with some rules until they are introduced into law.

The paradoxical character of the British is determined by some inconsistency of their behavior. They don't like heat, but they love fireplaces, they have no idea about the affairs of their neighbors, but they know everything about the life of the royal family, they can dress casually at home, but even to a cattle show they will put on a hat and put a flower in the buttonhole of their jacket.

These features national character The British are inexplicable, but they are invariably proud of them.

The eccentricity of behavior lies in the life of the British without regard to others. They do not care about the opinions of others, although they will listen politely. The British can collect strange things, walk with a folded umbrella in the rain, and dress extravagantly.

This tendency to stand out, to become different from everyone else, probably arose precisely because of the historically established strict norms of behavior, regulations and rules that do not allow one to be very different from others.

Ritualism of behavior

No matter how eccentric and original the inhabitants of England are, for the most part their behavior is ritualistic.

The British observe certain rituals when communicating: even with strangers, they will carry on a conversation about the weather, gardening or minor news, because that’s the custom. It is not even the topic of conversation that is important, but the process itself.

There are certain rituals in organizing entertainment, eating, choosing clothes, organizing leisure time on weekends, and communicating with different categories of people. During the day, an Englishman can perform certain actions, not because he wants to, but because it is prescribed by rituals.

British snobbery

One of the negative ones is their snobbery. This quality is often explained as a consequence of the imperial psychology that came from the time when England subjugated almost half the world. The English feel superior to other peoples, and this superiority lies not in having no one above them, but in having someone below them.

Previously, from childhood, a stereotype was implanted in their consciousness that they needed to show the greatness of the British nation, to set an example to the whole world. And even when the empire fell, this idea did not easily leave the subconscious of people.

Also, often the British simply do not delve into the life and characteristics of other peoples, selfishly giving preference to their own internal problems. The island position of England determined the special hostile attitude of the British towards other nations. What happens on the mainland is largely perceived by the people of England as something different from their life as a civilization from the barbarians.

Tolerance of a nation

But we must give the British their due; they will never show their hostility in person, for which they are often considered two-faced. This is determined by their politeness - they will never out loud express dissatisfaction or disagreement with someone else’s opinion, uttering some of the complacent phrases: “This is very interesting idea" or " Quite an interesting reasoning." In reality, this will mean disagreement.

In general, they quite rarely utter categorical phrases. Even when answering the question “What time is it?” from an Englishman you can hear “I believe it is six o’clock” or “I think it is six o’clock.” Those who often communicate with representatives of the British people consider this impolite - such polite treatment for show hides their indifference, indifference and suspicion.

The natives of England do not care how a person dresses, how he speaks, or how he behaves. The eccentricity of others is not condemned and seems to go unnoticed. This principle of their life can be expressed in the words “Live and let others live.”

The British tolerance also extends to their attitude towards nature. England is considered a green country with unique nature. It is not uncommon for Britain to see a lonely house standing among trees, which shows the presence of a person even in remote areas of the country, or parks and gardens in major cities, more like wild nature.

The isolation of the British

The isolation of the nation is explained geographical location countries. Insular psychology separates not only England from the mainland countries, but also each person from each other. This nation loves privacy very much. The British have a very difficult time getting along with other people, but they maintain connections with the friends they make for many years.

When meeting with acquaintances, men do not show joy, do not exchange routine smiles, do not hug, but limit themselves to a classic handshake. Women do not exchange real kisses when they meet, but only imitate sounds and gestures somewhere in the area of ​​their friend’s ear.

Physical contact when communicating with friends is considered indecent and unnatural.

In this regard, the British live by the “don’t touch me” principle. Every person tries to avoid contacts with strangers. When such contacts cannot be avoided, for example, on public transport, they do not look each other in the eyes and try to avoid eye contact.

English humor

It seems to all foreigners that the excellent sense of humor of the British is just a myth. Their jokes seem flat, ridiculous, uninteresting and stupid. The British themselves are proud of their sense of humor and react painfully to such assessments from others.

Accusing them of lacking the ability to joke hurts their pride more than condemning other character traits. Perhaps the British lack of a sense of humor is attributed to their inability to laugh at themselves, their traditions and interests.

More associated with words than with sitcoms or dressing up. Therefore, it traditionally manifests itself in literature - in the comic characters of W. Shakespeare, C. Dickens, D. Austen, L. Carroll and other authors. Also, English humor can manifest itself without words: Charlie Chaplin's short comedies still cause laughter all over the world.

All these qualities determine the original, unique and to some extent paradoxical world- typical English character. It is simply impossible to confuse a representative of this country with someone else.

A large number of clicks to my blog suggests that the attitude of the British towards Russian-speaking people is an issue that worries many. Although it is quite understandable: when preparing for a tourist trip, and even more so when preparing to move to permanent place living in the UK, you want to know how the natives will treat you. Will they treat you with respect or, on the contrary, will they be extremely dismissive or even unfriendly? Therefore, it would not hurt anyone to study this issue in advance.

Peculiarities of attitude towards Russian speakers

Let's try to determine what the perception of people from Great Britain is based on. Russian Federation. What kind of attitude is it generally - positive or negative? Is it worth keeping silent about your Slavic roots or, conversely, using them successfully in the United Kingdom?

If you decide to conduct an experiment on the streets of London and stop passersby and ask about their attitude towards Russians, then most likely you will hear one of the following opinions from discouraged passers-by.

Confusion

Many of them will be confused, not having any information about this people. And, most likely, the most common answer to your question will be the notorious “I’m sorry, but I don’t know much about Russian.” Well, judge for yourself - if you were suddenly asked to talk about your attitude towards the Catalans, would you be able to immediately describe your attitude towards this nation? So many British people can’t.

This answer is possible due to the fact that during their lives they have hardly met people from our country, and if so, many do not know how to distinguish us from other nationalities of the Soviet Union. For them, we, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Kazakhs, Moldovans and all peoples speaking the same language are one huge nation. In their understanding, all immigrants from the USSR are Russians.

All most Brits know about us is communism, the Iron Curtain and Soviet Union. The complex past of the USSR makes negative feelings towards the state as a political unit, but this does not mean at all that it is the same for specific people. Not at all. British citizens are educated and literate enough not to believe false information, available from the media. They independently form their own opinions about world events and about the personalities inhabiting a particular region.

Despite the fact that the funds mass media may speak quite negatively about the country's leadership, I noticed that ordinary people the majority of people are not amenable to this information. Radio and television speak of our state as a cruel, aggressive, backward country, but British citizens still do not succumb to the statements of journalists and TV presenters. In their opinion, the country is headed by a very strong-willed, competent and strong leader, from whom weak-willed British politicians need to learn.

But if you still want to know the opinion of the British about the Russians, you are unlikely to get a clear and unambiguous answer - too much distance separates this distant and incomprehensible country from England.

A clear opinion has long been formed about the French. Neighbors who eat frog legs as food have been ridiculed and teased by the British for centuries. Or if we talk about the Indians, then despite their non-standard appearance and the great remoteness of their homeland, they nevertheless became our own, family. This is most likely caused historical memory about the colonization of Indian soil. The conquerors developed caring, fatherly feelings towards the Indians. England is an international country, people from all over the world live in it, and in London 60% of people are from other countries.

Curiosity

Residents of the United Kingdom are an inquisitive people, and they are, of course, interested in hearing as much as possible about our people. This can be explained by the fact that they know little about this nation and are driven by curiosity. Why are we similar in appearance to the Poles they dislike, why do we have a similar dialect to them, and how similar are our national habits and characters? But Polish workers have long been known in Great Britain, and people from the most big country world - a new, yet unknown secret.

Be prepared for people to be sincerely interested in where you were born or what city you live in. Although, most likely, those asking will not know any cities other than Moscow and St. Petersburg. So you will have a great opportunity to talk about the features of geography, amazing places and the beauty of nature.

In your stories about a distant and beautiful Motherland, keep in mind that they enjoy great success incredible stories about severe winter frosts and huge snowdrifts that are blown by an icy blizzard. Living in a rainy, gray climate, listeners will readily envy you for seeing huge snowdrifts and sledding down the mountain, suffering a terrible cold and once having frozen nose or ears.

Respect

If a resident of England once met a person who came from Russia, who, fortunately, turned out to be a well-mannered, intelligent and pleasant person, then he can be sure that the Briton will forever remain an admirer of the Russian people. If you meet such a person, he will try with all his might to make a pleasant impression on you - he will collect all his knowledge about the great geniuses of music, literature, astronautics and science. Surely you can hear the name of Leo Tolstoy or Gagarin.

In short, once you come to the United Kingdom, you can be respected because you are a citizen of the great Russian Federation. True, this respect will last as long as you maintain the brand of an educated, well-read and well-mannered person. If you have these qualities, and besides, you are a sincere, friendly person, then you are guaranteed warmth and responsiveness in communication.

Sympathy

Slavic women are very sympathetic to local men. This has been proven by the numerous marriages of British men with Russian women. Often these are long and happy unions. I myself know several such families, where the father is English, the mother is Slavic, and there are children together. There are examples where there are even children from the previous family life mother. But their presence does not interfere with a happy union in the eyes of the stronger sex of the United Kingdom.

But it should be noted that there are much fewer marriages with a Russian husband and a British wife. For some reason, English women are not very attracted to Slavic men.

What is it about the appearance of Slavs that attracts the British? Undoubtedly the first factor on the list female attractiveness External beauty is worth it. But it is also important that they are good housewives; they are also able to sense the mood of their husband and support him in time. Having and raising children - main value family life for our women. These qualities make a woman, in the eyes of every normal man, a reliable wife, mother, and housewife.

Another attractive feature is our beautiful pronunciation. They also like the special accent and melody of the sound. The richness of our speech makes it possible to express our thoughts more vividly and colorfully.

London tourists who visit Moscow are delighted with the richness and beauty of architecture, the grandeur and uniqueness of nature. The infrastructure of Moscow makes an indelible impression, especially the Moscow Metro. Compared to the London Underground, the Moscow Underground is a work of art.

Indifference and antipathy

In some cases, relations between citizens of these two states are at least indifferent, and hostile in worst case.

Political positions our leaders give rise to personal mutual antipathy among citizens. Fortunately, only a few British citizens support England's political antipathy towards Russia.

Sometimes directness, excessive rudeness, even the gloominess of the Russian type can be off-putting. These qualities are sometimes a feature of our mentality, and we do not control ourselves in their manifestation. Therefore, before communicating, practice putting a sincere smile on your face - it attracts people.

Assertiveness and intransigence in character also repels many. A disadvantage in how UK residents perceive you may also be your lack of knowledge of the language. They believe that the “worldwide” English language has long become the main language on the planet, and they can’t figure out how you still don’t understand it. Although they themselves are lazy to learn our language, thinking that the whole world is obliged to speak English. And the Slavs, thinking similarly, in turn, are also lazy in learning English. For this reason, misunderstanding arises.

Concluding the review of these interethnic feelings, I would like to quote the statement of one Briton: “This is a great nation. I want to give advice - do not count all Slavs bad people only because you haven’t met good people. Even though I myself am an Englishman, I still prefer this nation to the British.”

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Whether you like it or not, to communicate with native speakers, good ownership English is not enough; you also need to be familiar with the culture and traditions of the English-speaking people so as not to get into trouble by asking a question from.

“The British nation is unique in this respect: they are the only people who like to be told how bad things are, who like to be told the worst.”

“The British nation is unique: they are the only people who like to hear that everything is very bad, and even worse”

~ Winston S. Churchill

The national character of the English people is felt better than that of any other people. There is a sense of superiority in him, which can also be called “island pride”. British patriotism is based on a deep sense of security, in which they, as a nation, have been for centuries.

Appearance and character of a typical Briton

The British are easy to recognize by their appearance and demeanor. And by looking more closely, determine what part of the country this person is from

Appearance of a typical Briton

A middle-aged Englishman is usually tall, his face is wide, reddish (rarely tanned), with soft, saggy cheeks, and often with blue, expressionless eyes. Women, like men, are often also very tall. Both have long necks, slightly bulging eyes and slightly protruding front teeth.

Compared to the English, the Scots and Irish look simpler, but more colorful. Squat with a lively face and a firm gait, the Scots often have thick red hair. Scots usually have light eyes - gray, blue, green. Also, the inhabitants of Scotland are characterized by fair skin, which is not reddened by the cold northern sun.

Scotland has the highest percentage of red-haired people in the world - around 13% of the population has red hair.

Many often confuse the Scots with the Irish, they say, Irish appearance — it’s bright red hair, freckles and blue eyes. So, this is a stereotype. On city streets you will more often meet guys with dark hair and a red beard. The performer of the role of Harry Potter is a typical representative of Irish appearance: a narrow face, often elongated, sunken cheeks that turn red in spots, not “apples.”

Order and calm

The British value discipline very highly and are considered the most well-mannered and polite in the world. Since the British have a specific politeness, it is often confused with coldness. Violent temperament and ardent passions rage under the guise of coldness and superiority. Principles of “gentlemanly behavior”(exemplary self-control), were elevated to a cult under Queen Victoria, but are still active today.

The British are slow-moving, tend to avoid sharp corners, and have an inherent desire to be away from prying eyes, which gives rise to a cult of privacy. Sometimes it's enough to watch the English crowd on national holiday or at football match to feel how the national temperament is breaking from the reins of self-control.

For example, they politely respect and respect their and your personal space, do not poke their nose into your affairs, do not ask questions, even just finding out a person’s name without a good reason is indecently rude.

The English are distinguished by moderation, which they do not forget about both during work and in pleasure.

There is almost nothing ostentatious about the Englishman. He lives first of all and most of all for himself. His nature is characterized by a love of order, comfort, and a desire for mental activity. He loves good transport, a fresh suit, a rich library.

Among the bustle of people, it is not difficult to recognize a real Englishman. No noise or scream will confuse him. He won't stop for a minute. Where necessary, he will certainly step aside, turn off the sidewalk, swerve to the side, never expressing the slightest surprise or fear on his important face.

Naturally, they want to see the same manners in others. Therefore, the best reason to start a conversation with a friend or even an unfamiliar Briton is

Habits and lifestyle of the British

“My home is my castle,” the British joke, preferring to spend evenings in a quiet family circle, discussing the events of the past day in front of the fireplace.

Conservativeness or loyalty to tradition?

The British value public order very much. and they are never rude. Their passion for gaming is widely known, but despite this, the British are very serious in business matters.

The British are often called conservatives because of their adherence to traditions, which they passionately try to preserve in their original form. But it is this commitment that is most attractive to tourists from all over the world.

In Britain, anything that has stood the test of time is considered a tradition.: rituals and habits, features of life and behavior (for example, green hedges, bright red mailboxes, right-hand drive and left-hand traffic, double-decker red buses, judges in eighteenth-century robes and powdered wigs, fur bearskin hats on the royal guards, which they do not take off even in 30-degree heat).

You can find out more about the way of life of the British in the article

After work, residents of England like to spend time in pubs, football matches and various clubs (for example, fans' clubs, gardening clubs). They really like these places, because here they feel more relaxed, make new friends more easily, united by a common interest.

The Greek word "xenophobia", which means "fear of foreigners" (in fact, the English prefer the word "xenolipia", that is, "pity for foreigners"), has found its rightful place in the English dictionary and is dryly defined there as "an abstract noun ".

Which, however, is not entirely true. In fact, a noun is the most concrete, downright noun from Everyday life, and there is nothing abstract in it. For xenophobia is a national property of the British, which is constantly manifested in the culture of their country. And not without reason. After all, for the British, all the most complex and unpleasant problems of life are concentrated in one single concept: foreigners.

Nine hundred years ago the Normans launched their last and completely successful invasion of England. They settled there after winning the Battle of Hastings and tried to integrate into the environment local residents and... failed. The local population greeted the strangers with complete contempt (this attitude has not changed even now, and not just because they were conquerors, but because - and this is much more important! - that they were FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY). However, Anglo-Saxon women soon took pity on the poor women and began to marry them - which was accompanied by an inevitable increase in the level of civilization throughout society. Well, judge for yourself, can a girl trust a guy with the Welsh name Guillaume Bowen? But we know very well how to behave (and what can happen) with someone who wears English name Bill Bone!

Even today, the descendants of those Normans like to casually “make an impression” with a casual remark that their ancestors once “came here with William the Conqueror,” and the attitude towards them on the part of the English is very cool - something like how the English treat someone who accidentally spoils the air in the elevator.

True Englishmen treat the descendants of those Normans in the same way as their ancestors treated the Romans, Phoenicians, Celts, Jutes, Saxons and - more recently - representatives of all other peoples of the globe (especially the French!): politely, but with the same neglect.

This is what you will have to deal with first. Don't expect to change anything about this attitude towards foreigners - too many have failed here. But, based on the fact that most of all the British are proud and boast of the fact that they are simply not able to understand these foreigners, we can assume that you will even get some pleasure in trying to snatch the palm from their hands and begin to understand... THEM!

Despite the fact that prisons in England contain the largest number of Western Europe number of prisoners, the British persistently assure everyone that their nation is one of the most civilized in the world - if not THE most civilized! But they admit, however, some reservation: we're talking about not so much about culture in general, but about good manners and the ability to behave in society. The British consider themselves law-abiding, polite, generous, gallant, persistent and fair. They are also incredibly proud of their self-deprecating humor, considering it an absolute proof of their generosity.

Aware of their own superiority over all other peoples of the world, the British are convinced: these peoples also secretly understand that this is the way it is, and in some ideal future they will try to follow their example as much as possible.

The geography of England also contributes to such ideas. When the English look out to sea - and the sea surrounds them" small cramped island"from all sides - none of them would even think of questioning such, for example, a newspaper report: " Due to heavy fog over the English Channel(that is, the English Channel) The continent is completely cut off from us".

The British are convinced that everything best in our lives owes its origin to England, or at least in this country it was significantly improved. Even the English weather - although it may not be so pleasant - is much MORE INTERESTING than the weather in any other part of the world, for it is always full of surprises. " My island is royal... This gem framed with the silver of the seas..."Few Englishmen are able to explain all Shakespeare's allusions, but they know exactly WHAT these words mean. For true Englishmen, England is not just a country, but a state of mind that determines their attitude to life and the Universe and puts everything in its place.

Generally speaking, the British are practically indifferent to how people of other nations treat them. They are confident - and not without reason - that no one truly understands them. But this does not bother them at all, because they do not want to be understood (believing that this would be an invasion of their privacy), and they put a lot of effort into remaining incomprehensible to everyone.

The British are accustomed to being perceived as a walking set of certain stereotypes, and even prefer to maintain this state of affairs. They are also well aware that many foreigners consider them hopelessly wedded to the past. And they certainly don’t mind when England is perceived as a country populated by amateur detectives, football hooligans, stupid and arrogant nobles and peasants with extremely convenient habits of slaves, believing that representatives of all these classes and social groups they can easily meet in some antediluvian English pub and drink a glass of warm beer.

Foreigners are completely unable to penetrate the soul of a true Englishman. The English rarely show their emotions, their culinary preferences are completely impossible to understand, and the joys of life seem to pass them by completely while they revel in their deprivation and self-denial. They are considered pedants, full of all sorts of prejudices and completely devoid of the spirit of cooperation - a nation completely indifferent to the changes taking place in the world around them, preferring to live under eternally gray skies in a country that resembles the set of a BBC costume play, fenced off from everyone by the White Cliffs Dover and strengthens his strength exclusively with beer, roast beef and the eternal rigid corset of traditions.

Although the English consider it completely unacceptable to show that they are not indifferent to the opinions of others, somewhere deep down in their souls they still want to be loved and appreciated for everything that they recognize as their merits and are ready to selflessly put on the altar of the world community. These advantages are as follows: firstly, the thoughtfulness of all actions, the consequence of which is a generous attitude towards the defeated enemy, protecting him from persecutors and even very harsh persecution of the latter; secondly, absolute truthfulness and the desire to never break a given promise. Foreigners must understand: if the Englishman did not keep his word, then for this there was an extremely a respectful reason- including this may well be such an understandable (that is, absolutely undisguised) own benefit.

Try to the best of your ability to treat this and some other ideas of the British about themselves tolerantly and mercifully, even if you are completely convinced that this pure water misconceptions In addition, as soon as you express to the British your disagreement with them on this matter, most of them will immediately go over to your side and begin to agree with you. It is clear that they do this solely out of respect for the defeated enemy.

The British have an innate distrust of everything unfamiliar, which is most clearly manifested in their attitude towards the geography of their own country.

Since time immemorial, England has been divided into North and South. For a southerner, civilization ends just north of London, and, in his opinion, the further north you go, the redder the faces of the inhabitants there, the shaggier their hair, and the rougher their speech (and almost bordering on rudeness). However, the British generously attribute all these shortcomings to the colder climate.

In the North, children are told before going to bed scary tales about the cunning people who live" there below", that is, in the South. Northerners also note the excessive softness of southerners, their indiscriminateness in food and frivolous attitude towards everything really important in life. However, ANY Englishman - too soft, too frivolous or too hairy - certainly has the right to special attitude towards themselves, as, however (but to a much lesser extent), are the inhabitants of those countries that represent the interests of the English state - once the Empire, and now the increasingly small Commonwealth (the Commonwealth is an interstate association of Great Britain and most of the former English dominions, colonies and dependencies territories - approx. per.).

If we are talking about neighbors in the British Isles, then the British have absolutely no doubt about their own superiority. And this, in their opinion, is not some small remnant in the mind, but a scientific fact. So, they believe that the Irish are terrible nuisances and should not be paid attention to at all, the Scots (or Scots), although smart, are too careful with money, and the Welsh, the residents of Wells, simply cannot be trusted in anything, and do It's not worth it to anyone, not even the Scots and Irish.

However, all is not lost for the Irish, Welsh and Scots, for none of these peoples cause as much irritation and objection among the English as those of their cousins ​​who live on the other side of the English Channel. They should also remember that in a certain sense " other country" or "ALIEN-STRANGEness" for an Englishman begins already at the opposite end of the street where he lives.

The British perceive the rest of the world as playground, where certain teams interact - groups of peoples, each with their own customs and culture - and you can either look at all this from the outside and have fun, or use it for your own benefit, or simply write it off as unnecessary - depending on your desire. Sad experience has taught the English to always expect the worst from others, so that they are pleasantly surprised if nothing of the kind happens; well, what if they forebodings However, they were justified, they note with satisfaction that they were right.

Surprisingly, the British even like many foreigners. A significant proportion of the English know at least one foreigner whom they consider practically " his"And yet very few peoples as a whole are taken seriously and with confidence by the English.

The French and the English have been eternal sparring partners for such a long time that even a kind of love-hate arose between them. The English love France: they like French food and wine, and they are very appreciative of the French climate. They, perhaps, even have some kind of subconscious, historically established conviction that the French hardly have the right to live in France at all; that is why thousands of Englishmen try every year to invade picturesque corners France.

However, the French themselves seem to the British to be overly excitable, and therefore hardly capable of laying claim to any international ambitions. In the opinion of many in England, a few decades of constant English influence would greatly improve the French character.

The English's judgments regarding the Germans are less evasive. They believe that the Germans are distinguished by their organization, somewhat excessive seriousness and a certain tendency to bully everyone; Moreover, heaven did not even grant them such a saving quality as the ability to cook deliciously. As for the Italians, according to the British, they are too emotional, the Spaniards are cruel to animals (bulls), the Russians are too gloomy, the Dutch are too fat (although quite reasonable), the Scandinavians, Belgians and Swiss are stupid. All eastern peoples incomprehensible and dangerous.

The British feel something like kinship feelings towards just representatives of one or two nations.

They, for example, maintain close ties with the Australians, although they are embarrassed by some of the latter’s intemperance, and with the Canadians, who, however, appear to the British as people embittered by constant snowfalls and excessive proximity to America.

In general, they like Americans and would like them even more if they weren’t so proud of their... hmm... AMERICANITY! The British consider Americans to be English too, only they have turned into something not entirely understandable as a result of an unfortunate combination of circumstances and general misunderstanding. And, of course, Americans would be much happier if only they had the sense to turn things around. Besides, then they would definitely speak Proper again English language!

Introduction

At first glance, the British seem to be reserved and imperturbable people. With their buttoned-up emotions and unshakable composure, they seem remarkably reliable and consistent - both to each other and to the world. In fact, in the depths of the soul of every Englishman, unbridled primitive passions boil, which he has never been able to completely subdue. The British try not to notice this “dark” side of their character and do their best to hide it from prying eyes. Literally from birth, English children are taught not to show their true feelings and to suppress any incontinence, so as not to accidentally offend someone. Appearance, the appearance of decency - that's what matters most to an Englishman. The fact is that, deep down, the British are no less capable of deception, rudeness, violence and other outrages than any other people in the world; It’s just that they try with all their appearance not to show that one can at least assume that they have such character traits. Such “impenetrability” is the main feature of the British, and thanks to it, paradoxically, the whole world considers this completely predictable people “absolutely unpredictable.”

The British. What are they?

The British consider themselves law-abiding, polite, generous, gallant, persistent and fair. They are also incredibly proud of their self-deprecating humor, considering it an absolute proof of their generosity.

The British have an innate distrust of everything unfamiliar, and especially foreign. And it should be remembered that in a certain sense of the word “another country” for an Englishman begins at the opposite end of the street on which he lives. The rest of the world is perceived by the British as a playground where certain teams interact - groups of peoples, each with their own traditions and culture - and you can either look at all this from the outside and have fun, or use it for your own benefit, or simply write it off as unnecessary - in depending on desire. The British feel something like kinship feelings towards just representatives of one or two nations.

English traditions

The British are characterized by longing for the past, and for them there is nothing more precious than any customs and traditions. In the broadest sense of the term “tradition,” it is implied that something has stood the test of time and should therefore be preserved, for example: bright red mailboxes, men's short coats with a hood and wooden buttons, marmalade, the last Monday in August, green privet hedges , Wembley Stadium and wellington boots. Judges still sit in robes and powdered wigs of the eighteenth century, and professors of the oldest universities in England - Oxford and Cambridge - wear black robes with scarlet lining and square caps, the royal guard is still dressed in the uniform of the 16th century, but none of the English and won't blink an eye. Members of Parliament wear ancient folding top hats when delivering their agenda in the House of Commons. In England, the tradition of days of rest is strictly observed: “weekends”, when city dwellers strive to go out of town, into nature. On Sundays there is almost no one on the streets, theaters and shops are closed.

Traditional male respect for women is being undermined by the efforts of those who perceive this tradition as a manifestation of condescension towards the weaker sex, and not at all respect for it.

Driving on the left is also an English tradition. This custom originated in those days when the main means of transportation was a horse, and the rider needed to grab his sword in time with his right hand and protect himself from the enemy riding towards him.

Some things never change in England. Surveys of graduates of English universities have shown that those who graduated from an independent (i.e. private public school) automatically receive better and higher paid places than those who graduated from state schools.

Their behavior

Moderation is a precious ideal! - is of great importance for the British. This is especially evident in the general disgust towards those who “go too far.”

The concept of “going too far” includes, for example, excessive tearfulness or making obscene jokes, at which the author himself laughs the most. The British do not like to make a scene with each other in public. And anyone who does this automatically falls into the category of “going too far,” that is, behaving incorrectly. Best Behavior in any circumstances - to portray languid indifference to everything in the world, although passions may really be boiling in your soul at that moment. Even in love affairs, it is considered obscene to show your true feelings - this can only be done behind closed doors, however, even in this case, observing moderation.

However, in some (special) cases it is permissible to show one’s feelings openly, for example, during sports competitions. At a funeral or when a person whom everyone had long considered dead returns home to your joy. But in these cases, violent emotions must certainly give way to embarrassment.

The British believe that it is completely unacceptable to poke your nose into other people's affairs. With such a complex of antediluvian traditions and morals as they have, excessive curiosity and sociability can lead to the fact that you can offend someone simply out of ignorance.

English families

The family provides the Englishman with a luxurious opportunity to behave as he wants, and not as he is supposed to. But, apart from annual vacations and holidays, family members are by no means eager to spend much time together. "Traditional English family” is something like this: working dad, stay at home mom, to whom dad is married, and their 2-4 children.

Those English children whose parents are quite wealthy are most often sent to some kind of “pap school”, that is, to a closed school, usually with a boarding school. Parents of such children have a very positive attitude towards their child’s stay in a boarding school, believing that the further the children are from home, the better they develop.

An alternative to “public school” is the state free public day school. In such schools, however, there are periodically shortages of teachers (salaries are too low), equipment and office supplies (lack of provision funds), students (chronic absenteeism) and premises (at least one school burns down every day).

Manners and etiquette

The British don't like to touch anyone. Of course, they shake hands, but they always try to do it very easily and quickly.

English ladies can kiss each other on the cheek or even both; but at the same time it is advisable to kiss “past” – i.e. pretend.

Options for farewells are more varied than options for greetings, but mean just as little. The once completely “street” expression “see you” (see you or bye) has now been picked up and educated people, it is used quite often and completely inappropriately.

IN in public places the British try their best not to touch to a stranger, even accidentally. If such a nuisance does happen by accident, the most sincere apologies follow.

Home improvement

Almost all residents of England free time used for endless and continuous “improvement” and arrangement of their homes, without which not a single home can be considered truly good.

The British are constantly tinkering both outside and inside the house, installing electronic security and showers, making built-in furniture or anything else. Even a car will never be left without attention.

As soon as an Englishman begins to work in the garden, something incredible happens: for some time he completely loses all his practicality and forgets about all other passions. This is probably why the British prefer to live in their own houses. They deal exclusively with landscapes - in their dreams they see endless green spaces covered with plantations of exotic flowers and shrubs.

Gardening magazines and books successfully promote the idea that anyone can grow any plant. And indeed, in the tropical warmth of greenhouses and greenhouses, seedlings and cut exotic flowers feel great. The British manage to create all these miracles even on small plots of land: a tiny garden or just a box under the window becomes in the Englishman’s imagination his personal national park.

Pets

The British are convinced: a person who loves animals cannot be completely bad. They themselves adore animals. Any. The British keep pets exclusively for company. They are vitally necessary for them, if only because it is only with four-legged pets that the majority of Englishmen develop the most sincere, tender relationships that representatives of this nation, who do not always know how to communicate normally with each other, are generally capable of. The British are great with animals mutual language, although sometimes they are completely unable to find a common language with their own children. But they have full contact with their dogs, and they constantly scratch them affectionately, whispering all sorts of sweet little things into their furry ears. Dogs accept such advances without complaint, and soon they even begin to like the fact that they have no rivals in the hearts of their owners. Cruelty to animals causes horror and disgust among the British.

Food and drink

The British have never been adventurous in the field of cooking. Roast beef, lamb or pork with vegetables and fried potatoes are still a favorite national dish, and on other occasions, or when fancy is not enough, the British prefer another traditional dish - baked beans and toast.

Potatoes are the most important component of the daily meal. The average Englishman eats two hundred kilograms of potatoes per year in the form of chips with fish, burgers and other dishes. They also like potatoes in the form of "chip bati", which is a bun cut in half, spread with butter and stuffed with fried potatoes. Most English people will consider a meal unfinished if they don't get their pudding. The British still highly value their old invention - sandwiches. True, they used to be satisfied with just cheese with spicy chatti seasoning, but now a highly artistic sandwich can contain anything from smoked salmon and soft cream cheese to chicken tikka masala cooked with hot Indian spices.

They remain stubbornly loyal to tea and consider it one of the few truly beautiful things that ever came to England from abroad. They attributed downright mystical healing and sedative properties to tea and resort to it in any crisis situations. Only tea can bring an Englishman out of shock. And it also serves as a reason to simply be in the company of other people - in such cases, someone always offers to drink a cup of tea. Perhaps tea is really the only bad habit. In large English establishments, tea is brewed in large vessels, like Russian samovars. The liquid that rushes out of such “samovars” in a stormy stream is best characterized by the name “table tea” - or, as the British say, such that “it stands on the table even without a cup.”

Sport

The most popular national sport is fishing, which the British always call “angling” because this word sounds more respectable, implying certain professional skills and dexterity. Most English people clearly prefer fishing to football. But there are many in England who regularly take part in all kinds of amateur competitions, for example, basketball, golf, rugby, and swimming. The British also love horse riding, mountain climbing, horse racing and, of course, gambling. though true love English people's attitude towards sports is manifested in observation of those who, in fact, play sports. Such observation gives an outlet to all their suppressed emotions. A football fan is accustomed to defeat and feels pleasure even when his team snatches at least a draw. The exception is the fans of the popular Manchester United club, who expect only victory from their team and are terribly upset when this does not happen. Manchester United has more fans than any other club in the world. Each issue of their magazine is sold in incredible quantities - 30,000 copies are sold in Taiwan alone! Cricket is also one of the most popular games in England. The English invented cricket 750 years ago, and in relation to it they feel like terrible owners. They for a long time They didn’t even reveal the secret rules of this game. Cricket is not just a game for the British. This is a symbol. Everyone considers this game a national form of summer leisure. On any village green or on the TV screen there is always a group of people dressed in white and gathered in a circle, as if waiting for some event.

Culture and language

England is the country of Shakespeare, Milton, Byron, Dickens and Beatrix Potter. The first of this series is a universally recognized genius, a real titan in the field of literature, who for four centuries has served as an incomparable standard for all writers on the globe. The next three are also quite worthy writers and respected by everyone; their books are available in every home library. But the British know best the work of the latter writer, for all of the above wrote about people, and B. Potter’s books are dedicated to animals. And the mention of Peter Rabbit, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle or Jeremy Fisher instantly evokes a response in the hearts of English readers, and the torment of Hamlet, Coriolanus or Othello will leave their souls as cold as ice. English readers of the story of Romeo and Juliet will prefer the story of how Jemima Puddleduck escaped from her cooking pots to enjoy another sunny day.

The English are extremely proud of their language, although most only use a tiny part of it. The Complete Oxford Dictionary consists of 23 volumes and contains more than 500,000 words, while the most complete dictionary of the German language contains 185,000 words, and the French less than 100,000. Shakespeare's working dictionary was 30,000 words (some of which he made up himself), which is twice as large as the vocabulary of a modern Englishman. Most English people get by just fine with 8,000 words—the same number of words in the King James Bible ( English translation Bible of 1611, which is used by most English churches).

The foundations of the English language were laid when it served as the main means of communication for multilingual tribes, being completely devoid of any linguistic tricks such as cases and inflections. And the secret of its success lies in the fact that this language, like the English themselves, constantly absorbs something, draws from the culture with which it is currently in contact. No other language has so many different ways of expressing almost the same thing as English.

Meanwhile, English as a means of communication in the world of people occupies approximately the same position as Microsoft in the world of computers: modern world society simply cannot do without English. The French, of course, continue to stand their ground, arguing that the use of English, for example, in aviation: “retards the development of this industry and prevents the use of more adequate terminology in it,” but English continues to be increasingly used in all areas.

Conclusion

As popular wisdom says: “You need to know your friends and enemies by sight.” And indeed, knowing character traits other nations, we can better understand the political and social views of their countries. That is why, in my opinion, it is necessary to get acquainted with the culture of other peoples, with their customs and characters in order to improve international relations and simply for our own development, as well as so that by comparing the culture and customs of our country with them, we can something change, improve them.