Anglos discover Spain's flaw: harsh self-criticism vs. national pride
A debate over the supposed superficiality of Spanish social life pits fierce self-criticism against a defence of the Spanish character. Inferiority complex or reality?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Anglos discover Spain's flaw: self-criticism with no hang-ups
A wave of commentary has raised the question of whether Spanish social life is mediocre compared with the Anglo world. The argument: conversations here stick to trivialities, 80% of social time is spent badmouthing whoever isn't present, and the humour is low quality. Against this comes an equally blunt rebuttal: the Anglos are hardly a model of sophistication either, and carry a track record of questionable behaviour. The debate also intersects with the controversy over the 'proge' agenda, though without offering any concrete data.
Those who have lived abroad point to the lack of thematic variety: Spain never gets beyond gossip and easy jokes. But those who have lived alongside Britons or Americans argue that intellectual curiosity is conspicuously absent and that their supposed sarracena superiority is a façade.
The irony is that both sides may be right, yet neither offers figures. There are no surveys on the depth of informal conversation. What there is, is a widespread perception: Spanish culture rewards superficiality, but Anglo culture is no bastion of the Enlightenment either.
On these premises, Spain's real 'flaw' might not be a lack of intellect, but the inability to see itself without hang-ups. While some flagellate themselves and others swell with national pride, the debate remains unresolved as to whether the problem is mediocrity or the outsider's gaze. The answer, probably, lies somewhere in between, where nobody wants to look.
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A wave of commentary has raised the question of whether Spanish social life is mediocre compared with the Anglo world. The argument: conversations here stick to trivialities, 80% of social time is spent badmouthing whoever isn't present, and the humour is low quality. Against this comes an equally blunt rebuttal: the Anglos are hardly a model of sophistication either, and carry a track record of questionable behaviour. The debate also intersects with the controversy over the 'proge' agenda, though without offering any concrete data.
Those who have lived abroad point to the lack of thematic variety: Spain never gets beyond gossip and easy jokes. But those who have lived alongside Britons or Americans argue that intellectual curiosity is conspicuously absent and that their supposed sarracena superiority is a façade.
The irony is that both sides may be right, yet neither offers figures. There are no surveys on the depth of informal conversation. What there is, is a widespread perception: Spanish culture rewards superficiality, but Anglo culture is no bastion of the Enlightenment either.
On these premises, Spain's real 'flaw' might not be a lack of intellect, but the inability to see itself without hang-ups. While some flagellate themselves and others swell with national pride, the debate remains unresolved as to whether the problem is mediocrity or the outsider's gaze. The answer, probably, lies somewhere in between, where nobody wants to look.
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- Has Spain become a colony of South America? · 52 replies
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (23 replies).
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