Characteristics of the English in English. Typical English: character, appearance, lifestyle. National character of the British
How to determine nationality by the appearance of a person, especially in the modern world, which as a result of migration processes has turned into a new Tower of Babel? After all, if you come to the UK, then three out of five people you meet in a crowd will have an appearance that is not even European. Nevertheless, the typical English have not yet died out. They are more common in rural areas than in big cities.
What do representatives of the so-called titular nation look like? They joke that felinologists can give an accurate description of the exterior of a purebred "British". He has a massive body with a round head, short ears, large amber eyes and thick fur of a smoky gray color. Of course, we are talking about cats of the British Shorthair breed. As for the people, the nation was formed over the centuries under the influence of the Normans, Germanic tribes, Vikings, Jutes. There are many in the veins of modern English and French blood. From such a blend of genes, the British only benefited. Representatives of this nation are considered beautiful. In this article we will consider the appearance of the British, the features of their appearance.
Formation of a nation
In ancient times, the island was inhabited by the Britons. This people not only gave their name to Foggy Albion. The Britons belonged to the Celtic ethnic family. They assimilated with later arrivals. Despite the fact that the culture of the Britons disappeared, their genes to a very large extent influenced the appearance of the British.
In the early Middle Ages (5th-6th centuries), Germanic tribes landed on the island - the Jutes, Saxons and Angles. They pushed the Britons north into Scotland and into the mountains of Cornwall and Wales. At this time, the English language is formed. In the 8th-9th centuries, Scandinavians (Norwegians and Danes) arrived on the island, and in 1066 the Norman conquest began. But this Frankish ethnos was in no hurry to mix with the local population. For many centuries, commoners spoke the Anglo-Saxon dialect, and the nobility spoke Old French. Only in the 12th century did the mixing of the Normans with the Anglo-Saxons begin.
General signs of the appearance of the British
As we can see, in this cocktail of very different bloodlines it is difficult to determine one type, as, for example, in small countries isolated from other states. Most of the newcomers to the islands carried dominant genes, which greatly influenced the appearance of their descendants. But we can determine that in Scotland the appearance of the indigenous people, the Britons, is more often and more clearly manifested. And in the west, in Wales, the influence of the Franks is felt.
According to some representatives of the English nation, it is clear that they are the descendants of tall and thin Scandinavians. Others, on the contrary, are squat and prone to fullness, are a purely Danish and Saxon product. But still, we can isolate several features of appearance that are characteristic of all Englishmen. This is an elongated skull, close-set light eyes and a small mouth. It is extremely rare to meet a swarthy Englishman (unless he is a child of mixed marriage).
Irish type
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland includes many lands. We think that the appearance of an Englishman is uniform, but it is not. After all, it is impossible to draw a portrait of a typical Russian - the inhabitants of Arkhangelsk and the Krasnodar Territory differ from each other. But the citizens of Great Britain themselves know how to determine nationality by appearance. They intuitively guess whether a person's ancestors were from Scotland or Scandinavia.
Consider the types of the British, in which Irish blood dominates. There are two of them. The first is fully consistent with the stereotypes about the Irish. Cheerful and a bit romantic sanguine, with a freckled face, green, wide-set eyes, fiery red, sometimes curly hair. Representatives of such Irish Englishmen are Ron Winsley's family in the Harry Potter film epic. But there is another type. Short and thin, with a pale face and piercing blue eyes, he is the complete opposite of his tall red compatriots.
Scottish appearance
In the harsh impregnable mountains, where the militant newcomers shaded the indigenous ethnic group, the Britons survived and even formed their own type of modern Englishman from the north of the country. Medium height, mobile choleric, with a narrow face and a thin nose, the Scot makes a pleasant impression. This type is also characterized by a small mouth, and his eyes are necessarily light - more often gray-green or steel-colored. As for hair color, Scotland even overtakes Ireland in the number of redheads. About 13 percent of the population of the north of the island have fiery hair.
Many more people have more or less reddish hair. But in Scotland, as well as in Ireland, there is a type that is not at all like the immortal highlander Duncan Macleod. And if we describe his image briefly, then let's say this: "This is Harry Potter." A pale, thin face with large, slightly close-set blue eyes, a sharp chin, black or dark hair - such guys and girls are very attractive.
Scandinavian appearance
The Vikings also contributed to the formation of the English nation. Those who have passed on their genes may not be on diets and indulge in the pleasure of eating an extra piece of cake or drinking a pint of beer. The Scandinavian type can be called lean, if not too thin.
Often, representatives of this appearance - both men and women - have a disproportionately long neck. They are characterized by high stature, a bony, very elongated face with sunken cheeks, slightly protruding teeth. Like all northerners, they are fair-haired and blue-eyed. If we compare the types of Englishmen with movie heroes, then Captain Hastings, a friend and partner of Hercule Poirot, is a bright representative of the Scandinavian appearance.
Norman type
This last wave of emigrants was long reluctant to mix with the native Anglo-Saxon and British populations. The Normans, having captured the island by the right of the sword, formed the top of the feudal society. And, despite the past centuries and the bourgeois revolution, the appearance of the British is still dependent on social origin. The elite, although they will never admit it, will look down on the lower classes, even the very rich ones. The Norman type is graceful. Its representatives have medium-sized and soft facial features.
Unlike people of the Scandinavian type, they are not tall, but they cannot be called squat either. The Royal Family of Great Britain is a striking example of Norman appearance. In this type, the eyes are set not too close. A high forehead, a thin nose, an elegantly defined mouth and a sharp chin give the impression that the owner of such an appearance is an intelligent person. Of the film actors, Hugh Laurie, who played Dr. House in the series of the same name, is most suitable for this type.
German (Saxon) appearance
The Germanic tribe of conquerors had a great influence not only on the formation of the English language, but also on the appearance of the modern inhabitants of Great Britain. In the provinces and in the cities one can meet large, overweight people. The description of this type of face varies by gender. In men, it is wide, with slightly pendulous cheeks. In women, it is often round, ruddy, with large features. The eyes are pale blue or grey, often protruding.
From the description of the face of this type, it seems that he is not very handsome. But it is not so. After all, Harry Potter's uncle and cousin are just caricatures of the German type, like Aunt Petunia is of the Scandinavian type. By the beauty who played the role of Sansa Stark in the Game of Thrones, it can be judged that the Saxon appearance is not so bad.
Gallic type
The southern coast of the British Isle has long been inhabited by the French, whose descendants have long considered themselves British. Gallic blood was thoroughly mixed with Anglo-Saxon, Celtic (Irish) and others, which gave rise to a charming southern type. A bright representative of it is the young actress Emma Watson, who literally grew up in front of the viewers in the image of Hermione, Harry Potter's childhood friend.
Despite her black eyebrows and brown eyes, she has a quintessentially British appearance. This is demonstrated by an elongated skull, large eyes, a beautifully contoured mouth, a graceful thin neck. Actor Orlando Bloom, disguised as a Nordic elf in The Hobbit epic, is actually a Gallic character. Many carriers of this appearance work in show business, because along with a spectacular and pretty appearance, genes gave them an artistic character.
Race mixing
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain colonized India and many other countries in Asia and Africa. The new citizens also significantly influenced the appearance of the British. Migration processes of our time have further aggravated the situation. Mixed marriages are not uncommon in England, and very beautiful children are born from them. A vivid example of this is Naomi Scott, a singer and actress who is included in the Top 20 most beautiful women in the UK. Her father is English, while her mother is from India.
Also on the streets you can see a lot of young people, teenagers and children born from the marriages of the British with people from Black or Arab Africa, Southeast Asia, Eastern and Central Europe. But the older the man or woman, the more English blood they have. But even among pensioners, we observe several types that are strikingly different from each other.
Descendants of aristocrats
Great Britain is a monarchy. The royal family still enjoys special reverence among the citizens of the country. Recently, princes can afford to marry persons of non-aristocratic blood. Their chosen ones are people from the wealthy bourgeoisie. We will talk about the appearance of the representatives of the “high-middle class” later. Now let's look at what a typical Englishman from high society looks like. Prince Charles does not count - his large protruding ears and long mouth make his appearance unique, special.
But the royal family consists of several dozen members, there are still lesser ranks, so we can paint a portrait of an English aristocrat. He is tall, thin. He has a very elongated long face with close-set bright eyes, a long cartilaginous nose, an inexpressive sloping chin, a small mouth with thin lips. In ladies of high society, female hormones soften the angular forms a little. These ladies give their fortunes to dentists to correct a birth defect: their dentition is located in a narrow horseshoe, bent inward.
upper middle class
From the foregoing, it becomes clear why the princes of blue blood do not look for their equal, but choose brides from commoners. But the latter are also divided into classes. English upper middle class women are very pretty. Not one family took part in the formation of their genotype, but people of Saxon, Norman, French and other nationalities. In Britain, there is even the concept of English rose. By "English rose" is meant a beautiful woman with typical Nordic features.
We can only give a number of names of famous actresses to make it clear what a representative of the upper middle class looks like. These are Lily Asley and Elizabeth Brighton (stars of the theater of the early 20th century), Belinda Lee and Vivien Leigh (mid-century), Jane Birkin and Caroline Munro (70-80s), Rachel Weisz and Rosamund Pike (2000s). A similar appearance (a round chin, large eyes, a small, slightly upturned or straight thin nose, plump lips) was also possessed by the "People's Princess" Diana, nee Francis Spencer.
Middle class
Celebrities and top managers can afford gym memberships, healthy food "bio", and some - and correction of appearance flaws by plastic surgeons. Well, what do English men and women with average incomes look like? They tend to have excellent genetics, allowing them to stay slim and youthful into old age.
Celtic, Scottish and British blood flows in their veins, and sometimes their stormy cocktail. And the fair sex from the UK refutes the myth that northerners lose to southerners in appearance. Keira Knightley has been named the most beautiful woman in the country. She is the daughter of an Englishman and a Scottish woman.
Working class
Among this social stratum, it is rare to find a real beauty or a pretty man. Types of women in this environment are divided into two types. The first is the so-called towie. Basically, this type can be found in Essex. Ladies try to look beautiful with tons of makeup. False eyelashes, nails, hair; rhinestones in the eyebrows, navel, teeth; permanent make-up… All this war paint makes them spectacular, but by no means pretty.
The second type of women from the lower strata are Chav girls. These are girls who have given up on themselves and live on social benefits. They do not particularly bother with the width of their waist, which in some individuals reaches impressive volumes. This unpretentious appearance is exacerbated by bad taste and especially by the predilection of these ladies for leggings, which they wear without skirts or long tunics.
working class men
"Blue collar" can be identified by the love of plaid shirts. Among this caste, there is still an opinion that if a man is well-groomed, he is gay. Both sexes have an unhealthy addiction to alcohol, but at the same time they like to talk about Christian and family values. The types of working-class men can also be divided into two groups. The first is a large, phlegmatic big man with a purple face and watery blue eyes. To imagine this appearance, it is enough to recall the constables from the stories of Conan Doyle.
The second type is a thin and undersized man with a bony narrow skull and small, inexpressive features. But such people can be quite nice. An example of this is the actor who got into the Top handsome men of England, who played in the prequel of the Harry Potter epic "Magical Beasts" and "The Crimes of Grindelwald".
From all of the above, we can conclude that the UK remains a caste country. But it is not so. It can be noted that in recent years, a mixture of social strata has been increasingly observed. Thus, the gap between the older and younger generations becomes clearer. If the former are more prim, prefer clothes of calm colors and solid cut, then the latter strive for convenience, showiness, bright colors and fashion brands.
Introduction
At first glance, the British seem to be reserved and imperturbable people. With their button-down emotions and unshakable self-control, they appear to be extremely reliable and consistent - both for each other and for the whole world. In fact, in the depths of the soul of every Englishman, unbridled primitive passions boil, which he has not been able to completely subdue. The British try not to notice this “dark” side of their character and in every possible way 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 at heart the British are no less capable of deceit, rudeness, violence and other outrages than any other people in the world; they simply 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 quite predictable people to be "absolutely unpredictable."
English. What are they?
The English consider themselves law-abiding, polite, generous, gallant, steadfast and fair. They are also insanely proud of their self-deprecating humor, considering it the ultimate 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 already at the opposite end of the street on which he lives. The British perceive the rest of the world as a playground where certain teams interact - groups of peoples, each with their own traditions and culture - and you can either look at it from the outside and have fun, or use it for your own good, or simply write it off as unnecessary - in depending on desire. Just to the representatives of one or two nations, the British experience something like kindred feelings.
British traditions
The English are characterized by longing for the past, and for them there is nothing more precious than any customs and traditions. In the broad sense of the concept of "tradition" it is understood that something has stood the test of time, and therefore it should certainly be preserved, for example: bright red mailboxes, men's short coats with a hood with wooden buttons, marmalade, a day off on the last Monday of August, green privet hedges , Wembley Stadium and wellington rubber boots. The judges still sit in robes and powdered wigs of the eighteenth century, and the professors of the oldest universities in England - Oxford and Cambridge - wear black robes lined with scarlet and square caps, the royal guard is still dressed in the uniform of the 16th century, but none of the English and does not blink an eye. Members of Parliament, reporting the agenda in the House of Commons, put on antediluvian folding top hats. In England, the tradition of days of rest is strictly observed: a “weekend”, when the townspeople tend to go out of town, into nature. On Sundays, there is almost no one on the streets, theaters and shops are closed.
Traditional masculine respect for women is at a disadvantage due to the efforts of those who perceive this tradition as a manifestation of indulgence towards the weaker sex, and by no means 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 draw his sword with his right hand in time and protect himself from the enemy riding towards him.
Some things in England never change at all. Surveys of graduates from English universities have shown that those who graduated from independent (ie private public school) automatically receive better and higher paying places than those who graduated from public schools.
Their behavior
Moderation is a precious ideal! is of great importance to the British. This is especially evident in the general revulsion towards those who "go too far."
The concept of "going too far" includes, for example, excessive tearfulness or telling obscene jokes at which the author himself laughs the most. The British do not like to make scenes for each other in public. And anyone who does this automatically falls into the category of "going too far", that is, misbehaving. The best behavior in any circumstances is to portray languid indifference to everything in the world, although passions can boil in your soul at this moment. Even in love affairs, it is considered obscene to show one's true feelings - this can only be done behind closed doors, however, in this case, observing moderation.
However, in some (special) cases it is permissible to express one's feelings openly, for example, during sports competitions. At a funeral or when a person who has long been considered dead returns home to your joy. But in these cases, violent emotions must certainly be replaced by embarrassment.
The British believe that it is completely unacceptable to poke your nose into other people's business. With such a complex of antediluvian traditions and mores that they have, excessive curiosity and sociability can lead to the fact that you can offend someone simply out of ignorance.
English families
The family presents the Englishman with a luxurious opportunity to behave the way he wants, and not the way he is supposed to. But, except for annual holidays and holidays, family members are by no means eager to spend a lot of time together. The “traditional English family” is something like this: a working dad, a stay-at-home mom whom dad is married to, and their 2-4 children.
Those English children whose parents are quite wealthy are most often sent to some kind of “paplik school”, that is, to a closed school, usually with a boarding school. The parents of such children have a very positive attitude towards the stay of their child in a boarding school, believing that the farther the children are from home, the better they develop.
An alternative "public school" is the state free public day school. True, such schools periodically lack teachers (too low salaries), equipment and stationery (lack of support funds), students (chronic absenteeism) and premises (at least one school burns down every day).
Manners and etiquette
The English 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 on both; but at the same time, it is desirable to kiss "by" - i.e. pretend.
The options for farewells are more varied than the options for greetings, but they mean just as little. The once completely “street” expression “see you” (see you or bye), is now picked up by well-mannered people, it is used quite often and completely inappropriately.
In public places, the British go out of their way not to touch a stranger, even inadvertently. If inadvertently such a nuisance nevertheless happened, the most sincere apologies follow.
Home Improvement
The inhabitants of England use almost all their free time for the endless and uninterrupted "improvement" and arrangement of their homes, without which no house can be recognized as truly good.
The British are constantly fiddling both outside and inside the house, installing electronic security and showers, making built-in furniture or something else. Even the car will never be left without attention.
As soon as an Englishman starts gardening, something incredible happens: for a while he completely loses all his practicality and forgets about all other addictions. This is probably why the British prefer to live in their own homes. They are engaged exclusively in landscape - in their dreams they see endless green expanses 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 imagination of an Englishman, his personal national park.
Pets
The British are convinced that a person who loves animals cannot be completely bad. They themselves love animals. Any. The British keep pets exclusively for the company. They are vitally necessary for them, if only because only with four-legged pets do most of the British develop the most sincere tender relations that representatives of this nation are capable of, who are far from always able to communicate normally with each other. With animals, the British get along well, 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 cute trifles into their furry ears. Dogs accept such harassment 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 the British horror and disgust.
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 the favorite national dishes, and in other cases, or when there is not enough imagination, the British prefer another traditional dish - stewed beans and toast.
Potatoes are the most important component of the daily meal. The average Englishman eats 200 kilos of potato chips a year with fish, hamburgers and other meals. They also like potatoes in the form of "chip bati", which is a bun cut in half, buttered and stuffed with fried potatoes. Most English people will consider their meal unfinished if they don't get their "pudding". The British still appreciate their long-standing invention - sandwiches. True, they used to be satisfied with just spicy chatti cheese, 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 are stubbornly loyal to tea and consider it one of the few truly beautiful things that has ever come to England from abroad. They appropriated downright mystical healing and sedative properties to tea and resort to it in any crisis situations. Only tea can bring an Englishman out of a state of shock. And he also serves as an excuse to just 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 addiction. In large English institutions, tea is brewed in large vessels, like Russian samovars. The liquid that rushes out of such "samovars" in a stormy stream is best described by the name "table tea" - or, as the English 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 "fishing" (angling), because this word sounds more solid, implying certain professional skills and dexterity. Most of the British clearly prefer fishing to football. But there are many in England and those who regularly take part in all kinds of amateur competitions, for example, in basketball, golf, rugby, and swimming. And also the British love horseback riding, mountain climbing, horse racing and, of course, gambling. However, the true love of the British for sports is manifested in the observation of those who, in fact, play sports. Such observation gives vent to all their pent-up emotions. A football fan is accustomed to losing and enjoys even when his team pulls out at least a draw. The exception is the supporters of the popular club Manchester United, 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 an unthinkable circulation - only in Taiwan they buy 30,000 copies! Cricket is also one of the most popular games in England. The British invented cricket 750 years ago, and in relation to it they feel like terrible owners. For a long time they did not even reveal the secret of the rules of this game. Cricket for the British is not just a game. This is a symbol. Everyone considers this game a national form of summer leisure. On any village lawn or on a television screen, a group of people dressed in white and gathered in a circle constantly sticks out, 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, for four centuries already serving as an incomparable standard for all writers of the globe. The next three are also quite worthy and respected writers; their books are available in every home library. But best of all, the British know the work of the last writer, because 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 resonates in the hearts of English readers, and the torment of Hamlet, Coriolanus or Othello will leave their souls cold as ice. English readers of the story of Romeo and Juliet will prefer the story of Jemima Puddleduck escaping from her pots to enjoy another sunny day.
The English are extremely proud of their language, although most of them use only a tiny part of it. "Complete Oxford Dictionary" (complete Oxford Dictionary) consists of 23 volumes and contains more than 500,000 words, while the most complete German dictionary contains 185,000 words, and French less than 100,000. Shakespeare's working dictionary was 30,000 words (some of which he invented himself), which is twice as large as the lexicon of a modern Englishman. Most English people get along just fine with 8,000 words, the same number of words in the King James Version (the 1611 English translation of the Bible 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, is constantly absorbing something, drawing from the culture with which it is currently in contact. No other language has as many different ways of expressing practically 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: "delays the development of this industry and prevents the use of more adequate terminology in it", but English continues to be increasingly widely used in all areas.
Conclusion
As folk wisdom says: "You need to know your friends and enemies by sight." Indeed, knowing the characteristics of 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, and also in order to compare the culture and customs of our country with them, we could do something change, improve them.
The British live on the island of Great Britain. It is also home to the Scots and Welsh. Actually, the British are the product of a mixture of many ethnic groups - the most ancient Iberian population with peoples of Indo-European origin: tribes of Celts, Germanic tribes of Angles, Saxons, Frisians, Jutes, to some extent - Scandinavians, and later Franco-Normans.
The national character is tenacious in all peoples. But this applies to no people more than to the English, who, apparently, have something like a patent for the vitality of their nature. Thus, the first and most obvious feature of this nation is the stability and constancy of the character of its constituent individuals. They are less susceptible to the influence of time, transient fashions than others. If the authors writing about the English repeat each other in many respects, this is due, first of all, to the immutability of the foundations of the English character. It is important, however, to emphasize that, for all its stability, this character is made up of very contradictory, even paradoxical features, some of which are very obvious, while others are difficult to grasp, so that every generalization concerning the English can easily be challenged.
The curiosity of the English allowed them to get acquainted with the best of what other peoples have, and yet they remained true to their traditions. While admiring French cuisine, an Englishman will not imitate it at home. Being the embodiment of conformism, the British at the same time retain their individuality.
It cannot be said that the English have never changed. Changes happen all the time, but these differences, so visible externally, do not affect nations.
For better or worse, the original features of English nature still remain a kind of common denominator, have a profound impact on the national character and general lifestyle.
When it comes to the "hard upper lip" of an Englishman, there are two concepts behind this - the ability to control oneself (the cult of self-control) and the ability to respond appropriately to life situations (the cult of prescribed behavior). Neither one nor the other was characteristic of the British until the beginning of the nineteenth century. Equanimity and self-control, restraint and courtesy were by no means traits of the English character for "jolly old England", where the upper and lower classes of society were rather distinguished by a violent, quick-tempered temper, where there were no moral prohibitions for defiant behavior, where public executions and floggings were a favorite spectacle. , bear and cockfights, where even the humor was mixed with cruelty.
The principles of "gentlemanly behavior" were elevated to a cult under Queen Victoria. And they prevailed over the tough temper of "old England".
The Englishman even now has to wage a constant struggle with himself, with the natural passions of his temperament, rushing outward. And such tough self-control takes too much mental strength. This may partly explain the fact that the British are heavy on their feet, tend to avoid sharp corners, that they have an inherent desire to be out of prying eyes, which gives rise to a cult of privacy.
It is enough to watch the English crowd at a national holiday or at a football match to feel how the national temperament is torn from the bridle of self-control.
Modern English consider self-control to be the main virtue of human character. The words: "Know how to control yourself" - as nothing better express the motto of this nation. The better a person knows how to control himself, the more worthy he is. In joy and in sorrow, in success and failure, a person must remain unperturbed at least externally, and even better - if internally. An Englishman from childhood is taught to calmly endure cold and hunger, to overcome pain and fear, to curb attachments and antipathies.
Considering an open, uninhibited display of feelings as a sign of bad manners, the English sometimes misjudge the behavior of foreigners, just as foreigners often misjudge the English, mistaking the mask of equanimity for the face itself, or not realizing why it is necessary to hide the true state of mind under such a mask.
The Englishman is usually tall, his face is broad, reddish, with soft, pendulous cheeks, large red sideburns, and passionless blue eyes. Women, like men, are often very tall too. Both have long necks, slightly protruding eyes, and slightly protruding front teeth. Often there are faces without any expression. The English are characterized by moderation, which they do not forget both during labor and in pleasure. There is almost nothing ostentatious about the Englishman. He lives first and foremost for himself. His nature is characterized by love for order, comfort, the 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 shouting will confuse him. He won't stop for a minute. Where necessary, he will certainly step aside, turn off the sidewalk, wriggle to the side, never expressing the slightest surprise or fright on his important face.
The common English are extremely friendly and helpful. An Englishman who has addressed a foreigner with some question will take him by the shoulder and begin to show him the way with different visual techniques, repeating the same thing several times, and then he will look after him for a long time, not believing that the questioner could understand everything so soon.
The English not only know how to bypass all obstacles, avoiding breakage, but the work itself is carried out with perfect calmness, so that even the nearest neighbor often does not even suspect that a gigantic work is in full swing next to him.
In a country overwhelmed by fierce winds, rains and fogs, conditions have been created in which a person, more than anywhere else, is secluded in his home and removed from his fellows.
There is no people in Europe whose custom is elevated to such an inviolable law. Once a custom exists, no matter how strange, ridiculous or original, no well-bred Englishman will dare to break it. Although the Englishman is politically free, he is strictly subject to social discipline and ingrained customs.
The British are tolerant of other people's opinions. It is difficult to imagine to what extent this people have a strong passion for betting. The proliferation of clubs is also a phenomenon. The club is considered a home, a family sanctuary, the secrets of which no one can violate with impunity. Expulsion from the club is the greatest disgrace for an Englishman.
The Englishman feels a strong need for society, but no one knows how to retire among many friends better than him. Without violating decorum, he is perfectly capable of being with himself among a huge crowd, indulging in his thoughts, doing whatever he pleases, never embarrassing himself or others.
No one knows how to allocate his time and money as strictly as an Englishman.
He works extremely hard, but always finds time to relax. During the hours of labor he works without straightening his back, straining all his mental and physical forces; in his free time he willingly indulges in pleasures.
Every Englishman, wherever he lives, bears the stamp of his nationality. It is not always possible to distinguish a Frenchman from an Italian or from a Spaniard, but it is difficult to confuse an Englishman with anyone else. Wherever he comes, he will bring his customs, his manner of behavior everywhere, he will not change his habits anywhere and for anyone, he is everywhere - at home. This is an original, original, highly integral character.
The Englishman is very vain. He is sure that everything is going better in his country than in others. Therefore, he looks at the foreigner arrogantly, with regret and often with complete contempt. This defect in the English developed as a result of a lack of sociability and an exaggerated consciousness of their superiority over others.
Money is the idol of the British. No one treats wealth like this. Whatever the social position of an Englishman, be it a scientist, a lawyer, a politician or a clergyman, first of all he is a businessman. In every field, he devotes a lot of time to making money. His first concern always and everywhere is to make as much money as possible. But with this unbridled greed and passion for profit, the Englishman is not at all stingy: he loves to live with great comfort and in a big way.
The English travel a lot and always try to find out more facts, but they get very little closer to the people of the countries they visit. Etiquette, pride, misunderstanding and contempt for foreign customs do not allow them to get close to foreigners in a foreign land. In England, nothing turns into ruins, nothing outlives its life: next to the legends, innovations are crowded.
The Englishman has a natural ability to seek adventure. Phlegmatic by nature, he is able to passionately get involved in everything great, new, original. If the life of an Englishman develops in such a way that he is deprived of the opportunity to wage a difficult struggle with worldly obstacles, then he begins to suffer intolerable blues. Then, out of oppressive boredom, it is taken to seek entertainment in the strangest adventures.
In the field of art, the Englishman loves, above all, grandiosity and originality. The latter manifests itself, in particular, in the enormous size of bridges, monuments, parks, etc.
The ideal of the English is independence, education, dignity, honesty and disinterestedness, tact, grace of manners, refined courtesy, the ability to sacrifice time and money for a good cause, the ability to lead and obey, perseverance in achieving the goal, lack of swagger.
V. Sukhareva, M. Sukhareva, The book "Psychology of peoples and nations"
Different nations have different characters. We expect every nation to have some typical qualities. The geographical position of Great Britain has produced a certain spirit among its inhabitants. Those who know the British say that they look on foreigners with contempt and think nothing is as well done elsewhere as in their own country. Actually the British have also been known as superior, snobbish, hypocritical and unsociable.
English vanity grew as England became the world's leading trading nation. People say that Englishmen often think much of themselves. They appear to be very reserved and not straightforward. They like to hide their feelings. But British people have not only bad points.
In fact they are rather conservative and love familiar things and values. They got a lot of culture behind them and they stick to their customs and traditions. They are said to be very reliable, both socially and professionally. They seem to be very punctual and always keep their word. You can call the British cold, but deep down they are very warm and kind.
I have read that Englishmen have a strong sense of private space. And they rarely shake hands except when being introduced to someone for the first time. Despite this, they are very hospitable and friendly.
In fact every national character is a combination of good and bad traits. But still you must treat every nation with equal respect.
Translation:
Different nations have different characters. We expect every nation to have some similarities. The geographical position of Great Britain has imposed a certain mood among its inhabitants. Those who know the British say that they look at foreigners with contempt and believe that nothing is done so well anywhere as in their own country. In fact, the British are also known to be arrogant, snobbish, hypocritical and unsociable.
English vanity grew after England became the world's leading trading nation. People say that the British have a high opinion of themselves. They give the impression of being very restrained and not straightforward. They like to hide their feelings. But the English have more than just bad traits.
In fact, they are quite conservative and appreciate family things and values. They left a cultural mark behind them and they stick to their customs and traditions. They are said to be very reliable, both socially and professionally. They seem to be very punctual and always keep their word. You may call the British cold, but deep down they are very warm and polite.
I have read that the British have a strong sense of personal space. And they rarely shake hands, except when introducing themselves to someone for the first time. But, despite this, they are very hospitable and friendly.
In fact, every national character is a combination of good and bad qualities. But still, you must treat every nation with equal respect.
Useful expressions:
To look on smb with contempt - look at someone with contempt
Superior - arrogant
Hypocritical - hypocritical
Straightforward - straight
Vanity - vanity
To have a strong sense of private space - have a strong sense of personal space
To treat smth (smb) (to someone)
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The British have a favorite saying that "everything has its own wrong side." This banality is usually flaunted in order to resolve various disputes and disagreements. However, of all that really has both a face and a wrong side, it most clearly demonstrates its " bilateralism"English character.
At first glance, the British seem to be reserved and imperturbable people. With their buttoned-up emotions and unshakable self-control, they appear to be extremely reliable and consistent - both for each other and for the whole world. But in fact, in the depths of the soul of every Englishman, unbridled primitive passions boil, which he has not been able to completely subdue. The British try not to notice this "dark" side of their character and in every possible way hide it from prying eyes. Literally from birth, English children are taught not to show their true feelings, that is, simply to be hypocritical, and to suppress any incontinence, so as not to accidentally offend someone. Watching the elders, children see that they very often say one thing, but do something completely different. And in response to bewildered children's questions, adults explain: " Do as I tell you, not as I do myself". Appearance, visibility, decency - that's what is most important for an Englishman. And very soon little Januses comprehend the basics of this art, growing up two-faced in full accordance with their truly English character, flawlessly formed in them, so that the masks they put on in childhood hold on enough firmly throughout life.
But as soon as unbridled passions boil up in the soul of an outwardly impassive Englishman, and the mask of icy calm slips off his face, he becomes confused. The English are completely devoid of the ability to control their wild instincts. And when faced with the manifestation of such passions in others, they are likely to be completely confused, hide behind unfolded newspapers and pretend that nothing special is happening. Outrageous events such as the hooligan behavior of football fans or the violent skirmishes of motorists on the highway invariably cause a chorus of condemning voices. But even if all these things are ordinary enough for England and quite consistent with the English character, the English still believe that " it's not in english".
The fact is that at heart the British are no less capable of deceit, rudeness, violence and other outrages than any other people in the world; they simply 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 quite predictable people " absolutely unpredictable".
The English can, for example, loudly admire something without experiencing the slightest joy, or they can pretend to be overjoyed at something that, in their opinion, is worthy of the deepest contempt. You can never be sure which of their moods they intend to demonstrate: reasonably calm or completely irrational. So don't be surprised if the same person is able to politely lead you forward in the supermarket, holding his heavily loaded cart, and in the most boorish way in a crowded pub, just to get through the door first. The English climate, too, of course, is most directly related to such a duality. Warmth awakens the beast in the soul of the Englishman, while cold and light rain have a calming effect on him.
The interaction of these two extremes in the character of the English is the reason for the most frequent criticism of them: they are all hypocrites. Purely outwardly, perhaps this is so, but the external impression is deceptive. It's just that the British are convinced that truth, like everything else, also has two sides - the face and the wrong side.
Contradictory aspirations
Two fundamental and at the same time contradictory features of the Englishman are love for a clear sequence and continuity of events and a passionate desire for radical change. In the English character, these two opposite principles, constantly coexisting with each other, sometimes give rise to very curious behavioral incidents, which are most often observed in the classical split personality.
Although it is pleasant for the British to consider themselves and their way of life extremely consistent, this is a typical delusion. In fact, their lives are undergoing constant and sometimes unexpected changes. After all, their ancestors were obsessed with a passion for change, and everyone knows that the British hold on to the past, like chimney sweeps to their ladders. On the other hand, at least outwardly, they strive with all their might for a bright future (whereas their other self strives with all their might for a sweet yesterday). And for these very reasons, things that are completely inexplicable happen. For example, in the English government there are endless discussions about whether to spend public funds on a winter weather allowance for the elderly or allocate a meager allowance to junior medical staff, but at the same time everyone happily agrees to provide 11.2 million pounds sterling for the restoration of the monument to Prince Albert .
Traditions
The English are characterized by longing for the past, and for them there is nothing more precious than any customs and traditions. It seems that they do not care where this or that tradition came from and why it has been preserved. Traditions are traditions! That says it all.
Tradition for the English means a certain continuous sequence of events that must be preserved at all costs. In our changing age, this gives them a sense of constancy. Like a favorite knitted sweater worn on the elbows, tradition provides them with incomparable comfort.
In a broad sense, the concept tradition" implies that something has stood the test of time, and therefore it should certainly be preserved, for example: bright red mailboxes, men's short coats with a hood and wooden buttons, marmalade, a day off on the last Monday of August, a pint as a measure of capacity, green privet hedges , Wembley Stadium and wellington rubber boots.
Since the past appears to the English as much brighter and more glorious than the present, they really cling to it. So the main criterion for the preservation of any custom and any tradition is not what it has become now, but what it was once.
Public and private English holidays gather a lot of people (mainly men) who go as if against the flow of time, from the present to the past: they drive around in gilded carriages, covering their legs with an embroidered cavity, pull on leather stockings and put on knight's cloaks. And during public holidays, detachments, consisting mainly of representatives of aristocratic families (and usually from among the military), in full uniform go out onto a wide parade ground and march there for a long time with the most ferocious air in front of the eyes of the reigning monarch and accompanied by the best and most loud brass bands. playing mostly pieces by German composers.
Judges still sit in eighteenth-century wigs, but none of the English will bat an eyelid. Members of Parliament put on their antediluvian folding top hats when they announce the agenda in the House of Commons, and whoever chuckles! That's probably how it should be. Since it has always been so. After all, it's a tradition!
Moderation
Moderation is a precious ideal! - is of great importance to the British. This is especially evident in the general disgust towards those who " going too far". At the first suspicion that in this or that situation they " gone too far", the British begin to work back furiously, wanting to establish themselves in the most desirable state of mediocrity, in which most of the time they feel most comfortable.
Concept " go too far"includes, for example, excessive tearfulness in a hopelessly drunk state or releasing obscene jokes, over which the author himself laughs the most.
The British do not like to make scenes for each other in public. And anyone who does so automatically falls into the number " going too far", that is, misbehaving. Everything that is connected with a loud scandal or shouting over trifles is defined by several set expressions, with the help of which both parties are accused of " arrange a commotion and hustle and bustle", "ridiculous turmoil", ""incredible rumble", "nightmare noise" and " misplaced fun"- and this is perceived by society as highly undesirable.
The best behavior in any circumstances is to portray languid indifference to everything in the world, although passions can boil in your soul at this moment. Even in love affairs, it is considered obscene to show your true feelings - you can do this openly only behind closed doors, however, in this case, observing moderation.
Paradoxically, the expression " this time you (he/she/they) have gone too far"- this is almost always a prelude to really egregious deeds on the part of the author of these words, for he, no doubt, will not be slow to go into his behavior now" even further".
Individualism
The English have a well-developed sense of personal freedom, which in its most categorical form is expressed approximately as follows: " Okay, I will obey this law, but only because I myself decided so. And only if this either makes any sense to me personally, or I have no good reason not to comply. However, I myself will, of course, also choose from the two named conditions!"
Whoever called the English an "island race" was still only half right. Every inhabitant of England is his own island. The English are united only by war. They have become quite adept at warfare over the long ages, but their innate modesty requires them to always look like they're losing - almost to the very end. After all, an unexpected victory is much sweeter! And besides, it really annoys the loser.
The English are very respectful of their rights, especially the right to privacy and the right to preserve " private space". This is such a space around a person, within which, if you are a well-mannered person, you should never intrude. perhaps they will sit down so that they are separated from their neighbors by an empty seat. And this has nothing to do with the unhealthy fear of the smells of the human body; rather, it is a continuation of the British notion that each of them " king in his castle"It's okay; imagine that between you and an Englishman there always seems to be an invisible moat with water, and learn to shake hands with your acquaintances without coming close to them.