why are english people so rude?

Question

i lived there for 4 years and although i made friends (and am dating one for 3 years) i just find that the majority of english people are so much more unfriendly and really dont seem to want to socialise outside of their own circle, whereas irish people (like me) just wanna b friends with everyone. why is this?

I'm really not being racist believe me, i have lots of friends that are enlgish and my boyfriend is english! it's just most of the people i met there were very unsociable. And yes i did live in the south, in bath.

oh and i think its very racist to say all irish people are pissed 24/7

please see 'the truths' answer for an example :)

Answer 1

i agree, English people generally tend to have a motto which goes ' everyone to themselves'. so even though i'm mixed race I do look mostly asian (so i'm told) and so i have that sorta prejudice directed at me. i come from apartheid south africa, but i've come here to have prejudice directed at me from a different angle. this is supposed to be a first world country? i was teaching for a long time, i'm a published poet and have sold arts and am fairly very well university qualified, one pupil turns to me one day (a smeg of a grimey greasy low life kid, his hair looked unwashed and shirt was hanging askew) he asks me, would you believe, do i know what a noun is...i was explaining some french grammar to him (i've only got an Honours degree in languages!) i turned to him and said, not only do i know it, but did he? furthermore, if he wanted, i could arrange for him and his entire family to come for proper english language lessons. needless to say, it only took a bit of being straight with him, to get him to show his true colours, he stood up, a mottled expression on his dull face and said to me, you french *****??! i am going to report you and get your *** kicked out of here all the way back to france, i coolly replied and said that might have been applicable had i been from france. that is the general gist of english people just below the surface, just get a bit of the surface muck scraped away, and you see the real ugliness of their prejudice... i must say though that i've met some very very decent english folk, at my local church, so, not all of them are diseased...its a disease really isnt it? illiterate, ill-bred, generally thick as a brick...maybe i've stayed in essex too long? oh well, south africa beckons!

Answer 2

The English don't really exist as a clearly defined tribe. The part of the British Isles known as England has seen mass inbound migration, particularly over the last 2k years. They are a mix of many tribes and cultures. This is predominant in the south.
The current 'english' culture has developed relatively recently, over the last 400 years. Ultimately the english are socially insecure and this gives rise to their lack of friendliness. People 'up north' tend to be more friendly than those 'down south'.

There is a reason for this behaviour.
Oddly enough there is an inbuilt survival gene within the english. To survive, they must attract more immigation. Prior to the British Empire, immigration was falling. The 'British' created an empire which has, in fact, attracted milions of immigrants from the Empire, though that is now history (except for cricket). The conscious intent behind the Empire, was never to cause immigration. It is deep in the English sub-conscious and was the effect.

More recently, they have had an open door policy to Eastern Europeans.

So you might say, all this immigation should have made them welcoming and friendly... They are, but chose to be guarded with this, only becoming friendly when the 'immigrant' has adopted the bizarre 'english' culture.

So if you think and feel like and englander, they'll like you! Stick around for a 100 years or so and you'll see what I mean!!!

Answer 3

I've quoted Bill Bryson on this site before. He's our favourite UK American, born in Des Moines, but virtually an Englishman. In one of his books he (slightly exaggeratedly) cites the difference between outgoing Americans and more private English. If marooned with an unknown American he could say, "Hi, I'm Bill, how much money did YOU make last year?" Never try that with an Englishman. He would think you impertinent. Rude? Not really.

Answer 4

I hate when people brand other people racist, she's just asking a question. I'm an Australian living in the UK and I can agree that 99% of British are friendly, lovely people. However, there's that 1% that ruins it for everyone. I tend to find it's the older generation who are so rude. They have this sense of entitlement and clearly don't approve of anything that doesn't resemble life in the 1940's.....things will improve as the older generations leave us.

Answer 5

You say you're not racist and yet your question seems to tarr all english people with the same brush - sounds racist to me. I've met rude english, irish, scottish, welsh, american, and asian people. Also wonderful polite people from all those countries / ethnicities.

And I have to say the Irish in England are probably the most closed group of people to try to get to know, you all go to the same pubs and hang out together, so maybe that's why you found English people a bit more aloof.

Answer 6

generally, irish people just seem more friendly, outgoing and less nationalistic and racist than english people. being neither and having known a lot of both english and irish people, ive never met an irish person that i didnt like, whereas i have met some english people that i didnt like. irish people are great

Answer 7

the English are not so much as rude but very unfriendly ... yes the do like to stay in the own little groups and don't like many outsiders... but then again how many people in this country is true English not even the royal family is

Answer 8

I know the older English people are a bit rude sometimes,I think it's because back in the day,everything was more prim and proper,they just have higher standerds I guess.But not all English are rude.I have English and Irish in me,amongst other things.We can all be rude at times.

Answer 9

Now my experience has been exactly the opposite - I've never met a ruder, more inward looking narrow minded bunch then the Irish - and I've been around a bit. The English tend to be more reserved it's true, but I've found them fine on the whole.

Answer 10

not all english that are rude, i'm english and lived in london most of my life(age21). it just depends who you are and where you are and what you do, my saying is treat people the way you wanna be treated, but sometimes it doesn't work out that way!!! i agree that some english people are so wrapped up in there own little world they just don't care about anyone else, well i think they should start caring..well thats my opinion!!