Polish national qualities with a paradoxical but

[Bonobo]

Let`s talk about Polish character again.

There were many threads about it.
polandsite.proboards.com/thread/1792/polish-character

polandsite.proboards.com/thread/2689/clash-cultures-poland-rest-world

polandsite.proboards.com/thread/1821/poles-said-aggressive-drivers

polandsite.proboards.com/thread/2730/concord-cultures-poland-rest-world

polandsite.proboards.com/thread/2527/poles-conservative-traditionalists

polandsite.proboards.com/thread/2184/poles-act-nobly-forgive-enemies


Let`s add a new one, showing real or stereotyped traits of Polish character in photos.


1
Poles are hospitable:

Welcoming guests with traditional bread and salt. Polish proverb: "Guest at home, God at home."











After that, expect an abundant meal (or series of meals) at a family table


















but....

very seldom can you see a house here which is not fenced:

Detached houses in cities and the country:

[Bonobo]

Poles are considered exceptional individualists who love to live, work and play on their own
























but...


when necessary, they are able to cooperate, work in groups and stick to others en masse.


Beaches at the Polish seaside








EURO 2012 soccer ceremony






Solidarnośc - the mass movement which once changed this part of Europe.

[Bonobo]

Poles claim to be great patriots of their country





















but

so many Poles have prefered to live abroad

[Bonobo]

Poles love to laugh, tell and play jokes. Humour, irony and satire kept Poles sane in dark times of occupations and foreign domination. Cabarets are very popular in Poland, many Polish comedies became cult films.



























but.....

foreigners tend to see us as gloomy, miserable people who love to complain about everyday life problems, even when they lead a comfortable life.

www.polishforums.com/life/poles-miserable-smile-2117/

I spend a lot of time in Poland. Far too much time. One factor has an overwhelming negative influence on my experience here. No one ever smiles. Everyone has a long face and seems to be constantly miserable. You see it everywhere, on the buses and trams, even on the streets of this wonderful, bustling city of Warsaw.

Going back to the UK, I can now spot a Pole from about 100metres. (Happens about every 3.5 seconds, there are so many of the buggers here). They don't need to open their mouth. It's just the way they walk, their posture, how they 'hold themselves'. Unless they're drunk, or getting married (or both), they're all uniformly miserable...