# Are Belgians insecure? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2001, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-belgians-insecure/93946 "2001-11-17T15:44:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-belgians-insecure/93946/1 "2001-11-17T15:44:56Z")
Swear to god true story… I used to live in Washington DC and one day I stopped to help out two obviously lost tourists squinting at a map. We chatted a little bit and I asked where they were from. They answered simultaneously. “We’re from Belgium”, said one. “We’re from France”, said the other. Then the second one said kind of sheepishly, yes yes we’re from Belgium. Reminded me of an old Python skit that was a contest for the worst insult you can say to a Belgian. One of the entries was something like. “Why should we talk to Belgians at all.” Are the Belgians looked down on for some reason? ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-belgians-insecure/93946/2 "2001-11-17T15:49:31Z")
Maybe they just thought that since you’re an American, you might not know where Belgium was, but that you might have heard of France (since we have have french fries and french toast). ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-belgians-insecure/93946/3 "2001-11-17T16:27:03Z")
They were actually spies from Luxemburg. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_Mage\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba8739/32.png) [@Death\_Mage\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_Mage_1)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-belgians-insecure/93946/4 "2001-11-17T16:31:15Z")
Because Belgium is the only country more pathetic than France. The Germans invaded Belgium just to get to France, which is why they are so pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-belgians-insecure/93946/5 "2001-11-17T16:49:42Z")
They’re cringing because they’re ashamed of themselves for refusing to sell the British ammunition they required during the Gulf War. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-belgians-insecure/93946/6 "2001-11-17T18:15:16Z")
I have knowingly only met one person from Belgium. I was on holiday (actually I was on vacation) in Tenerife and she was working there as a guide. If she was insecure then I would have loved to console her. Reminded me of Grace Kelly. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-belgians-insecure/93946/7 "2001-11-17T18:20:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JeffB \* > Maybe they just thought that since you’re an American, you might not know where Belgium was, but that you might have heard of France (since we have have **french fries** and **french toast** ). Damn **JeffB** did you forget about **Belgium waffles** ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-belgians-insecure/93946/8 "2001-11-17T19:23:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Death\_Mage \* > \*\*Because Belgium is the only country more pathetic than France. The Germans invaded Belgium just to get to France, which is why they are so pathetic. \*\* Posts intended to denigrate others are inappropriate to General Questions. Please don’t do it again. I don’t foresee a general answer to this question, so I’ll close this thread. bibliophage moderator GQ