Typical Englishmen: character, appearance, lifestyle. Ten facts for those who want to understand the English Conversation and gestures

How do the British live? How do they do business, why are they in no hurry, and what do they even mean when they joke? Anthony Mayall and David Milstead answer these questions and more in their book "Those strange Englishmen", which is published in April by Alpina Publisher. We publish several witty fragments from it.

Value system

Common sense- a fundamental concept. Only common sense will tell you whether to take an umbrella with you in case of rain. Common sense says: you can’t sit on a cold stone (otherwise you’ll get hemorrhoids). Common sense dictates that you wear clean underwear every day - what if you get hit by a car and end up in the hospital? For the British, the essence of common sense is summed up by Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Scouting movement: “Always be prepared.”

Common sense dictates that it is impossible to make a mistake, make a mistake, or take the wrong step. Give in to life's circumstances? Unforgivable stupidity! Any business or event planned outdoors should have a backup option “under a roof” in case “the worst happens.” Even in accounting reports there is a column “Unforeseen expenses”.

Is it any wonder then that at important business meetings the British sometimes turn out to be less prepared than others. However, this in no way can shake their confidence in the inevitable triumph of common sense.

Rules of the game

If the British say that you “know the rules of the game” - hurray, exhale, you have been recognized! For a foreigner is awarded such an assessment extremely rarely and never unanimously by everyone.

This expression has nothing to do with games or sports; we are talking about behavior (both on and off the playing field) that inspires respect. In any physical activity or test, someone who knows the rules of the game will try to make sure that no one notices how much effort it takes, and - ideally - win thanks to his inner superiority. And then he will show modesty and will not shout about his victory, and will also show generosity towards the loser.

Anyone who knows the rules of the game should also be able to lose. Arguments with judges or obvious upset are not acceptable. But a casually thrown (but in no case through gritted teeth!) remark like “the best always win!”, addressed to everyone, is very, very desirable, even if you have suffered a crushing defeat.

And it’s not that such words could deceive anyone - the British have too much of a competitive spirit for that, especially in sports. An Englishman would prefer someone to cross his path in matters of the heart rather than beat him at tennis, but in neither case will he allow anyone to notice his feelings: this would mean that he has “gone too far.” far".

Stoicism, the ability to meet the vicissitudes of fate with cheerfulness and equanimity - these are the main features of the English character. And this is by no means the insensibility of a wooden doll with a “fixed upper lip”, not Eastern fatalism and not Scandinavian gloominess. It's just a special attitude towards life.

The Englishman suspects all foreigners of a tendency to overreact to everything and always “make a fuss over trifles,” but he will treat you much warmer, having discovered that you have a restrained sense of humor. An example of typical English stoicism is the case of a circus worker whose hand was bitten off by a tiger. When the unfortunate man was taken to the hospital and asked if he was allergic to anything, he replied: “Only to tigers.”

Clubs, parties and classes

“Being one of”, being involved - that’s what’s really important for an Englishman. Individuality is great, and in some cases it is even recommended, but in general it is preferable to feel like a member of a team.

The Englishman is happy and serene surrounded by his own kind, with whom he has much in common (perhaps, however, all members of the group are simply pretending that this is so).

The need for “belonging” is also manifested in the British devotion to the class system, which is constantly threatened with destruction, but which nevertheless remains a defining moment in the life of English society. The importance of the existence of classes is difficult to overestimate, and there is no talk of their abolition at all. The Englishman perceives his class as a very large club of which he is a member.

According to English tradition, society should consist of three main classes. In the old days it was the aristocracy, merchants and workers. However, due to the growth of the merchant class (middle class), the aristocracy and workers had to make room, and the middle class decided to divide into upper, middle and lower.

Everyone understands perfectly well that in any life circumstances they must make an appropriate impression - that is, one that corresponds to their ideas about what others think about them and how these others perceive what representatives of a different class wear, speak, eat and drink, and also where they live and with whom they communicate.

And although the British recognize that much greater social mobility is desirable for their society, they prefer to marry within their class, among equals. In order not to argue over trifles, for example, is it good to decorate the walls with porcelain ducks or is a fish knife really necessary?

Business

In world business circles, English businessmen are not taken too seriously; they seem to be amateurs, preferring to rely on a certain instinct in business and not trusting proven methods of analysis and work organization.

The British are very proud of their ability to certainly, albeit somehow, make mistakes and confuse, but still bring the matter to the end without unnecessary haste, that is, to act without particularly worrying about discipline or planning. In the past, this attitude to work served them very well, and it is in the past that all the lessons that the British would like to learn are contained.

The English way of solving practical issues is unusually democratic. Any decision is made collectively, that is, by some commission. If you decide to contact someone from the business community by phone, every time you will be told that he is at a meeting or that he has an important meeting. Meetings drag on endlessly as participants try to reach consensus rather than making a concrete decision. The once widespread belief that the British work more and harder than others has now been greatly shaken, for statistics show that on average Germans work 44.9 hours a week, Italians - 42.4, and the British - only 42. Of course, the latter They immediately stated that the Germans and Italians, firstly, have many more holidays and weekends, and secondly, it is not the number of working hours that is important, but the quality of the work.

Save time

In general, the British adore punctuality and strive for it, but are by no means obsessed with it. After all, time can be measured in arbitrarily small conventional units: for example, the expression “One moment!” means a shorter period of time than “Just a second!”, but still not as short as “Instantly!”. But the “Wait a minute!” thrown at you! can stretch out to five or six minutes, and “Give me five minutes!” usually means a quarter of an hour.

Just obeying orders

Since the British cannot stand being told what to do and how to do it, any order should be given with due respect, which many other peoples find completely unnecessary. If you state your requirement in the form of a request, you will certainly achieve the desired result. But try to express it precisely in the form of an order, and the British will immediately impudently announce a break and start drinking tea.

Language

The English are extremely proud of their language, although most people only use a tiny part of it (and even then only poorly). The Oxford English Dictionary consists of 23 volumes and contains more than 500,000 words, while the most complete dictionary of the German language has only about 185,000 words, and the French dictionary has less than 100,000. Shakespeare's working dictionary included 30,000 words (some of he invented them himself), which is twice as large as the vocabulary of a modern educated Englishman. Most residents of Foggy Albion get by just fine with 8,000 words - the same number of words in the King James Bible (English translation of 1611), which is still used by most Anglican 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, constantly absorbs something, draws from the culture with which it is currently in contact. No other language has so many different ways of expressing almost the same thing as English. The English view this tradition of linguistic sensitivity positively, but generally frown upon general changes in language until they become accustomed to them. After which they are considered “standard English”. The British never miss an opportunity to discuss pronunciation, spelling rules or word usage. In general, this is a game that the British take very seriously.

Meanwhile, English as a means of communication in the world of people occupies approximately the same position as Microsoft in the world of computers: the modern world community cannot do without English. The French, of course, continue to stand their ground, arguing that the use of English in, say, aviation “holds back the development of the industry and prevents the use of more adequate terminology,” but English continues to be increasingly used in all areas. It is spoken by one billion people; it is used by 80% of Internet users; 75% of all letters on the globe are written in English, and it is constantly studied by more than 200 million Chinese.

There are many more people in India who speak English as their native language than in England. Voyager 1 carries into deep space, far beyond our solar system, a message from the United Nations, written in English on behalf of 147 countries! Soon the English will be able to travel around the globe using only their native language, without even having to repeat anything to anyone or even raise their voice. This prospect makes them feel “comfortable” - an English word that has no equivalent in any other language in the world, of which there are more than 2,700, and in no other culture.

Conversation and gestures

When talking to an Englishman, you always feel like a complete idiot, because here they almost never say what they think, but very often they say things that are directly opposite to their own opinion. For example, if the story you told caused the English to say “How interesting!”, you should not take it seriously. This is just a fly in the ointment. When one Englishman inquires about the health of another, the answer will be the same: “It’s a sin to complain!” The most obvious pretense is evident. Because complaining is a favorite pastime. When talking with anyone, they always complain and whine about any reason: they are not satisfied with health, the government, bureaucrats, food prices, young people, old people. Nodding with an important air and feeling united in the general displeasure with others, they grumble and grumble about everything in the world, until finally, refreshed by a good portion of mutual grumbling, they unanimously agree that everything around is very bad and it is absolutely impossible to somehow improve the situation, but because that's how it is in English.

How to start a conversation

Since the British are practically incapable of frank conversation, they have invented an incredible number of metaphors, a set of which is known to everyone, and everyone feels great using this set. This includes, for example, euphemisms that help avoid heated debates on various sensitive issues.

The British do not die, but “extinguish the candle” or simply “cross over”. When they go out to relieve themselves, they are “following their hearts” or simply “going somewhere.” They are faithfully served by a huge number of platitudes, which they often and gladly drag out into the light of day in order to keep the conversation ball in the air or to cover up their reluctance to say something specific. However, the British are a little ashamed of the hackneyed nature of these phrases and call them the derogatory French word “cliché.” Moving from one cliché to another, an experienced interlocutor can skillfully avoid both excessive categoricalness and excessive vagueness of judgment, regardless of the subject of conversation.

English weather

If the topic of weather is not touched upon in a conversation, consider that you haven’t talked at all. Without the obligatory phrase “What a sunny day it is today” or “It’s pouring like buckets, isn’t it?” communication will not work out.

In the British Isles, the weather, like the inhabitants of these places, is categorically unpredictable. Due to its geographical position, the UK is a perpetual victim of atmospheric changes, so planning any outdoor events is always at risk. Although the British have become accustomed to this state of affairs over many centuries, extreme weather conditions take them by surprise every time.

When autumn frosts kill well-groomed plants in the garden, and fogs and cold rains wash away the bright spots of canvas awnings from city squares, under which it is so pleasant to drink tea in the hot summer, then all this, according to the British, serves some higher purpose - to decorate the conversation.

“It’s frosty, isn’t it?”, “They say that tomorrow will be a sunny day!”, “But the cold will still last, won’t it?” Windy and frosty, damp and warm, fresh, chilly, blowing through, a pleasant light breeze - meteorological conditions are always inaccurately indicated, and even more so the temperature is plus or minus ten degrees. When you can tell the difference between “occasionally heavy rains”, “with periodic downpours” and “short-term heavy rains”, know that you have finally learned to understand these strange Englishmen!

The Greek word "xenophobia", which means "fear of foreigners" (in fact, the English prefer the word "xenolipia", that is, "pity for foreigners"), has found its rightful place in the English dictionary and is dryly defined there as "an abstract noun ".

Which, however, is not entirely true. In fact, a noun is the most concrete, just a noun from everyday life, and there is nothing abstract about it. For xenophobia is a national property of the British, which is constantly manifested in the culture of their country. And not without reason. After all, for the British, all the most complex and unpleasant problems of life are concentrated in one single concept: foreigners.

Nine hundred years ago the Normans launched their last and completely successful invasion of England. They settled there after winning the Battle of Hastings, tried to integrate into the environment of the local residents and... failed. The local population greeted the strangers with complete contempt (this attitude has not changed even now, and not just because they were conquerors, but because - and this is much more important! - that they were FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY). However, Anglo-Saxon women soon took pity on the poor women and began to marry them - which was accompanied by an inevitable increase in the level of civilization throughout society. Well, judge for yourself, can a girl trust a guy with the Welsh name Guillaume Bowen? But we know very well how to behave (and what can happen) with someone who bears the English name Bill Bone!

Even today, the descendants of those Normans like to casually “make an impression” with a casual remark that their ancestors once “came here with William the Conqueror,” and the attitude towards them on the part of the English is very cool - something like how the English treat someone who accidentally spoils the air in the elevator.

True Englishmen treat the descendants of those Normans in exactly the same way as their ancestors treated the Romans, Phoenicians, Celts, Jutes, Saxons and - more recently - representatives of all other peoples of the globe (especially the French!): politely, but with the same neglect.

This is what you will have to deal with first. Don't expect to change anything about this attitude towards foreigners - too many have failed here. But, based on the fact that most of all the British are proud and boast of the fact that they are simply not able to understand these foreigners, we can assume that you will even get some pleasure in trying to snatch the palm from their hands and begin to understand... THEM!

Despite the fact that England's prisons contain the largest number of prisoners in Western Europe, the British persistently assure everyone that their nation is one of the most civilized in the world - if not THE most civilized! But they admit, however, some reservation: we are talking not so much about culture in general, but about good manners and the ability to behave in society. The British consider themselves law-abiding, polite, generous, gallant, persistent and fair. They are also incredibly proud of their self-deprecating humor, considering it an absolute proof of their generosity.

Aware of their own superiority over all other peoples of the world, the British are convinced: these peoples also secretly understand that this is the way it is, and in some ideal future they will try to follow their example as much as possible.

The geography of England also contributes to such ideas. When the English look out to sea - and the sea surrounds them" small cramped island"from all sides - none of them would even think of questioning such, for example, a newspaper report: " Due to heavy fog over the English Channel(that is, the English Channel) The continent is completely cut off from us".

The British are convinced that everything best in our lives owes its origin to England, or at least in this country it was significantly improved. Even the English weather - although it may not be so pleasant - is much MORE INTERESTING than the weather in any other part of the world, for it is always full of surprises. " My island is royal... This precious stone is set with the silver of the seas..."Few Englishmen are able to explain all Shakespeare's allusions, but they know exactly WHAT these words mean. For true Englishmen, England is not just a country, but a state of mind that determines their attitude to life and the Universe and puts everything in its place.

Generally speaking, the British are practically indifferent to how people of other nations treat them. They are confident - and not without reason - that no one truly understands them. But this does not bother them at all, because they do not want to be understood (believing that this would be an invasion of their privacy), and they put a lot of effort into remaining incomprehensible to everyone.

The British are accustomed to being perceived as a walking set of certain stereotypes, and even prefer to maintain this state of affairs. They are also well aware that many foreigners consider them hopelessly wedded to the past. And they certainly don’t mind when England is perceived as a country populated by amateur detectives, football hooligans, stupid and arrogant nobles and peasants with extremely convenient habits of slaves, believing that representatives of all these classes and social groups can easily come together in some antediluvian English pub and drink a glass of warm beer.

Foreigners are completely unable to penetrate the soul of a true Englishman. The English rarely show their emotions, their culinary preferences are completely impossible to understand, and the joys of life seem to pass them by completely while they revel in their deprivation and self-denial. They are considered pedants, full of all sorts of prejudices and completely devoid of the spirit of cooperation - a nation completely indifferent to the changes taking place in the world around them, preferring to live under eternally gray skies in a country that resembles the set of a BBC costume play, fenced off from everyone by the White Cliffs Dover and strengthens his strength exclusively with beer, roast beef and the eternal rigid corset of traditions.

Although the English consider it completely unacceptable to show that they are not indifferent to the opinions of others, somewhere deep down in their souls they still want to be loved and appreciated for everything that they recognize as their merits and are ready to selflessly put on the altar of the world community. These advantages are as follows: firstly, the thoughtfulness of all actions, the consequence of which is a generous attitude towards the defeated enemy, protecting him from persecutors and even very harsh persecution of the latter; secondly, absolute truthfulness and the desire to never break a given promise. Foreigners must understand: if the Englishman did not keep his word, then there was a highly valid reason for this - including such an understandable (that is, absolutely undisguised) personal benefit.

Try to the best of your ability to treat this and some other ideas of the British about themselves tolerantly and mercifully, even if you are absolutely convinced that this is the purest delusion. In addition, as soon as you express to the British your disagreement with them on this matter, most of them will immediately go over to your side and begin to agree with you. It is clear that they do this solely out of respect for the defeated enemy.

The British have an innate distrust of everything unfamiliar, which is most clearly manifested in their attitude towards the geography of their own country.

Since time immemorial, England has been divided into North and South. For a southerner, civilization ends just north of London, and, in his opinion, the further north you go, the redder the faces of the inhabitants there, the shaggier their hair, and the rougher their speech (and almost bordering on rudeness). However, the British generously attribute all these shortcomings to the colder climate.

In the North, before going to bed, children are told scary tales about cunning people who live " down there", that is, in the South. Northerners also note the excessive softness of southerners, their indiscriminateness in food and frivolous attitude towards everything really important in life. However, ANY Englishman - too soft, too frivolous or too hairy - certainly has the right to special attitude towards themselves, as, however (but to a much lesser extent), are the inhabitants of those countries that represent the interests of the English state - once the Empire, and now the increasingly small Commonwealth (the Commonwealth is an interstate association of Great Britain and most of the former English dominions, colonies and dependencies territories - approx.).

If we are talking about neighbors in the British Isles, then the British have absolutely no doubt about their own superiority. And this, in their opinion, is not some small remnant in the mind, but a scientific fact. So, they believe that the Irish are terrible nuisances and should not be paid attention to at all, the Scots (or Scots), although smart, are too careful with money, and the Welsh, the residents of Wells, simply cannot be trusted in anything, and do This is not worth it to anyone, not even the Scots and Irish.

However, all is not lost for the Irish, Welsh and Scots, for none of these peoples cause as much irritation and objection among the English as those of their cousins ​​who live on the other side of the English Channel. They should also remember that in a certain sense " other country" or "ALIEN-STRANGEness" for an Englishman begins already at the opposite end of the street where he lives.

The British perceive the rest of the world as a playground where certain teams interact - groups of peoples, each with their own customs and culture - and you can either look at all this from the outside and have fun, or use it for your own benefit, or simply write it off as unnecessary - in depending on desire. Sad experience has taught the English to always expect the worst from others, so that they are pleasantly surprised if nothing of the sort happens; Well, if their bad premonitions were nevertheless justified, they note with satisfaction that they were right.

Surprisingly, the British even like many foreigners. A significant proportion of the English know at least one foreigner whom they consider practically " his"And yet very few peoples as a whole are taken seriously and with confidence by the English.

The French and the British have been eternal sparring partners for such a long time that even a kind of love-hate arose between them. The English love France: they like French food and wine, and they are very appreciative of the French climate. They, perhaps, even have some kind of subconscious, historically established conviction that the French hardly have the right to live in France at all; that is why thousands of Englishmen try to fill the picturesque corners of France every year.

However, the French themselves seem to the British to be overly excitable, and therefore hardly capable of laying claim to any international ambitions. In the opinion of many in England, a few decades of constant English influence would greatly improve the French character.

The English's judgments regarding the Germans are less evasive. They believe that the Germans are distinguished by their organization, somewhat excessive seriousness and a certain tendency to bully everyone; Moreover, heaven did not even grant them such a saving quality as the ability to cook deliciously. As for the Italians, according to the British, they are too emotional, the Spaniards are cruel to animals (bulls), the Russians are too gloomy, the Dutch are too fat (although quite reasonable), the Scandinavians, Belgians and Swiss are stupid. All eastern peoples are incomprehensible and dangerous.

The British feel something like kinship feelings towards just representatives of one or two nations.

They, for example, maintain close ties with the Australians, although they are embarrassed by some of the latter’s intemperance, and with the Canadians, who, however, appear to the British as people embittered by constant snowfalls and excessive proximity to America.

In general, they like Americans and would like them even more if they weren’t so proud of their... hmm... AMERICANITY! The British consider Americans to be English too, only they have turned into something not entirely understandable as a result of an unfortunate combination of circumstances and general misunderstanding. And, of course, Americans would be much happier if only they had the sense to turn things around. Besides, then they would definitely speak Correct English again!

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Whether you like it or not, to communicate with native speakers, good command of the English language is not enough; you also need to be familiar with the culture and traditions of the English-speaking people, so as not to get into trouble by asking a question from.

“The British nation is unique in this respect: they are the only people who like to be told how bad things are, who like to be told the worst.”

“The British nation is unique: they are the only people who like to hear that everything is very bad, and even worse”

~ Winston S. Churchill

The national character of the English people is felt better than that of any other people. There is a sense of superiority in him, which can also be called “island pride”. British patriotism is based on a deep sense of security, in which they, as a nation, have been for centuries.

Appearance and character of a typical Briton

The British are easy to recognize by their appearance and demeanor. And by looking more closely, determine what part of the country this person is from

Appearance of a typical Briton

A middle-aged Englishman is usually tall, his face is wide, reddish (rarely tanned), with soft, saggy cheeks, and often with blue, expressionless eyes. Women, like men, are often also very tall. Both have long necks, slightly bulging eyes and slightly protruding front teeth.

Compared to the English, the Scots and Irish look simpler, but more colorful. Squat with a lively face and a firm gait, the Scots often have thick red hair. Scots usually have light eyes - gray, blue, green. Also, the inhabitants of Scotland are characterized by fair skin, which is not reddened by the cold northern sun.

Scotland has the highest percentage of red-haired people in the world - around 13% of the population has red hair.

Many often confuse the Scots with the Irish, they say, Irish appearance — it’s bright red hair, freckles and blue eyes. So, this is a stereotype. On city streets you will more often meet guys with dark hair and a red beard. The performer of the role of Harry Potter is a typical representative of Irish appearance: a narrow face, often elongated, sunken cheeks that turn red in spots, not “apples.”

Order and calm

The British value discipline very highly and are considered the most well-mannered and polite in the world. Since the British have a specific politeness, it is often confused with coldness. Violent temperament and ardent passions rage under the guise of coldness and superiority. Principles of “gentlemanly behavior”(exemplary self-control), were elevated to a cult under Queen Victoria, but are still active today.

The British are slow-moving, tend to avoid sharp corners, and have an inherent desire to be away from prying eyes, which gives rise to a cult of privacy. Sometimes it is enough to watch the English crowd at a national holiday or at a football match to feel how the national temperament is breaking from the reins of self-control.

For example, they politely respect and respect their and your personal space, do not poke their nose into your affairs, do not ask questions, even just asking a person’s name without a good reason is indecently rude.

The English are distinguished by moderation, which they do not forget about both during work and in pleasure.

There is almost nothing ostentatious about the Englishman. He lives first of all and most of all for himself. His nature is characterized by a love of order, comfort, and a 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 scream will confuse him. He won't stop for a minute. Where necessary, he will certainly step aside, turn off the sidewalk, swerve to the side, never expressing the slightest surprise or fear on his important face.

Naturally, they want to see the same manners in others. Therefore, the best reason to start a conversation with an acquaintance or even an unfamiliar Briton is

Habits and lifestyle of the British

“My home is my castle,” the British joke, preferring to spend evenings in a quiet family circle, discussing the events of the past day in front of the fireplace.

Conservativeness or loyalty to tradition?

The British value public order very much. and they are never rude. Their passion for gaming is widely known, but despite this, the British are very serious in business matters.

The British are often called conservatives because of their adherence to traditions, which they passionately try to preserve in their original form. But it is this commitment that is most attractive to tourists from all over the world.

In Britain, anything that has stood the test of time is considered a tradition.: rituals and habits, features of life and behavior (for example, green hedges, bright red letterboxes, right-hand drive and left-hand traffic, double-decker red buses, judges in eighteenth-century robes and powdered wigs, fur bearskin hats on the royal guards that they They don’t take it off even in 30 degree heat).

You can find out more about the way of life of the British in the article

After work, residents of England like to spend time in pubs, football matches and various clubs (for example, fans' clubs, gardening clubs). They really like these places, because here they feel more relaxed, make new friends more easily, united by a common interest.

The British live on the island of Great Britain. It is also the homeland of the Scots and Welsh. Actually, the British are the product of a mixture of many ethnic groups - the ancient Iberian population with peoples of Indo-European origin: Celtic tribes, Germanic tribes of the Angles, Saxons, Frisians, Jutes, to some extent Scandinavians, and subsequently the Franco-Normans.

National character is tenacious among all peoples. But this applies to no people more than the English, who seem to have something of a patent on the vitality of their nature. Thus, the first and most obvious feature of this nation is the stability and constancy of character of its constituent individuals. They are less susceptible than others to the influence of time and passing fashions. If authors writing about the English repeat each other in many ways, this is explained, first of all, by the unchangeability 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 subtle, so that every generalization concerning the English can easily be challenged.

The curiosity of the English allowed them to become acquainted with the best of what other peoples possess, and yet they remained true to their traditions. While an Englishman admires French cuisine, he will not imitate it at home. Representing the embodiment of conformism, the British at the same time retain their individuality.

It cannot be said that the British have never changed. Changes occur constantly, but these differences, so visible on the surface, do not affect nations.

For better or worse, the original traits of English nature still remain a certain common denominator and have a profound influence on the national character and general style of life.

When it comes to the “stiff upper lip” of an Englishman, there are two concepts behind it - 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 19th century. Equanimity and self-control, restraint and courtesy were by no means traits of the English character for “merry old England”, where the upper and lower classes of society were rather distinguished by violent, hot-tempered temperaments, where there were no moral prohibitions for defiant behavior, where public executions and canings 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 harsh temper of “old England”.

Even now the Englishman has to wage a constant struggle with himself, with the natural passions of his temperament, rushing out. And such strict self-control takes too much mental strength. This may partly explain the fact that the British are slow-moving, inclined to avoid sharp corners, and that they have an inherent desire to be away from prying eyes, which gives rise to a cult of private life.

Sometimes it is enough to watch the English crowd at a national holiday or at a football match to feel how the national temperament is breaking from the reins of self-control.

Modern Englishmen consider self-control to be the chief virtue of human character. The words: “Be able to control yourself” - better than anything express the motto of this nation. The better a person can control himself, the more worthy he is. In joy and sorrow, in success and failure, a person must remain unperturbed at least externally, and even better - if internally. From childhood, an Englishman is taught to calmly endure cold and hunger, overcome pain and fear, curb attachments and aversions.

Considering an open, uninhibited display of feelings a sign of bad manners, the British 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 wide, reddish, with soft, sagging cheeks, large red sideburns and blue, impassive eyes. Women, like men, are often also very tall. Both have long necks, slightly bulging eyes and slightly protruding front teeth. Often there are faces without any expression. The English are distinguished by moderation, which they do not forget about both during work and in pleasure. There is almost nothing ostentatious about the Englishman. He lives first of all and most of all for himself. His nature is characterized by a love of order, comfort, and a 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 scream will confuse him. He won't stop for a minute. Where necessary, he will certainly step aside, turn off the sidewalk, swerve to the side, never expressing the slightest surprise or fear on his important face.

The English people of the common class are extremely friendly and helpful. An Englishman who asks a foreigner with some question will take him by the shoulder and begin to show him the way with various 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 quickly.

The British not only know how to bypass all obstacles, avoiding breakdowns, but the work itself is carried out with complete calm, so that even the closest neighbor often does not suspect that gigantic work is in full swing next to him.

In a country beset 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 neighbors.

There is no people in Europe whose custom is elevated to such an inviolable law. Once a custom exists, no matter how strange, funny or original it may be, not a single 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 has 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 shame for an Englishman.

The Englishman feels a strong need for society, but no one knows how to retire among numerous friends better than him. Without violating decency, he is able to perfectly be with himself among a huge crowd, indulge in his thoughts, do whatever he pleases, never embarrassing either himself or others.

No one knows how to manage their time and money as strictly as an Englishman.

He works extremely hard, but always finds time to relax. During working hours, he works without straightening his back, straining all his mental and physical strength; in his free time, he willingly indulges in pleasure.

Every Englishman, no matter where he lives, bears the stamp of his nationality. A Frenchman cannot always be distinguished from an Italian or a Spaniard, but an Englishman is difficult to confuse with anyone else. Wherever he appears, he will bring his customs, his manner of behavior, nowhere and for no one will he change his habits, he is at home everywhere. This is an original, distinctive, highly integral character.

The Englishman is very vain. He is sure that in his country everything is going better than in others. Therefore, he looks at the foreigner arrogantly, with pity and often with complete contempt. This deficiency among the English developed due to a lack of sociability and an exaggerated consciousness of their superiority over others.

Money is the idol of the British. No one holds wealth in such esteem. Whatever the social position of an Englishman, be it a scientist, a lawyer, a politician or a clergyman, he is first and foremost 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 on a grand scale.

The British travel a lot and always try to learn more facts, but they get very little close 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 useful life: innovations crowd alongside legends.

The Englishman has a natural ability to seek adventure. Phlegmatic by nature, he is capable of being passionately interested 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 everyday obstacles, then he begins to suffer from unbearable blues. Then, out of oppressive boredom, he begins to look for entertainment in the strangest adventures.

In the field of art, the Englishman loves above all grandeur and originality. The latter manifests itself, in particular, in the enormous size of bridges, monuments, parks, etc.

The ideal of the British is independence, education, dignity, honesty and selflessness, tact, grace of manners, refined politeness, the ability to sacrifice time and money for a good cause, the ability to lead and obey, perseverance in achieving a goal, lack of arrogance.

V. Sukhareva, M. Sukhareva, Book "Psychology of Peoples and Nations"

England is a unique and paradoxical phenomenon. To begin with, this country does not have a specific name. That is, of course, everyone knows that England is part of Great Britain, also known as Britain, which also includes Scotland and Wales, which in turn are part of the United Kingdom along with Northern Ireland, which in turn is part of the British islands (with the Republic of Ireland and a number of small islands). The islands are inhabited, respectively, by the British, Scots, Welsh, and Irish, but no one wants to be British, although today it is almost impossible to find a representative of any of these glorious peoples proud of their independence in their “pure form.”

Everything is relative

Analyzing the English character, willy-nilly one has to turn to the British character, although keeping in mind that all the peoples inhabiting this country are not alike. An example of this is the traditional English breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, fried sausage, tomato and mushrooms,
which is nothing like the traditional Scottish one, which includes scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, tomato and mushrooms. And there is no more terrible insult than, through a slip of the tongue or out of naivety, to confuse one with the other.

This small, in essence, island is a whole world in which everything is “like the big ones.” There are distinct regional differences between North and South, West and East not only in character, food, traditions, clothing, but also in language residents of different regions of England sometimes simply cannot understand each other, and certainly no one can understand announcements on regular buses, pronounced with a distinct local accent. And the diversity of nature, landscape, geography, economy turns a small island into a huge country. But the most important thing is the attitude of the British themselves, who perceive this country as having no borders.

They move easily around the world, the average English family has one son working in Morocco, another writing essays in Indonesia, and a third (preferably) working in the City of London to provide for them all. They easily go on vacation to India and Pakistan, and to New York for shopping. But a trip to Scotland or Cornwall is perceived by them as a very serious journey, for which they need to prepare, plan, pack in advance, not forgetting about the upcoming acclimatization. In the early 1960s, Englishwoman Barbara Moore developed a walking tourist route from the farthest north-eastern point of Scotland, John o' Grote, to the most south-western point, Land's End (literally - "end of the world"), which amounted to 1,408 km So, there was no limit to the indignation of the British to humiliate and belittle their huge country in this way!

The very best

The British are one of the few peoples in the world who enjoy the inexplicable respect of others. No matter how much one laughs at the properties and characteristics of their character, secret respect breaks through any ridicule, criticism or outright hostility. A striking example is English humor. No one can understand him, especially in his most vivid manifestation - his love for physiological jokes. The refined irony of Bernard Shaw or Oscar Wilde is understandable to everyone, but falling trousers, toilet witticisms, indispensable hints of various kinds of greasiness and indecency of Mr. Bean or Benny Hill cause undisguised bewilderment among other peoples. But here the effect of “the king’s new dress” comes into play: no one can believe that he is naked, everyone suspects that they simply did not feel something in the subtle English humor, but understood everything to the extent of their depravity.

England is perhaps the only country that does not want to be “Europe”. Italians and Spaniards, secretly having a complex, dream of joining this glorious title, Eastern Europeans want the same thing - noisily and aggressively, Germans pretend that they are Europe, although deep down they are not too sure of this, Scandinavians live in their own world, without even counting on this honor. And only the British consistently refuse such a privilege, separating themselves in every possible way from the whole world, not entering into any association. They want to be on their own. And they succeed. They know that they are the greatest country, a kind of “navel” of the Universe. After all, even the zero meridian passes through their territory.

But for all their deep and sincere conviction in their own superiority, the British are deprived of any frank expression of their own patriotism. It is impossible to imagine an Englishman repeating “proud to be an Englishman” like a prayer, or even simply whispering warm, heartfelt words about his country, as their neighbors on the continent do. Loud, noisy patriotism is characteristic primarily of peoples with a complex of national inferiority and uncertainty about their place in the world. Those who are firmly convinced of their own superiority do not need it. On the contrary, self-irony, ridicule, healthy skepticism towards oneself - all this completely kills the desire in others to look down on the British.

Fight and search...

You often hear that the British are extremely hospitable and friendly - and this is true. Ask in broken English on the street of any city, even one as indifferently cosmopolitan as London, how to get to the right place, and they will tell you everything in detail, take you where you need to go, and at parting, in accordance with the linguistic tradition of address, call you affectionately dear or love (which, of course, will not mean a sudden outbreak of passion). However, such politeness in no way diminishes their sense of national superiority or their sense of prejudice towards everything foreign.

Moreover, the British themselves have long been aware of this trait of theirs and have been trying to fight it for a long time. Thus, it was here that, back in the 16th century, the tradition of making educational trips to the continent arose, which later became known as the “Grand Tour”. In the era of Elizabeth I, voyages of young Englishmen to Europe were strongly encouraged by the state, and often financed: England needed educated, world-knowledgeable, broad-minded people who were able to bring to their country, along with new views, all sorts of practical information from modern scientists discoveries to information of a political nature.

In the 18th century, visiting European countries became an integral part of the education of an English gentleman, and education in the broad sense of not only the mind, but also the soul. In addition to acquiring certain knowledge, the range of which seemed rather vague and foggy, the journey implied the development of taste, improvement of manners, and improvement of communication skills. And most importantly, it was the best way to combat their own shortcomings - prejudice against everything foreign, lack of interest in other languages ​​and customs, national isolation and narrow worldview. Much later, at the beginning of the 20th century, one of the heroes of the novel by the famous English writer E.M. Foster's A Room with a View outlined the ideal formula for raising English children: "First bring them up among honest country folk for purity, then send them to Italy for refinement, and then, and only then, let them come to London."

These methods helped, however, not too much. In the book “Etiquette for Women,” published in 1902, the author persistently convinces his compatriots to be more lenient towards other nations, at least while traveling. “It cannot be denied,” the author writes, “that the English are absurdly conservative, but when traveling they need to put aside for a while their traditionalism, their coldness, their sense of superiority. Convinced of their superiority, they can afford to be lenient and merciful towards others.” And as recently as 2000, an English journalist was still ironic about the fact that the strait separating England from the continent is a “defensive ditch” for the British, along the steep banks of which they constantly serve, “scanning the horizon in search of a possible invader.” ", in a figurative sense, of course.

"Russian" trace

England and Russia have long-standing and varied ties. It is known that back in Kyiv, at the court of Yaroslav the Wise, there were two Anglo-Saxon princes - the sons of Edmund Ironside, who was killed in 1016. The infamous Harald, who fell in England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, was married to the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, Elizabeth, whose hand he sought for a long time. The daughter of the last Anglo-Saxon king, Gita, fled through Denmark to Rus', where she became the wife of Vladimir Monomakh. The opening of the Northern Sea Route in 1553 established strong trade ties between the two countries, which turned out to be very beneficial for both sides and led to close contacts in other areas.

There was also a certain mystical thread connecting two such different and, frankly speaking, not always politically friendly peoples towards each other. For example, a common patron St. George. Or the St. Andrew's flag - common among the Russian and Scottish fleets. Or the legend preserved in the English Chronicle (for 967) about the death of Baron Robert Sharland from the skull of his beloved horse, which exactly repeated the fate of our Prophetic Oleg. Or the almost identical resemblance between the last Russian emperor and the English king George V (yes, they are relatives, but not twins). And quite unexpectedly, in the 20th century, the English king Edward, who was killed at the age of 16 in 978, that is, even before the official baptism of Rus', was proclaimed a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church (though the one that is “in exile”) .

However, England has never been a place of mass pilgrimage for Russians; like everywhere else, in Russia it was more often respected than loved. In France they had fun and joined fashion trends, in Germany they rested and received treatment, in Italy they merged with beauty and cherished the aesthetic sense. First of all, diplomats, business people, scientists, and political outcasts went to England.

The logic of paradoxes

The English character is, on the one hand, perhaps the most contradictory and paradoxical among European peoples, almost all of its features have directly opposite properties, and on the other hand, it is very integral and definite, traceable over many centuries. Its features are most often explained by the island position of the country, even the term “island psychology” appeared. But there are many inhabited islands in the world, and England is the only one. Apparently, it took a combination of many factors - the mixing into a single whole of different peoples (Britons, Picts, Celts, Anglo-Saxons and many others), seasoned with Roman and Norman conquests, flavored with close ties with continental peoples, fertilized with victories and conquests and seasoned with climate and geographical location, for this people to appear, so different from other Europeans.

One of the key features of the English character is adherence to tradition; many call this trait conservatism. Indeed, the desire to preserve in their original form the features of life and behavior, rituals and habits, sometimes brought to the point of absurdity from a modern and non-English point of view, distinguishes the English from most other peoples, is subjected to sharp criticism by these others, but at the same time makes them touristic. attractive to the whole world.

Everyone knows about right-hand drive and left-hand traffic. Here there is a ban on any replacement of windows and doors in old houses, which forces the entire country to do without double-glazed windows, which is cold, but tolerable. Much more inconvenience is caused by English plumbing, which causes endless surprise among outsiders. It is difficult to understand how anyone could comfortably wash their face under two separate taps with hot and cold water. Well, you can also imagine that you fill the sink with water and splash around in it at home. But such a division in public places is not at all clear. In this case, the desire to splash disappears completely.

Further more. A traditional English bath (nationwide they make up the vast majority; changes have affected only metropolitan hotels) also has 2 separate taps and does not have a shower. According to the plan of this amazing people, you need to fill the bathtub with water, add some foam, soak, wash your hair (!) and get out without washing anything off. Dishes in houses are washed in the same way: water is collected in the sink, like in a basin, washing liquid is added to it, and so, without rinsing, the dishes are placed to dry. Our usual method of washing dishes under running water causes the British to counter-bewilder: “What an unreasonable waste of water!” Sometimes it seems that they live in a waterless desert, and not on an island...

In private hotels and boarding houses, in the toilet next to the toilet there is usually a long, detailed instruction explaining to the guest the rules for draining the water. Remember: a hanging tank with a chain that, if you pull hard, stays in your hands. The instructions often end with the wonderful phrase: “Only after the lever has finally returned to its original position can you try again.” And such repetitions are not uncommon...

The French are the main opponents of the British and have the courage to criticize the latter. Other nations prefer to remain silent, believing that all this is being done only to create inconvenience for foreigners.

The British themselves intuitively feel a deep connection between form and content - change one, the other will invariably change. Preservation of two taps, a chain on the toilet, right-hand drive ultimately ensures their national integrity and protects their character in the conditions of total globalization.

Basics

Traditions live not only in everyday life, they permeate various aspects of English life. Thus, universities take very seriously the maintenance of rituals that arose, for example, in the 16th or 17th centuries. More recently, in reputable universities, some professors allowed students to attend their lectures exclusively in robes, and for certain types of final exams, this uniform has still been preserved. There are cases when both students and professors almost lost consciousness on a hot summer day, steaming in thick, long decorative robes, but they never received permission from the management to take them off. The graduation ceremony is a magnificent theatrical event, which at the same time does not seem artificial or overly pompous. It seems that all these people were born to wear wigs, professorial caps, and pronounce formulas and words that have been repeated for centuries.

No university in the world has as many conventions and historical traditions as English. The issuance of robes for ceremonies is carried out in strictly defined rooms - separately for professors, separately for doctors, separately for employees without a degree; it is impossible to imagine any democracy here. A gala dinner for any important occasion is unthinkable without a tailcoat and bow tie, even if many have to rent them. The beautiful green lawns at the University of Cambridge can only be trampled by those who belong to the teaching staff, as warning signs placed everywhere inform, others must confine themselves to the paths. During daily joint lunches, held in ancient high halls, by candlelight, with tables covered with museum utensils, everyone, from student to rector, takes a certain place according to his position in the team. At the same time, they all remain modern people, ironic towards their own world, but at the same time devoted to it and secretly proud of it.

Royal tradition

The most important part of the English tradition is the monarchy. Of course, today the British have a bit of a complex about such an “unmodern” institution, laugh at it, and say that the scandals of recent years, mainly love scandals in which members of the royal family were involved, have greatly undermined the prestige of the monarchy. Although all these doubts are largely explained by the fact that this same monarchical power, even if it has turned into a decorative one, is extremely important for the British, and mainly for uniting the nation and maintaining the national spirit. Well, it’s impossible to rally around Tony Blair! There are kings and queens in other countries - Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Spain - but there, in most cases, they are loved but not noticed, and nowhere do they cause such a complex and excitement as in England. For the British, this issue is alive and pressing, as before. The death of the Queen Mother last year was excellent evidence that the childish, flesh-and-blood monarchy is alive and well in the hearts of the British. Mountains of flowers, crowds of people reached out to pay their last respects to the more than 100-year-old old woman. Girls in elegant dresses and white socks brought touching drawings with the inscription “We love you!”, elderly, obviously provincial-looking couples stood in line to sign up for the memory book, even sarcastic English journalists wiped away an uninvited tear.

The British have great respect for their history. Museum work in this country is at the highest level, and for good reason. At every corner, around every turn, in every remote place there is a museum, and it is never empty, and it is filled primarily by the inhabitants of the country themselves, who study with constant interest the peculiarities of the life and way of life of their ancestors. The tradition of visiting historic houses and castles appeared in England back in the era of Elizabeth I, when the rest of Europe had no idea what a tour was, and these properties themselves were in private hands. The number of films about Henry VIII and his many wives is growing year by year to meet the needs of the English public, who never tire of admiring their loving idol. The memory of the British Empire, which ruled the seas and lands all over the world, has not faded either; boasting about this, of course, is neither accepted nor modern, but they have not forgotten about it either.

Classic informals

At the same time, there is no more informal society than the English one, in those cases, of course, when this is allowed by tradition. You can put on the most unimaginable outfit, have an unimaginable hairstyle, behave in the strangest way and be sure that no one in England will pay attention to you. Firstly, because this is a country of eccentrics and eccentrics, secondly, because here everyone is free to do what he wants (unless, of course, this goes against the traditional unwritten principles), and finally, because restraint, self-control and silence are considered one of the basic rules of life. The portrait of a typical representative of the English people was drawn by F.M. Dostoevsky, describing a train trip to Paris: “On the left sat a pure, blooded Englishman, red-haired, with an English parting on his head and intensely serious. The whole way he didn’t say a single word to any of us in any language, during the day he read, without stopping, some book... and as soon as it was ten o’clock in the evening, he immediately took off his boots and put on his shoes . It was probably like this all his life, and he didn’t want to change his habits even in the carriage.”

There aren't many things that can set an Englishman off. At the beginning of perestroika, an Englishwoman who came to Russia encountered a surprise: on a tram, a shabby man, apparently deciding to test the foreigner’s strength, suddenly opened his coat, pulled out and shook a huge dead rat in front of her nose. The Muscovites around us screamed in unison. Not a single muscle moved on the English guest’s face; her behavior indicated that she was faced with such things almost every day. Only later, in an intimate setting, did it become clear that she had, after all, experienced a nervous shock.

Restraint, control over one’s feelings, often mistaken for simple coldness, these are the life principles of this small but very proud people. In those cases when a representative of the sentimental Latin race or the spiritual Slavic race weeps with tears of admiration or tenderness, the Englishman will say “lovely” (“cute”), and this will be equivalent in the strength of the feelings shown.

The only thing that can piss off a true Englishman is the noisy and defiant behavior of others. Even in London, a city almost entirely given over to tourists and immigrants, you can often see a decorous English couple on a bus, looking with open disgust at a noisy and emotional group of Spanish or Italian tourists, who, even in a fit of sincere indignation, only allow themselves to frown and silently look at each other indignantly . In the museum store in Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford, American tourists (who, to put it mildly, are not uncommon there) are noisy, cheerful, excitedly buying tons of various souvenirs and accompanying this process with laughter and loud delight, causing invariable arrogant contempt and chilling politeness saleswomen The fact that they, tourists, provide them with a means of subsistence does not change anything even in a market economy.

Even greater and, probably, the strongest emotional indignation among the British is caused by a disdainful attitude towards queues, which are an object of special worship for them. They themselves, according to one apt expression, form a queue of even one person. In places where queues are obviously predictable, special barriers are placed so that no one worries and everyone is sure that even if someone does manage to sneak in from somewhere on the side, he will be ignored and showered with contempt by everyone around him, including the one to whom this someone broke through, after which he will still have to stand in line.

At the buffet on the train, a decorous, tall Englishwoman, on whose face was written a higher education, her own mansion and a significant bank account, hesitated and did not place an order. After a pause, the modest young man standing behind her risked doing this (the two of them made up the entire line). A tradeswoman at a Moscow market, who is trying to slip counterfeit money or steal tomatoes, would probably look more secular than this pleasant, silent lady, who suddenly burst into a stream of rage that fell on the head of the arrogant rogue who violated the sacred law.

Sex the British way

One of the manifestations of the restraint of the English nature is the attitude towards sex in this country. One of the famous jokers once released a phrase, picked up and confirmed by others: “European peoples have sexual relations, the British have hot water bottles in their beds.” Another popular joke refutes this truth: "The English have sex twice a month when the month has a W in it" (similar to how oysters are eaten in the months when there is a "G"; for reference: there is no such month with W in the English calendar). Sex and everything connected with it has long been considered in England as something wrong, which is best avoided if possible.

The mid-19th century Book of Manners pointed out that even “compliments and flirting are unacceptable in English society unless they are expressed so delicately as to be completely unnoticeable.” A modern book of etiquette recommends that lovers refrain from openly expressing feelings and hints about the intimate relationship existing between them, since “this may be embarrassing for some.” The maximum intimacy acceptable in society, according to the modern author, is walking hand in hand or arm in arm, a light disembodied kiss on the cheek, a distant hug. T-shirts on sale in London: "No sex please, we're British." The British themselves write with resentment that the restraint characteristic of English men is often mistaken for their lack of interest in the female sex.

On the issue of education

One of the most important life principles of the British can be expressed by the following formula: “We did not come into this world to have fun.” It is on this that many distinctive features of their character and way of life are based. Start with education. It is customary to keep children strictly, and the higher in society you are, the more strict there is. We often see how in a rich English house, with a huge living room, a gigantic bedroom, a majestic study, the so-called children's room is located almost in the attic and is a miserable closet, and this is done quite consciously, for fundamental reasons, so as not to undead, but to harden. Until now, the system of boarding schools is very popular in the country, and separate for boys and girls (since sexual relations are harmful, there is nothing to get used to), and this primarily concerns children from aristocratic and wealthy families. The discipline and order in them to this day are a kind of mixture of prison, barracks and monastery, considered befitting the spirit of education of a real Englishman. It is no coincidence, apparently, that the Boy Scout movement originated in England at the beginning of the 20th century, and its slogan was “Be prepared!” A true Englishman must be ready for any difficulties at any moment.

There is an old English truth: “Children should be seen, but not heard.” In English pubs you can often see a “No children, no dogs” sign on the door. And indeed, if an exception may be made for dogs, then for children no, only in some places, remote provinces, where there is one pub for the entire village, children can be allowed in, as the sign at the entrance happily reports again. But this, of course, is no longer a real pub.

A typical question addressed to a child: “So, what do you want to be when you grow up, young man?” suggests that childhood is only a period that must be experienced in order to become a normal, that is, adult, person. Such strictness, although it sometimes causes natural bewilderment, gives somewhat good results. The British not only conquered half the world in their time, but were also able to survive and gain a foothold in this half. Travellers, sailors, discoverers of lands - this is a real deal for the British, who know how to challenge fate and not be afraid of difficulties. Moreover, a challenge is sometimes more important for them than a victory; they are not afraid to lose.

It is very revealing and interesting to work with English students in Russia. If Americans are ready to endlessly suffer from a faulty toilet tank, which completely deprives them of the opportunity to enjoy life and perceive beauty, English students perceive difficulties quite calmly. On a motor ship on the Sukhona River, which had one toilet for everyone and no shower or bath at all, the cheerful young Englishmen learned to wash their hair in a bidet, visit public baths at stops, swim in ice-cold water and took obvious pleasure in the delights of real Russian life, which included warming up with a variety of drinks every night.

Another example: photographs of the heir to the British crown, Prince William, working in South America, where he was on youth internship, spread throughout the world. This is precisely how the heir to the English throne must be, unpretentious and not afraid of difficulties, in order to earn the respect of his fellow citizens.

Body food...

This attitude towards life extends to such an important part of life as food. Neighbors from the continent never tire of mocking the English cuisine. In the worldwide popular French cartoon about the Gaul Asterix, there is an episode in which he, along with his gluttonous friend Obelix, comes to England, where the heroes painfully try to eat normally. But even the glutton Obelix cannot cope with English dishes generously seasoned with mint sauce.

The main feature, also known as the problem, of English food is that it is aimed at satisfying hunger, and not at obtaining pleasure. Food should be the way it was given by God, the earth, Nature, and all excesses and delights come from the evil one (read, the Frenchman). In essence, its type is close to traditional Russian food - boiled vegetables, stewed or fried meat, pies. A cartoon in an English magazine depicts two chefs, one of whom lists potato dishes: “Boiled, fried, baked, stewed potatoes,” and the second exclaims: “And they also say that English cuisine is monotonous!”

...and spiritual

One of the most difficult questions in English life is the place that religion occupies in it. It is known that even the church in England is its own - Anglican, independent of anyone from the outside. And although it is believed that it was introduced by the sensualist Henry VIII in order to be able to marry as many times as he wanted, it is obvious that in its spirit and character it turned out to be close and understandable to the population. You can often hear from the British themselves that the church does not play a big role in their lives. And outwardly this is indeed so - rarely, only on holidays, and even then in the provinces, do any noticeable numbers of people gather in the church.

However, here is a paradox: the principles by which the English live - life is not for pleasure, sex is sinful, physical difficulties strengthen the soul, food should only saturate, and so on - are precisely those to which most churches call their flock. A classic English village certainly has a church in the center; the most important social activities are concentrated around it, especially in those cases and for those people (women, old people, children) when the issue cannot be resolved in another indispensable component of English life - the pub. The vicar is not perceived by others as a shepherd or mentor, but rather as a friend who is respected, who is expected to be active (as you know, in English detective stories they often even have to solve murders), whose role is not to remind others of how to live, but just be ready to help when needed. It is difficult to say how and when such a situation arose. Perhaps the fact is that Christianity in England has long taken deep roots and become a part of life. Back in the 3rd century, when most peoples were not at all sure how to relate to this new phenomenon, and whole centuries remained before their baptism, monasteries were built on this land and monks held conversations about the Faith.

The most terrible test

Against the background of the above, other aspects of English life seem paradoxical at first glance. For example, such a phenomenon as comfort, which entered other languages ​​precisely from English. An English house represents a unique pinnacle of comfort and convenience. An environment that includes many objects, tables, ottomans, sofas and armchairs, all in front of a fireplace with crackling wood, a glass of whiskey in hand, what else is needed to meet old age! The British have a special, reverent attitude towards the house; they do not recognize apartments, preferring, albeit small, even in installments with interest, but their own house with a front garden. It is no coincidence that almost all houses in England have names; this creates inconvenience for guests and postmen, but demonstrates the very personal, very reverent attitude of the English towards their homes. A true Englishman is ready for difficulties, but is quite capable of withstanding the most terrible test - comfort and coziness.

The garden evokes even more feelings in an Englishman. English gardens, the main style of which is a skillful imitation of natural nature, lack of symmetry, “wildness” created by human hands, are a strong national passion. In England there are even special “gardening” tours to Europe. A most interesting sight is presented by English grandmothers in bright light skirts and blouses, casually and condescendingly running past the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance towards their cherished goal - the Italian garden. This is where their feelings break through even through the mask of restraint and decency. They sit for hours near flower beds, painting watercolors, making pencil sketches, or simply smiling at the flowers as if they were their beloved grandchildren (whom, by the way, according to English tradition, they see much less often and with less pleasure).

Finally, just go to the bookstore, which has huge racks dedicated to gardens and guides to growing them ("Garden in Winter", "Garden in Autumn", "Garden When You're Short on Time", "Garden When You're Plenty of Time" and so on) to finally make sure that this is really serious.

Each house has its own front garden, and the English owners devote a lot of soul and effort to decorating it. Amazing flowers and shrubs, including exotic ones, are carefully planted around the house (if the garden is neglected, foreigners are almost certainly living in it). The arrival of spring in England can be identified by the hum of lawn mowers, since the English lawn is also a source of national pride and reflects many aspects of English nature. First, adherence to tradition, as in the famous joke where an Englishman is asked: “How did you achieve such excellent results?” And he answers: “Very simple! You just have to trim it every day for 400 years.” The joke is not so far from the truth, although the French, for example, believe that the British simply plant fresh grass at night. Secondly, she talks about the love of freedom of the English - after all, you can walk on them freely and they are not trampled on.

Perfect world

Another apparent paradox is that the country of silent conquerors of seas and lands, raising their children in strictness and not tolerating excessive displays of emotions, has created, probably, the richest children's literature and children's world. Charming and touching characters have conquered the whole world: here are Winnie the Pooh and his friend Piglet, and hobbits, and Alice, who visited Wonderland, and Mary Poppins, and Peter Pan, and many other characters dearly loved by the British, but less known to the rest of the world rabbits, ducks, hedgehogs, whose fates are closer and more important to the British than the fate of the heroes of their own great Shakespeare. The answer is simple: only for the outside world this is all children's literature and characters, but for the British all this is very serious and important, and above all for adults. Just like common games: in pubs, respectable men regularly and everywhere gather to play a fun game of darts, in which you need to hit a wooden circle with an arrow, adult women spend hours collecting pictures from thousands of squares, and everyone solves crossword puzzles and riddles , published in all periodicals and in separate editions. Apparently, childhood, dedicated to strengthening the spirit and body, still takes its toll later, when there is no threat of becoming spoiled and spoiling one’s character.

Their high humor

Serious Englishmen are also famous humorists. “Subtle English humor” has already been mentioned above; the answer lies in its simplicity, in the fact that there is no deep subtext hidden behind it, and physiological or toilet jokes are just that, giving vent to accumulated emotions and feelings. Another thing is examples of English irony, sarcasm, and genuine humor. Laughing at yourself and at others is completely natural for an Englishman. This property has been cultivated for centuries, considered the most important human dignity. Old English books of good manners claim that “a sense of humor can and should be cultivated,” and “the ideal man must certainly have a sense of humor, otherwise he will be far from perfect.” Allegory, play on words, paradoxical statements, sharp jokes - all this constitutes the glory of the English people and language. And it is not always equally understandable and pleasant to those around us, who often “fall for the bait” of English wit.

Henry II's son, Edward I, brought Wales under the English crown in 1284, swearing to the Welsh that no man who spoke English would stand over them... and installed his newborn son over them (in memory of this event from 1301 years to the present day, the heirs to the English throne bear the title Prince of Wales). In 1948, a major radio station in Washington invited ambassadors from various countries to answer the question by telephone: “What would you like for Christmas?” The French ambassador wished world peace, and the Soviet ambassador wished victory over world imperialism. His Majesty's Ambassador replied (live): "How nice of you to ask, I would like some candied fruit."

Voluntary hostages

The British are law-abiding people. Respect for the law has become such a natural part of their character and life that in many cases there is no longer even a need for strict control and punishment for non-compliance. Society can already afford to resort to common sense rather than force in solving certain issues. This manifests itself both in small things and in global issues. The British Embassy in Moscow is one of the few today that accepts invitations in almost any form: sent by fax, e-mail, handwritten without certification (meaning, if you wish, you can forge the original with stamps). Anyone who has gone through border control in London knows that the British are not known for their liberalism in this matter, they observe formalities, but there is no formalism in them. When leaving the country, passports are not checked or stamped at all. For what? After all, a person leaves their country and thank God!.. By the way, in the 19th century, England was the only European country that did not register foreigners, apparently not bothering its apparatus with such unimportant items. The attitude towards other formalities is also surprising: in England, an envelope addressed to a person with the address indicated on it is still an official document in many cases.

So that the English bureaucratic system does not look like some kind of ideal, from which it is far from in real life, we can cite the statement of one humorist who wrote about its difference from the continental one, especially the notorious Italian and French ones. If in the latter countries you will be tormented by refusals, rudeness, and meaningless paperwork demands, then in England the official will smile pleasantly at you and will be extremely polite with you. He will ask you to fill out a huge number of questionnaires, most of which are written in a completely incomprehensible language, then he will tell you that he himself does not make decisions, but the request will certainly be considered, and the next time you come, he will be at a meeting, on a lunch break, or just came out. The result will be the same in both cases, with the difference that in Latin countries the issue can ultimately be resolved with the help of friends and connections, but in England the law is the law for everyone, which means there is practically no way out of the bureaucratic deadlock.

Even the police allow themselves to understand. An Englishwoman, very hot with drinks, stopped by a policeman and immediately cheerfully informed him that she was returning from an anniversary, received a friendly recommendation “not to do that again” and a knowing smile as she parted. And soon the same lady received a huge fine in the mail for speeding, recorded by a traffic surveillance camera, and almost lost her license...

Not a day without passion

Speaking about the character of the British, one cannot pass over in silence their most important national passions and hobbies. One of them is love for animals. If children, for educational purposes, are not given the best places in the house, then a dog or cat will certainly be in the most honorable place. They are treated warmer and more tenderly than most family members, and can be allowed to be gentle and loving with them. A walk between two Englishmen is often a melancholic silent procession, but a walk with a dog is almost always a pleasant, albeit somewhat one-sided conversation, full of tenderness and warmth.

Not everyone can afford a passion for horses, but even here the love for them surpasses human relationships in warmth. Horse racing in England is an event of truly national scale. Princess Anne, the daughter of the reigning queen, was once so keen on horses that she became the subject of much ridicule. For example, a typical caption under a photo: “Princess Anne (right) with her favorite horse” (they really looked alike). However, the ridicule was quite good-natured, since this is a feeling that is understandable to any Englishman. The princess got much more when a living person became the object of her passion.

Another national passion is tea. Although many people, especially in large cities, today drink coffee or (even worse) brew tea in a bag, still maintaining a feeling and special relationship with this drink is considered an important component of English culture. English literature testifies to the enormous role that tea drinking had in the life of the country. In detective stories, the person who finds the corpse is offered a cup of tea to maintain strength; in romance novels, it is used to heal broken hearts; friends drink it to celebrate a meeting, and enemies drink it to defuse the situation. Peter Pan, when asked to the children “What do they want more – tea or adventure,” receives an immediate answer: “Tea first, please.”

Everyone knows that in England they drink tea with milk - milk first, tea on top and no water. This tradition is so strong that manufacturers place the warning “Best drunk without milk” on packs of green, fruit and herbal tea, which does not stop the British from creating a terrible mess, for example, consisting of rosehip tea diluted with milk.

Another English weakness is the weather. All the jokes and ridicule they are subjected to for this are completely fair. Every English conversation really revolves around this topic, even semi-formal letters from organizations contain references to good or bad weather. The main problem is that the British are convinced that they have very bad, changeable and unpredictable weather, which, in their opinion, determines many aspects of their lives and character. While completely agreeing with the latter, one has to disagree with the rest. It’s probably bad (read: cold) for the residents of Spain, where the British love to go to warm up. For a normal (read: Russian) person, it is very good: the grass is green all year round, even in December flowers bloom in the flower beds, and the occasional rare snowfall from above does not spoil the picture as a whole. Its changeability is also greatly exaggerated (one must hope that the British will not read this, otherwise the offense will be mortal). The nearby coast of France also has similar variability, like all coastal areas, but does not make a cult out of it. As for unpredictability, this is not even worth discussing; this is not a question of the weather, but of weather services, which can broadcast “It’s raining today” in bright sunshine, as if they had no windows.

Despite this, the weather for the British remains a source of constant surprise and secret admiration, and the whole country plays the same game “Who would have thought!” In winter, snow falls almost every year and, although not for long, the temperature drops to zero degrees, and sometimes to minus. But England is chronically unprepared for winter, all life is immediately paralyzed, trains do not run, buses stop, telephone communications are disrupted, electricity is supplied intermittently, of course - no one could have predicted this, just like every year. This is unpredictability. A similar picture is observed in the summer, when stiflingly hot weather regularly sets in. But you won’t find air conditioning in offices and hotels - why do they need them in such a cold country? And finally, the favorite motive of the British “this year the weather is unusual” (according to the season, “hot”, “cold”, “rainy”, “windy”, etc. are inserted) it is always a surprise, a surprise.

And so on until the end, without end...

The British live in accordance with these principles. If calendar spring has arrived, all mothers put shorts and short-sleeved shirts on their children, which makes their bare legs covered in goosebumps under the icy wind, and their noses turn red and immediately begin to run. But it doesn’t matter - spring has come and no one expects it to be cold, and children have been wearing shorts at this time for 500 years.

There is no heating in the houses. Moreover, historically in England, fireplaces became widespread, which, unlike a stove, do not store heat, but only create coziness and are common in countries with warm climates. Firstly, there is no need to indulge and relax. Secondly, spend money on fuel in a country where, although the weather is bad, there is no frost. Thirdly, if it's cold, you can wear another sweater. Therefore, a completely fair stereotypical image of an English bedroom has developed, in which you wake up, shivering from the cold, splash ice water in your face and start a new day very cheerfully. The ritual has remained unchanged from the time of Jane Eyre to the present day. Sometimes, however, it is combined with another national hobby, and then you can get a cup of hot tea right in your ice-cold bed. Almost all English hotels (except those in the capital) certainly have a kettle, cups, tea and milk so that you can immediately prepare tea and drink it right in bed.

As was said at the beginning, the English character is complex, varied and full of contrasts and paradoxes. The small country, thanks to the strength of this character, was able to achieve great respect from others. Moreover, the preservation of this character has become an important goal of this people. .

Happiness
Despite significant increases in living standards, the proportion of Britons who are completely satisfied with their lives has remained unchanged over the past 25 years and remains at 1/3 of the population.

Money
According to a sociological study conducted in Great Britain, 45% of the country's residents remember how much money they have in the bank with an accuracy of 10 pounds, and 25% with an accuracy of a penny. About 10% of respondents check their account up to 4 times a day. Among those who use online and telephone account management systems, 35% regularly check their account at least 3 times a day.

Religion
About 1 million Britons attend Sunday services in more than 11 thousand parishes of the Anglican Church. 1.2 million believers come to churches every week. 6% of the population (3 million people) take part in the Christmas service.

Sex
British statisticians have found that 30% of the country's residents love sex more than anything else. According to 25% of British respondents, the most important thing when choosing a partner is appearance; in second place is a sense of humor; 18% of British people “voted” for it.

Family
Over the past decades, the institution of marriage in Great Britain has undergone significant changes. There are fewer and fewer two-parent families with 2 x 3 children. In 25% of cases, one of the parents prefers to raise children on their own (20 years ago this figure was 10%). More than 7 million Britons live alone today, up from 2 million in 1961.

Beer
According to data collected by Austrian researchers, over the past 5 years the number of beer lovers around the world has increased by 20%. In England, contrary to this trend, their number decreased by 5% compared to previous years. There, per person per year there is only 95 liters of intoxicating drink.

Game
According to sociologists, the UK has the highest concentration of players in the world - 75%. According to experts, by 2010 the British will spend 2.1 billion pounds sterling per year on online games (Internet, cable and satellite television, SMS, etc.) (currently 588 million). Although today casinos continue to dominate the British gambling market, accounting for 46% of all gambling business.

Anna Pavlovskaya, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor