Why do Europeans insist that they have "more" culture than everyone else?

W

Wicked

New member
Coming from a former European colony, I find it very insulting when Europeans claim to have more culture than everyone else, especially "young" countries like Canada or Brazil. Don't Europeans see that 80% of European culture isn't European. I'm very tired of hearing how much older they are than most other countries. This simply means they have spent longer stealing from other cultures than we have.

And please don't get me started on how much more sophisticated they think they are. :-(
 
Europeans believe that quite fairly they have more civilised culture than any other races/groups. And I believe they are more sophisticated too.
 
"Young" cultures like Mexico, Peru, and Southwestern USA have a lot of pre-colonial history.

I don't think Europeans "insist." I point out the immense diversity of American culture (and I don't mean immigrants) ex. Southern, Southwestern, Hawaiian, Western, Scandinavian midwest, Amish, Alaskan, New Yorker, Texan, etc. We also have cultural institutions like the Grand Ole Opry, Metropolitan Museum of Art, MOMA, Smithsonian, etc. Historical cities like New Orleans, Boston, Savannah, Charleston, St. Augustine. I can go on and on. This helps shut up some of the snobby Europeans.
 
Canada and Brazil aren't European. But you mean they are colonies? I don't really understand this question but Europeans have a superiority complex anyway.

You know that. The countries don't get along because every country thinks they are better than the next. This is just a sweeping generalization, though. But the English don't get along with the French, the Irish don't get along with the English, and so on.

So perhaps these countries have spread their own feelings to their respoctive colonies, you know?

edit- this isn't to say that my own country, the U.S., doesn't have it's share of probs, but that wasn't the question:)
 
Canada and Brazil aren't European. But you mean they are colonies? I don't really understand this question but Europeans have a superiority complex anyway.

You know that. The countries don't get along because every country thinks they are better than the next. This is just a sweeping generalization, though. But the English don't get along with the French, the Irish don't get along with the English, and so on.

So perhaps these countries have spread their own feelings to their respoctive colonies, you know?

edit- this isn't to say that my own country, the U.S., doesn't have it's share of probs, but that wasn't the question:)
 
"Young" cultures like Mexico, Peru, and Southwestern USA have a lot of pre-colonial history.

I don't think Europeans "insist." I point out the immense diversity of American culture (and I don't mean immigrants) ex. Southern, Southwestern, Hawaiian, Western, Scandinavian midwest, Amish, Alaskan, New Yorker, Texan, etc. We also have cultural institutions like the Grand Ole Opry, Metropolitan Museum of Art, MOMA, Smithsonian, etc. Historical cities like New Orleans, Boston, Savannah, Charleston, St. Augustine. I can go on and on. This helps shut up some of the snobby Europeans.
 
u r right abt the stealing part. there r many other countries with far superior, older "culture". one must remmeber the Dark Ages when Europe had been at its barbaric best. they ve just been lucky with the conquests n stuff. of course ya can't deny the military might that led to the conquests. otherwise, i think every country has something abt itself to be proud of.
 
Well I am European and I think you are part right and part wrong.
Europeans have been around in their own country for a long time and have become somewhat chauvinistic (see French,German,English).The rest of us with countries like Spain and Italy (I am none of both) are not at all.
To say that European culture is not European is not correct IT IS. Whatever the differences between the various ethnicities at the end of the day they are 50% similar . They owe the biggest dept to Greece and some to Rome but that is Europe.
Now about the Colonies I totally agree with you,the policy of going to conquer other people's land and dictate the law is an awful reminder on how greedy mankind can be. Those countries mostly in Africa and some Arabic countries still bent under the weight of their colonial past.
I would not mention Canada or Brasil though as countries who have given anything to Europe. Name India - South America - the Ottoman Empire and we agree. I certainly am forgetting some .
 
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