Agree. Sometimes I am thankful to have been born British, opposed to, say, in a country full of famine and disease, but ultimately I am not proud to be British.
How can you be proud of being something that is down to pure chance?
Not proud, but there are things about Britain that I am glad to identify with or I am pleased to have as part of my everyday life. These would include: a sense of fairness; our literature, language and landscape and some types of our humour.
I'm not proud that we one had a great empire but I am pleased that the 'rightness' of imperial expansion was always quesioned by some and that the cruel excesses of empire were never entirely unopposed.
In the same way:
slavery - never without opposition
class inequality - never without opposition
sexism - never without opposition
child labour - never without opposition
racism and intolerance - never without opposition
Achievements are something to be proud of... things you do and say and experience and choose. Not just being something that you have no control over.
For example, I'm proud of my parents because they work hard and gave my sister and I a decent upbringing. I'm proud of myself for choosing to go back to finish my degree and getting a promotion at work. I would even go as far to say that I am proud of the English football team when they work hard and win a football match. I may even be proud of some of our country's achievements and history.
However, I'm not proud of being born with brown eyes or dark hair, or on a small island in the Northern hemisphere... do you see the distinction?
my mum got through really hard times and brought up 2 kids single-handedly. that's one of the things i'm proud of her for and have a lot of respect and admiration for her. can you see the difference between that and being proud of your nationality?
Yeh, i understand what you're saying. But i think we can be proud in a way, like ive lived in this country for 20 years and i feel it's a part of me, its in me. So why can't i be proud of the nation? What other word could i use?
I can't be proud of a land mass that existed millenia before I was born.
So you should be proud of your achievments but also remember how you came by the opportunity to be able to make those achievements. Would you have been so successful in a less fortunate country than the one you are in and would you enjoy the freedoms that this country provides you with. The very fact you have been able to post your comments is a freedom that many in the world do not have the right to enjoy.
Not sure where you are coming from and quite what your point is regarding the "land mass". The "land mass" is not British.
Being British is belonging to a population of British people, in which case perhaps it's the rest of us you don't like then.
Doesn't really count since it isn't scientifically proven to happen by chance.
Anyway back on topic. I think some people don't understand the need to be competetive. ie. Would the americans have got to the moon if they didn't need to be proud?
You should be proud of your nation not for what it is but for what it can be. (you can quote me on that).
alright, we're so small but yet so powerful. That's always surprised me, a country this small has so much power on this earth. and even bigger countries are scared of us.
What do you mean this small? Compared to India or China perhaps so, or even the USA, but on the European scale Britain is certainly not a small country. It is among the fourth biggest countries of the EU.
If you mean by small the relatively small area of Britain, that would be even more bizarre to be proud of. Having a lot of people in a small area means that the country is hopelessly overcrowded.
As for all other qualities praised about Britain, name one which does exists in Britain but not in Sweden, Germany or any other Western-European country.
What do you mean this small? Compared to India or China perhaps so, or even the USA, but on the European scale Britain is certainly not a small country. It is among the fourth biggest countries of the EU.
If you mean by small the relatively small area of Britain, that would be even more bizarre to be proud of. Having a lot of people in a small area means that the country is hopelessly overcrowded.
As for all other qualities praised about Britain, name one which does exists in Britain but not in Sweden, Germany or any other Western-European country.
Jesus christ. are you serious or taking the piss? Dont analyse it too much. I mean Britain is small in size and very powerful. Simple as that. This thread has nothing to do with other countries. So what, I can't be proud of my child getting A grades because other children get them. That comment didn't need no english lesson style deep analysis to understand what it meant.
Will people stop using the ' why be proud of a piece of land' argument.
When we talk of national pride, it is referring to the nation state and what that nation state consists of, is defined by and represents, from law and politics to pop music and sport...
Anyone with a grasp of history, anthropology, psychology, philosophy and sociology knows that a need for and a sense of both territory and community is a crucial part of being human. And always has been...
Territory and community, far from being 'artificial', are in fact one of the most natural creations and desires of humans.
The nation state is merely the modern human example of this....
Anyone with a grasp of history, anthropology, psychology, philosophy and sociology knows that a need for and a sense of both territory and community is a crucial part of being human. And always has been...
Territory and community, far from being 'artificial', are in fact one of the most natural creations and desires of humans.
The nation state is merely the modern human example of this....
By "crucial part" I presume you mean necessity, and you're quite right in that sense, but in no way does your assertion disqualify the truth that nationalism is artificial. We created it because it was necessary for us to create it under specific conditions. That doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't become an arcane legacy over time.
I believe that nations and nationalism are borne out of ignorance, and will therefore eventually become unnecessary as we become more enlightened. Are you actually saying that nations spring into being at the spontaneous will and need of the people? When did that ever happen?
I am glad to be British, as I think it is a good place to live.
I find it hard to be 'proud' of things I didn't achieve for myself - but there is a similar sense of shared achievement becuase of the good things other British people have done - a feeling which I assume comes from our tendancy to tribalism.
Comments
Traditionally it is known as Welsh Rabbit.:)
OK, I won't mention the Rugby Team.......or the Football Team!:p
Not proud, but there are things about Britain that I am glad to identify with or I am pleased to have as part of my everyday life. These would include: a sense of fairness; our literature, language and landscape and some types of our humour.
I'm not proud that we one had a great empire but I am pleased that the 'rightness' of imperial expansion was always quesioned by some and that the cruel excesses of empire were never entirely unopposed.
In the same way:
slavery - never without opposition
class inequality - never without opposition
sexism - never without opposition
child labour - never without opposition
racism and intolerance - never without opposition
Yeh, i understand what you're saying. But i think we can be proud in a way, like ive lived in this country for 20 years and i feel it's a part of me, its in me. So why can't i be proud of the nation? What other word could i use?
So you should be proud of your achievments but also remember how you came by the opportunity to be able to make those achievements. Would you have been so successful in a less fortunate country than the one you are in and would you enjoy the freedoms that this country provides you with. The very fact you have been able to post your comments is a freedom that many in the world do not have the right to enjoy.
Not sure where you are coming from and quite what your point is regarding the "land mass". The "land mass" is not British.
Being British is belonging to a population of British people, in which case perhaps it's the rest of us you don't like then.
Doesn't really count since it isn't scientifically proven to happen by chance.
Anyway back on topic. I think some people don't understand the need to be competetive. ie. Would the americans have got to the moon if they didn't need to be proud?
You should be proud of your nation not for what it is but for what it can be. (you can quote me on that).
Now that made me laugh.
What do you mean this small? Compared to India or China perhaps so, or even the USA, but on the European scale Britain is certainly not a small country. It is among the fourth biggest countries of the EU.
If you mean by small the relatively small area of Britain, that would be even more bizarre to be proud of. Having a lot of people in a small area means that the country is hopelessly overcrowded.
As for all other qualities praised about Britain, name one which does exists in Britain but not in Sweden, Germany or any other Western-European country.
When we talk of national pride, it is referring to the nation state and what that nation state consists of, is defined by and represents, from law and politics to pop music and sport...
Not the landmass per se.
I'm proud to be both!
Actually that is nonsense.
Anyone with a grasp of history, anthropology, psychology, philosophy and sociology knows that a need for and a sense of both territory and community is a crucial part of being human. And always has been...
Territory and community, far from being 'artificial', are in fact one of the most natural creations and desires of humans.
The nation state is merely the modern human example of this....
http://www.fatbadgers.co.uk/Britain/firsts.htm
I'm not. I'm not patriotic at all.
I'm human, so is everybody else. I couldn't care what part of the planet we come from.
I'm British and Welsh (and could also "qualify" for want of a better word to be English) and I'm pleased I am but not particularly proud
By "crucial part" I presume you mean necessity, and you're quite right in that sense, but in no way does your assertion disqualify the truth that nationalism is artificial. We created it because it was necessary for us to create it under specific conditions. That doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't become an arcane legacy over time.
I believe that nations and nationalism are borne out of ignorance, and will therefore eventually become unnecessary as we become more enlightened. Are you actually saying that nations spring into being at the spontaneous will and need of the people? When did that ever happen?
I find it hard to be 'proud' of things I didn't achieve for myself - but there is a similar sense of shared achievement becuase of the good things other British people have done - a feeling which I assume comes from our tendancy to tribalism.
Makes sense to me.