What countries in Europe are mostly the opposite of "emotional" and "impulsive" ?

[Maleth]

It seems that throughtout most of history Italy remained mostly stagnant, making infer by their their history they are not so promising, whereas other countries (hm, which ones? Germany, Switzerland, Sweden...) just went on catching up with it and eventually getting better economical performance. And in 2003 Italy got better to eventually fall down again. Germany and Japan to have done pretty well after WWII, whereas Italy is marked by rather unstable politics since then.

Consider these points before dropping your hints.

Please note that Italy and Germany unified as countries at around 1870, before that they were just separate regions. Germany was just 100's of states sometimes even a village was a state, let alone being able to have GDP results from 1500 as the Madison figures suggest. If not mistaken GDP methodology was first used or created sometime in the 1940's in the US. Am I missing something maybe?

 

[Dabeho]

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[Dabeho]

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[Maleth]

You know what? Be it as it is.

As long as Southern European countries are not what we can call Latin America (cleaner, fairer wages), I think I can start having a liking for them (again).

After asking some questions today to people, I have even reconsidered my positions on some countries .

Peace.

some more info.............

 

[Sile]

Please note that Italy and Germany unified as countries at around 1870, before that they were just separate regions. Germany was just 100's of states sometimes even a village was a state, let alone being able to have GDP results from 1500 as the Madison figures suggest. If not mistaken GDP methodology was first used or created sometime in the 1940's in the US. Am I missing something maybe?

a lot of the dates are in error of 30 years when looking at the map and comparing it to historical fact.................

 

[Maleth]

a lot of the dates are in error of 30 years when looking at the map and comparing it to historical fact.................

very probable but the idea is there that neither Italy or Germany (espesially Germany) was there in 1500

 

[Mars]

I think he meant touchy as touching you when speaking
I think there is North/South but also Protestant/Catholic divide.

Well I'm from a city in the cradle of catholicism (Italy) and nobody here touches you whilst speaking... But I live in a northern region, so I can't speak for the whole country (though my "touchy" experiences are very limited). I think that some "touchy" things occur more frequently in the south; some months ago, I spent some hours with a large group of neapolitans and they used to touch my shoulders and even my hips during conversations. I didn't like it at all, I was something like "please keep your distance!". And I remember a sicilian guy doing the same thing with my GF last summer... It was VERY unpleasent, I wanted to smash his face, I didn't care if it was a "regional" behaviour or something (yes, I'm a typical jealous southern euro :grin

 

[Maleth]

Well I'm from a city in the cradle of catholicism (Italy) and nobody here touches you whilst speaking...

I believe that is the Norm in any place. It would be horrible for anyone to touch you as they speak in a normal conversation, UNLESS some one is emotional distress or gives a hug out of some good news, and put say an arm round the shoulder for comfort (and it mostly happens with family and friends anyway).

And I remember a sicilian guy doing the same thing with my GF last summer... It was VERY unpleasent, I wanted to smash his face, I didn't care if it was a "regional" behaviour or something (yes, I'm a typical jealous southern euro :grin

And he didnt know your Girl friend? there is nothing culturally or regionally acceptable about that and its not normal at any rate. If you don't punch him in the face probably someone else would. Most of the touching happens when greeting and saying goodbyes to family, friends and friends of friends in form of kissing on the cheek, hugging and in times of distress like putting a hand over the shoulder or holding a hand. Mostly that happens with family and friends not total strangers.

On the other hand its very easy and acceptable culturally in the south to start conversations with total strangers, (Buses, waiting in ques (where there are any haha) and personally I find it very pleasant and represents a cohesive and trustworthy society and many people still go out of their way to give a helping hand without the need to be individualistic and treat every case suspiciously all the time and every time. I SINCERLY hope it will never change

 

[Mars]

And he didnt know your Girl friend? there is nothing culturally or regionally acceptable about that and its not normal at any rate. If you don't punch him in the face probably someone else would. Most of the touching happens when greeting and saying goodbyes to family, friends and friends of friends in form of kissing on the cheek, hugging and in times of distress like putting a hand over the shoulder or holding a hand. Mostly that happens with family and friends not total strangers.

She helped him fix a problem with a power point presentation in the previous few days. He probably thought she was free. When he started touching her, I suddenly grabbed her hand, just to make it clear :annoyed: I told her about this and she said "people in the south are simply more exuberant, don't worry"... Well, I worried nevertheless:startled:

On the other hand its very easy and acceptable culturally in the south to start conversations with total strangers, (Buses, waiting in ques (where there are any haha) and personally I find it very pleasant and represents a cohesive and trustworthy society and many people still go out of their way to give a helping hand without the need to be individualistic and treat every case suspiciously all the time and every time. I SINCERLY hope it will never change

This is true

 

[RobertColumbia]

Read Gone with the Winds
Now they are rich enough West Euro country with probably also not so much kids (I have not checked on their demographics, could be they still outdo other Euros) and probably not so Catholic.

Gone with the Wind is not really about Irish people per se, but about the political, social, and economic upheavals in the USA's Southern states/cultural region during the late 19th century. The story happens to have an Irish-American heroine, and perhaps the author may have intended to make a metaphorical comparison between English/Irish dynamics and Northern USA/Southern USA dynamics, but the USA is the main focus of the story.

The cultural divide described in the book still exists today. For more information about it, read D. H. Fischer's Albion's Seed.

 

[RobertColumbia]

Please note that Italy and Germany unified as countries at around 1870, before that they were just separate regions. Germany was just 100's of states sometimes even a village was a state, let alone being able to have GDP results from 1500 as the Madison figures suggest. If not mistaken GDP methodology was first used or created sometime in the 1940's in the US. Am I missing something maybe?

It is easy to imagine that Germany and Italy have more or less always been similar in scope to the way they currently are, with only minor border changes every few decades. As you mentioned, this is not true at all - the modern nations of Germany and Italy are of very recent origin, even more recent than the USA.

 

[linicx]

Thats interesting. However if that is the case what is it that makes it such? I presume there is some distinction also between Irish and say English or Brits in general

The Irish are hot tempered and fiercely supportive of their country.

 

[PIER1A]

what about Vatican?