Wednesday, October 5, 2016

How do Slavic men differ from WEstern men in mannerisms and habits? Are they more manly? A top ten list

Slavs are not monolithic: there are vast differences between, say, Croatians and Poles. Neither are 'Westerners.'
My perspective comes from living in the Czech Republic. Let me offer the caveat that it is impossible to discuss this without making vast generalizations about both “Slavs” and “Westerners”(who are also not monolithic.)
So here I go with my vast generalizations, focused on Czechs vs. Americans.
  1. Czechs are much more casual about personal appearance on a day to day basis. White collar workers will typically wear a polo shirt and jeans and trainers or even shorts to work. Ties are seldom worn. The clothes are ironed and clean, of course, but very informal by American standards. Amusingly when foreign visitors are coming, everyone is warned ahead of time and dons shirts, ties and sometimes even suits. But it is all very much for show. I like this aspect of the culture.
  2. Czech men shave MUCH less often than American men.
  3. Czechs bathe every day — don’t let anybody tell you different. However, they are not as perfumed as Western and especially American men. Sometimes, but by no means always, this can mean that some of them stink by the afternoon.
  4. Czechs are sportier than American men BY FAR. I can’t count the number of Czechs I know who regularly jog, run, hike, play soccer/squash/floorball/ice hockey/volleyball....Another positive.
  5. Czechs, like most Europeans, have a relaxed attitude about drinking alcohol on off hours compared to Americans. Which is not to say that alcoholism is rampant. But some Americans would see adults drinking beer at a child’s birthday as something inappropriate. Here, it is completely normal.
  6. Czechs in general are blunter and more frank than many English speaking westerners, especially in sensitive political matters. They are familiar with concepts of political correctness but they don't like it; some of this comes from history, where the former totalitarian government used a lot of euphemisms and mouthed politically correct platitudes that were sometimes blatant lies.
  7. Whether or not Czechs are more manly…well, I am not sure I quite know what “manly” behavior is. I think that traditional gender roles are more reinforced in the Czech Republic than America — this goes for both men and women. I tend to think that this is similar across most Central/Eastern European countries.
  8. Americans are a good deal more open than Czechs; more likely to talk about emotional matters. Czechs seem more taciturn and frowning to strangers; but genuinely warm once you’ve been introduced.
  9. Czech men and women both are less aggressive than Americans, but more passive-agressive. When they get behind the wheel and feel relatively anonymous the men, in particular, become incredibly impatient and agressive. Czech has one of the highest rates of mortality on the road in Europe as a result.
  10. Czechs can be very competitive in sports. Look at their per capita wins in the Olympics, at least twice as high as Americans'. But overall, Czech culture does not have as many of the so-called Alpha Males (see Donald Trump) that dominate American society. 
  11. Czechs are much, much more adept at fixing things or doing handy work around the house than Americans. They excel at technical matters.

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