Things from "your" culture you hate.

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I dislike the "How are you?" thing, too. Sometimes it's because people make me feel I don't have the "right" to feel bad because others are worse off (this kind of comments actually seems to cheer some people up, so I don't think those who use them have bad intentions, but still...). However, the more important reason is that things I'm unhappy about are usually not the kind of things I want to share with every casual acquaintance. I also don't want people to worry about me because I say I'm unhappy.
This seems to exist in many cultures - actually, I guess most or even all in some form.

Another issue: Here in Germany, complaining is a kind of culturally approved social activity. When a group of people who share some experiences (for example going to the same school) get together, they often spend lots of time discussing things they are annoyed with. I used to do that, too, and I think it can help you get things off your chest. For example, what we are doing on this thread is such "social complaining" . But when I was in China as an exchange student, I had the impression that the people there did not complain nearly as much. Now I really dislike that German habit (maybe it exists in other cultures, too, I don't know).

And then there's a feature of German youth culture that I find really abhorrent. Many young people use the word "Opfer", meaning "victim", as an insult or to characterize people who behave in a (from their point of view) "pathetic" way. I can't stand that - a victim is often/usually someone who needs help and consideration. I feel using the word in a pejorative way is not acceptable. I don't actually consider myself to be a part of German youth culture, although I am a German youth, but this is the behavior of many people around me and sometimes I do actually feel ashamed of it.

yes you'd be right (austerican) go to Sydney for the worst of it We also like to run our infrastruture down even if making it good adds a couple of % to taxes as a share of gdp

British culture persecutes perpetually single bachelors, and also persecutes eccentric people, as supposedly they are probable sexual deviants. (In other words it persecutes people exactly like me, so how can I love the culture?) Even when there isn't outright persecution, at the very least they seem to be the people in most peril at the hands of the culture.

British culture = Brutish culture.

Last edited by Keeno on 07 Jun 2012, 6:25 am, edited 1 time in total.

I hate white trash and all its derivatives and spawn. Even worse is all the reality tv shows they have now, like Jersey Shore. Really the worst part of the culture here I think.

Dear NeueZiel, Exactly!
Elevating ignorance and rudeness and self-centeredness!
Making inconsiderate narcissists acceptable and, by some, admirable.
Yuck!

Sylkat

i would dispute the first point too. i used to live in the sutherland shire, south of sydney and the girls there really lay it on thick. people used to have skin the colour of carrot puree or chocolate custard. for a country with many beaches and sun this is an odd thing to do. i guess theyre being sun safe. and if fashion can be called part of culture & if we are talking the about local cultures then that of the shire is undesirable- bad tans, bleach blond straightened hair, parted to the side and they all wore the same clothes. it took me forever to learn faces because of this. and the lads. nobody likes lads. but they are everywhere. littering is an issue with highschoolers too. what makes it more disturbing is that bins were always in reach.
other than that the shire has a conservative culture and is known for being non-diverse racially, and racist. love my new suburb.

IIRC Ireland, to name one country, has the same smoking ban. Don't know how it compares to Scotland for crowds of smokers.

Fake tan might well be Scotland-specific because hours of sunshine are one of the world's lowest. Probably the same reason suntan studios are/were popular here.

I started a thread 2 or 3 years ago about sitting with feet on bus seats. Pretty much all of the replies condoned this. In fact, it's an extremely ignorant, impudent thing to do. What if, for example, someone going to a vital job interview or business meeting had to sit in one of those seats? Also, the replies suggested this happens in a lot of places besides Scotland.

Although I see a lot of littering here, you should for example see some parts of the United States.

If I had to pick one thing I dislike about Scottish culture, it is sectarianism. Or, the amount of it that still exists.

However I simply don't feel the shame or disgust in being Scottish, that I feel about what it means to be British. Not one bit, in fact.

You could be talking about my culture. That's the "genteel" South here in Alabammy to a "T". Especially Number 8. I think one of the benefits of being an Aspie is that I never developed the drawl, y'all, despite being immersed in it all mah lahf.

Ditto. In fact, if you've read a post I made a few days ago, about the sectarianism here, you'll see I've more reason than most to detest it. I had kept my post here more light-hearted. I do tend to say I'm Scottish, rather than British, a) because it's the truth and b) because it gets kinder responses.

from the East Coast USA
1. Reality tv...it's not that real.
2. Our electronic "connectedness"...everyone looking at their stupid phone
3. So much wasted light I can't see stars anymore...they are leaving fast...someday they will be completely invisible to us.
4. Over exageration of every kind. i.e. I really really really really really really like that song it is one of my 100 most favorite songs ever!
5. Instant gratification everywhere from sex to tv to movies to shopping to cars. Wait a while...it's more fun.
6. Instant communication...like 2 and 4 but if you text everything all the time...what do you talk about face to face?
7. sorry about this one...USA USA USA...sorry folks but from education to economy the US isn't #1 anymore. So stop acting like we are...it's embarrasing.

things from my culture I hate:
overdone make-up, perfume &/or cologne
paying bills
having to stop at intersections in busy traffic
lots of other stuff

Anything another American mentioned.

itd be easier to list things i like. Then again everywhere else is the same. Its just modern human nature

They can't. For a man to have cisible abs, he needs a bodyfat level of 8% (10% if he's lucky).

I've learned to make peace with a lot of things about Irish culture, but there's still one thing that I cannot stand... As far as popular television goes at least, Irish people have freaking horrible senses of humour. For every Father Ted, there's ten Damo & Ivors, and that makes me sad.

American ghetto culture is worldwide now. To wit:

Asian boys with baggy pants, backwards baseball caps and wearing the latest Air Jordan's.
Indian girls with large gold hoop earrings and multicoloured fingernails.
Russian boys blasting hiphop from their cars with 20" rims.
Chinese girls fighting over nothing in malls and train stations.
European boys in Sean Johns or FUBU sweaters selling dope, dropping out of school, and generally kissing education goodbye.
Middle East teens getting pregnant, going on welfare, and planning for a life of taking care of their kids - all with different last names.
Benelux boys having kids left and right that they don't see or take care of because they're too busy running the streets or robbing people or in jail.
Phillipino girls in padded skin-tight jeans, cheap fur sweaters and fancy $200 hair styles spending their WIC checks at the local supermarket.
Australian aboriginal boys in wife beaters and cornrows drinking 40's of malt liquor on their grandma's front stoop.

Very disappointing.