Why are the Irish generally superficial?

machaseh

So as a background I moved over here from Holland a bit more than 2 years ago. What I have noticed a lot with Irish people is a prevailing sense of superficiality, and I wonder why this is so. I'll explain this a bit more below.

For example, the go-to activity for Irish people would be to go out drinking at the pub. Now there's nothing wrong with that, in the Netherlands we like our pints too. But in the pub you already start noticing the prevailing cultural superficiality of many Irish folks as compared to the Netherlands.

For example, eating out to get a proper meal before going to the pub seems to be uncommon. Whenever I'd propose something like that it'd be like 'nah im broke'. Even if it's been payday. It seems like Irish people just want to spend their money on alcohol rather than on a total, more enjoyable experience. I'm not saying they never get food, but it'd be more something like a cheapo pizza in the pub, maybe some chips, or perhaps some (bad quality) kebab or go to the chipper afterwards rather than do something nice in the food department.

The choice of drink is also generally not interesting, most Irish people would go for the coors light, Heineken (which by the way is considered the worst 'standard' beer in the Netherlands, yes I know it's from our country), and more importantly most would stick to only one type of beer for the night. Some lads with a bit more money would , fair play to them, go for the more expensive whiskeys but that's more of an exception than the rule.

The conversations is where the superficiality prevails though. Most irish people that I met have little if any knowledge of the Irish language, for example. Politics generally seems to be an absolutely taboo subject, while it would be normal for us to talk about that back home. They all seem to vote for FF/FG just because their parents did without thinking twice of it.

There also seems to be a general lack of interest in culture, such as the arts or music.

I wonder why Irish people are so superficial. Or is this just a Dublin thing? I just feel as if people back home are a lot more interesting in many aspects.

Any more trite stereotypes you wish to add? There are a few empty boxes remaining.

TheValeyard

I heard people from the Netherlands had webbed feet?

One eyed Jack

machaseh wrote: »

I wonder why Irish people are so superficial. Or is this just a Dublin thing? I just feel as if people back home are a lot more interesting in many aspects.

This is like someone visiting the Red Light District in Amsterdam and assuming Dutch people are a nation of perverts :pac:

The point being, your observations are so limited, there’s nothing to argue.

Fr_Dougal

Ah here we go, another stoned Dutch person...














Am I doing it right?

machaseh

TheValeyard wrote: »

I heard people from the Netherlands had webbed feet?

That would come in very handy every time my house gets flooded again, but sadly no.

Antares35

Are you basing your sweeping stereotypes on your limited experience OP?

v638sg7k1a92bx

machaseh wrote: »

So as a background I moved over here from Holland a bit more than 2 years ago. What I have noticed a lot with Irish people is a prevailing sense of superficiality, and I wonder why this is so. I'll explain this a bit more below.

For example, the go-to activity for Irish people would be to go out drinking at the pub. Now there's nothing wrong with that, in the Netherlands we like our pints too. But in the pub you already start noticing the prevailing cultural superficiality of many Irish folks as compared to the Netherlands.

For example, eating out to get a proper meal before going to the pub seems to be uncommon. Whenever I'd propose something like that it'd be like 'nah im broke'. Even if it's been payday. It seems like Irish people just want to spend their money on alcohol rather than on a total, more enjoyable experience. I'm not saying they never get food, but it'd be more something like a cheapo pizza in the pub, maybe some chips, or perhaps some (bad quality) kebab or go to the chipper afterwards rather than do something nice in the food department.

The choice of drink is also generally not interesting, most Irish people would go for the coors light, Heineken (which by the way is considered the worst 'standard' beer in the Netherlands, yes I know it's from our country), and more importantly most would stick to only one type of beer for the night. Some lads with a bit more money would , fair play to them, go for the more expensive whiskeys but that's more of an exception than the rule.

The conversations is where the superficiality prevails though. Most irish people that I met have little if any knowledge of the Irish language, for example. Politics generally seems to be an absolutely taboo subject, while it would be normal for us to talk about that back home. They all seem to vote for FF/FG just because their parents did without thinking twice of it.

There also seems to be a general lack of interest in culture, such as the arts or music.

I wonder why Irish people are so superficial. Or is this just a Dublin thing? I just feel as if people back home are a lot more interesting in many aspects.

What are you talking about. Dutch people are absolutely zero craic with no sense of humour. They’re literally known for it.

machaseh

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Ah here we go, another stoned Dutch person...

Once I was having a couple pints with me mates in the pub. Some absolutely leathered girl comes up to us and starts chatting. 'Where are you from?' So I say ' the Netherlands'

Your one pulls out a 20 from her bra and shouts 'AH GRAND CAN I BUY SOME GREEN OFF YA !'

FingerChips

I've observed this too as a foreigner. Nothing bad about it, it's a bit off putting.

jimgoose

Shouldn't you have your finger in a dyke somewhere?

Mattdhg

A lot can be chalked down to cultural differences.

For example, we are still very fresh as a country and have only recently emerged from a fraught past. Many people have political sentiments or leanings that the lad on the next stool would be aggravated by, so it's best to keep quiet.

My parents always had a rule for public socialising - never discuss sex, politics or religion.

machaseh

FingerChips wrote: »

I've observed this too as a foreigner. Nothing bad about it, it's a bit off putting.

Where are you from buddy?

I mean for the rest the lot of ye are good craic dont get me wrong but I was just wondering where this superficiality comes from.

4068ac1elhodqr

Is it true that the Dutch (living in such a flat land), are all flat-earth believers?

Also, they don't own cars, only rent them out when needed.
There are 7 bikes (one for each day of the week), owned by each and every citizen (and a domestic mini-windmill too).
The Saturday night bike, has extra wide tyres for stablising the cafe stoners*.



*None of these, or other stereotypes on this page are accurate or true.
They do have good funky accents however.

jimgoose

machaseh wrote: »

Where are you from buddy?

I mean for the rest the lot of ye are good craic dont get me wrong but I was just wondering where this superficiality comes from.

We only pretend to be superficial - the Irish psyche is a deep, dark pit full of the ancient bones, legends and púcaí. To quote Keane, you have as much chance of getting a straight answer out of a Kerryman as getting a goose-egg from an Arctic tern.

jimgoose

Julia Agreeable Urinalysis wrote: »

Is it true that the Dutch (living in such a flat land), are all flat-earth believers?...

Also, the Dutch word for their own language is Dumpfelstafen, which translates literally as "German-while-high-as-a-kite".

Plopsu

If you find the company you keep to be superficial, perhaps you should look at the company you're keeping.

machaseh

Mattdhg wrote: »

A lot can be chalked down to cultural differences.

For example, we are still very fresh as a country and have only recently emerged from a fraught past. Many people have political sentiments or leanings that the lad on the next stool would be aggravated by, so it's best to keep quiet.

My parents always had a rule for public socialising - never discuss sex, politics or religion.

Ah yes thats also something. Why do Irish people obsess about their past all of the time? Anything wrong in the country, 'ah its the damn brits'. Never taking their own responsibility.

Have you lived through british occupation? Most likely not ulness you're actually a 90 year old which I highly doubt. Many peoples have been oppressed in the past, and yes it's a shame but it's not an excuse for the irish to not take responsibility for their own country in my opinion.

machaseh

jimgoose wrote: »

Also, the Dutch word for their own language is Dumpfelstafen, which translates literally as "German-while-high-as-a-kite".

That sounds like a German word, we don't have words with this strange 'pf' sound. By the way we are as fond of Germans as yous are of Brits. For very obvious reasons......

IngazZagni

It's definitely the people you are hanging around with. The community you are in and perhaps the age of those you are with.

This is a very expensive place to live as well as I'm sure you are aware and many young people don't have money to be spending in expensive restaurants.

There is a bit of a monopoly of big brand beer dominating the tap space but that's rapidly changing and loads of niche pubs serving craft beers if that's your thing.
When it comes to sport which we love. GAA, rugby and golf are very popular where I'm from. My dutch colleagues couldn't give a damn about them though and that's one reason why we are different.

jimgoose

machaseh wrote: »

Ah yes thats also something. Why do Irish people obsess about their past all of the time? Anything wrong in the country, 'ah its the damn brits'. Never taking their own responsibility.

Have you lived through british occupation? Most likely not ulness you're actually a 90 year old which I highly doubt. Many peoples have been oppressed in the past, and yes it's a shame but it's not an excuse for the irish to not take responsibility for their own country in my opinion.

Nobody obsesses about "the damn Brits" or blames them for anything vaguely modern except the sort of buck-toothed, jug-eared ape that hangs around provincial town centres on Saturday nights kicking the shit out of tourists. I think you need new mates.

4068ac1elhodqr

Could be the OP is a Farage-fanboy, simply angry at the new/expanding routes and partnerships to Dutch friends, therefore bypassing the small Island nation of Britain.

Dublin&Cork to Rotterdam and Antwerp, or Dublin to Zeebrugge.
Future expansion also to France's core ports, Calais and Dunkirk.

Send forth all your best beers, cheese, wine and women (but not so much the Calais illegals), thanks!

looksee

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058047548

I think you should join this poster in Humanities, you can compare notes (maybe that will be really easy?)

machaseh

IngazZagni wrote: »

It's definitely the people you are hanging around with. The community you are in and perhaps the age of those you are with.

This is a very expensive place to live as well as I'm sure you are aware and many young people don't have money to be spending in expensive restaurants.

There is a bit of a monopoly of big brand beer dominating the tap space but that's rapidly changing and loads of niche pubs serving craft beers if that's your thing.
When it comes to sport which we love. GAA, rugby and golf are very popular where I'm from. My dutch colleagues couldn't give a damn about them though and that's one reason why we are different.

Look I personally dislike sports. I couldnt give a damn about any of em. But I must say that if me mates do drag me to the pub I actually PREFER the Irish sports over our super boring football, bike races (yawn) etc.

The only Dutch sport that I miss here in Dublin would be speed ice skating. Of course, it simply never freezes enough here in Ireland that you would be able to ice skate, so I understand that it just doesn't exist here. And nowadays with global warming, you can even forget ice skating in winter in the Netherlands (we did use to do it as a child though).

Fr_Dougal

machaseh wrote: »

Once I was having a couple pints with me mates in the pub. Some absolutely leathered girl comes up to us and starts chatting. 'Where are you from?' So I say ' the Netherlands'

Your one pulls out a 20 from her bra and shouts 'AH GRAND CAN I BUY SOME GREEN OFF YA !'

It really sounds like you need to re-evaluate the company you keep and the establishments you frequent.

A lot of Irish people are well able to speak the language, don’t drink Coors light and are more than happy to go out for meals etc.

Perhaps you need to make some lifestyle changes.

machaseh

Julia Agreeable Urinalysis wrote: »

Could be the OP is a Farage-fanboy, simply angry at the new/expanding routes and partnerships to Dutch friends, therefore bypassing the small Island nation of Britain.

Dublin&Cork to Rotterdam and Antwerp, or Dublin to Zeebrugge.
Future expansion also to France's core ports, Calais and Dunkirk.

Send forth all your best beers, cheese, wine and women (but not so much the Calais illegals), thanks!

Not really. I think we should kick the Brits out of Ireland as well as out of the EU to teach them a lesson.

machaseh

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

It really sounds like you need to re-evaluate the company you keep and the establishments you frequent.

A lot of Irish people are well able to speak the language, don’t drink Coors light and are more than happy to go out for meals etc.

Perhaps you need to make some lifestyle changes.

I suppose so, yes. I hope I'll be able to meet more sophisticated Irish people soon.

KaneToad

I think you're hanging out with the wrong people OP.

1 in 5 adults in Ireland don't drink any alcohol
1.7 million people can speak Irish
20,500 people speak Irish daily, outside of education
65,000 students in full-time education through Irish language
The Abbey Theatre was the first state sponsored theatre in the English speaking world

Thelonious Monk

jimgoose wrote: »

Nobody obsesses about "the damn Brits" or blames them for anything vaguely modern except the sort of buck-toothed, jug-eared ape that hangs around provincial town centres on Saturday nights kicking the shit out of tourists. I think you need new mates.

Have a look at Reddit Ireland. Pretty much every post is some anti brit nonsense.

jimgoose

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Have a look at Reddit Ireland...

No thank you. You can probably smell the three-week-old sweat from the screen. :pac::pac::pac:

machaseh

KaneToad wrote: »

I think you're hanging out with the wrong people OP.

1.7 million people can speak Irish

1,7 million people can read Irish texts, say sláinte and tiocfaidh ár lá and understand some basic conversations, but can 1,7 million hold fluent conversations in Irish and write irish texts? I highly highly doubt that.

If 1,7 million people truly had fluent irish, I would have met more than exactly one (1) Irish person who spoke fluent Irish. And she is from Donegal so yes of course she speaks it. Or I must indeed have been extraordinarily unlucky or living in an alternate universe.