# Which nationality is the most blunt? The least? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 21, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061 "2010-06-21T23:15:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/61 "2010-06-25T10:59:36Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I don’t know how we are perceived by other nationalities, but I think Canadians are less blunt than Americans. When some of you describe how Southerners won’t insult people directly, that sounds really familiar to me (how a Canadian says you’re completely full of shit - “Well, I don’t know about that”). I’d say we are mid-range between US Americans and the Japanese. It has indeed occasionally been suggested that Canadians may be more polite than Americans, so one could perhaps infer that they are more circuitous and indirect, in order to be less offensive, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/62 "2010-06-25T11:04:33Z")
But _are_ Canadians more polite than Americans? Is there any actual evidence of this? ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/63 "2010-06-25T11:05:45Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > Dude, you’re just embarrassing yourself. I’ve already said I’m not from Yorkshire. > > Is this an insult or a compliment? I can understand why the Tyke in your original myth/lie/tale took offence. Why would Castleford be bad? There’s nothing quite like a parochial southerner, is there? So you just like to act like a yorkie ? Much like, I suppose, like s.London teenagers who think that they sound like the American Gangsta rappers they admire. As to offending the "tyke"in question, I’m polite until treated with impoliteness. And yes I HAVE always suffered from my southern parochialism, though in time I hope to roam as far afield as twenty miles away from home. I hope and dream that one day I might leave the country, even if for a short period and become as experienced and worldly wise as someone like yourself. Do you dress like a teenage ninja mutant turtle as well as speak like them _DUDE_ ? Quite frankly if you really, really don’t have anything vaguely relevant or even interesting to relate then that which you have just posted then I’d save your metaphorical breath if I were you. You are a classic example of the saying that it is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought stupid then to open it and show to everyone that you actually are. There ,now you’ve had my attention so I’ll wish you one last cheerio. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/64 "2010-06-25T13:31:19Z")
> [@kidneyfailure](#): > > I seriously doubt this. Most Chinese people these days don’t believe in “gods” or “spirits,” especially not educated ones like my ex-girlfriend’s parents (both professors). This may have been the traditional explanation for it, but I don’t think it still holds true nowadays. Her father and mother were both pretty outspoken atheists IIRC. And my mother-in-law certaintly doesn’t have gods on the mind when she’s doing her whole “my-food-is-so-terrible” thing. Lots of perfectly rational people believe in jinxes, which is essentially what this is. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/65 "2010-06-25T14:41:55Z")
> [@](#): > > As to the Walter Mitty threats made from the safety of cyber space you have nothing but my complete and utter contempt. …and what threat did I make? I merely stated the behaviour of quite a few of the folk from around here, from which I distanced myself. I have contempt for people who cannot parse a sentence. I also have to say, that even under this provocation, you only revealed yourself as hardly any better than the person you were discussing. This does tend to occur in non-assertive people who are not confident enough to challenge such innappropriate behaviour in an effective manner. In a sense though, you are right, because your tone would not have brought a verbal response from some of the neanderthals round here, you’d just be picking yourself up. The ones that speak are not the ones to worry about, its the ones who don’t, they don’t tell you the’re going to flatten you - they just do it. You should be at least a bit relieved you got a talker. I have learned long ago that even in the face of extremely direct provocation, there is always another way to handle a situation rather than drag yourself down to the levels of such folk. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/66 "2010-06-25T15:21:45Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > But _are_ Canadians more polite than Americans? Is there any actual evidence of this? It would be too forward for a Canadian to say yes. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/67 "2010-06-25T16:34:03Z")
> [@](#): > > But are Canadians more polite than Americans? Is there any actual evidence of this?. Canadians will apologize when you step on their foot. I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/68 "2010-06-25T16:36:37Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Noone and Alessan, > > In what ways are Israelis particularly blunt? Any examples that typify it? I have a couple of Israeli anecdotes. In a college anthropology class, my T.A. was from Israel. In our first class, he was explaining that many students found him intimidating, but we shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions, etc, when he spotted a student trying to sneak out of class by the back door. He pounded his fist on the table and roared, “WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!” He had no problem with aggressively confronting perceived rudeness. A few years ago, I tutored a girl with a learning disability whose family was Israeli. This little girl, about seven, was stunningly beautiful, with huge green eyes, full lips, and golden hair. She looked like a tiny supermodel. When I told her mother how pretty her daughter was, the mother sneered and said, “Yes, well it won’t do her any good if she can’t read.” (Which is true, of course, but you generally don’t respond to a compliment by disparaging your daughter.) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/69 "2010-06-25T17:04:52Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > It has indeed occasionally been suggested that Canadians may be more polite than Americans, so one could perhaps infer that they are more circuitous and indirect, in order to be less offensive, eh? I think that’s entirely possible. ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/70 "2010-06-27T06:20:59Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > There is a “head roll” expression if seen in some of the Indian contractors we’ve employed that I cannot determine if it’s mean to be “yes” or “no”. It’s pretty much 50.1% of each. I was given to understand that it is a signal of agreement, but it is often used in conversation the way an English speaker might say “uh-huh” to let a person know they are listening but it doesn’t necessarily mean that are actually agreeing with the statement. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/71 "2010-06-27T14:01:56Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > …and what threat did I make? > > I merely stated the behaviour of quite a few of the folk from around here, from which I distanced myself. > > I have contempt for people who cannot parse a sentence. > > I also have to say, that even under this provocation, you only revealed yourself as hardly any better than the person you were discussing. This does tend to occur in non-assertive people who are not confident enough to challenge such innappropriate behaviour in an effective manner. > > In a sense though, you are right, because your tone would not have brought a verbal response from some of the neanderthals round here, you’d just be picking yourself up. The ones that speak are not the ones to worry about, its the ones who don’t, they don’t tell you the’re going to flatten you - they just do it. You should be at least a bit relieved you got a talker. > > I have learned long ago that even in the face of extremely direct provocation, there is always another way to handle a situation rather than drag yourself down to the levels of such folk. My god you do go on don’t you? A little bit too late to try and back off from your pathetic little threat, especially when you can’t resist from reiterating it a little later with the somewhat lame and mealy mouthed attempt to disassociate yourself from it by the “Some people around here tripe”. You wouldn’t want to drag yourself down etc.etc. but I bet you wouldn’t be too unhappy to see me put in my place by these people you seem to so despise eh? What next, are you going to set your dad/big brother on me? So being honest; you’re a coward AND a hypocrite. I must admit that I never came across these roughy tuffies that apparently Castleford are; according to yourself, worthy of reknown throughout the British Isles. Perhaps they don’t come out when theres strangers about ? What a pathetic little specimem you really are. I hope you enjoyed my bluntness. There ! you’ve had your attention now go bore somebody else. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Rosetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Green\_Rosetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Rosetta)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/72 "2010-06-28T01:46:30Z")
I found Brazilians to be pretty blunt. The adjective I most heard used to describe someone was “fat.” Maybe it’s because, from my American perspective, that is generally a pretty harsh insult and not something that you say about someone matter-of-factly. I found Brazilians to be very, very nice, but also pretty candid. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/73 "2010-06-28T05:08:58Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Words like blunt and rude are ambiguous and you can get different answers from people with different perspectives. > > With the exception of my wicked stepmother, in the last 40 years only 1 person in the U.S.A. has mentioned my unusual-looking fingernails to my face. In Thailand it was often one of the first topics of conversation. (I say “was” because my fingernails look better now, thank you!) Yes, Thais are very frank about some topics that are taboo in the West. “You’ve become fat!” “You look old.” These are all commonly said without any ill intention. Once when I was fresh off the boat, a group of Thais I was with singled out a young female among them who was not very good-looking at all and insisted on knowing if I thought she was “beautiful.” Not wanting to be rude, I said: “Er, yes, she’s very nice-looking.” They looked dumbfounded, and all of them started telling me: “What? No she’s not, she’s ugly.” Even the girl herself told me so! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/74 "2010-06-28T08:30:42Z")
That’s fascinating. For all the Israeli bluntness mentioned above, I can’t imagine Israelis saying anything like that. Correction: I can’t imagine an Israeli \*letting someone talk about them \*like that. That’s why bluntness and politeness is more often than not a matter of social heirarchies and deference. I suspect that a Japanese bosses are, by and large, much less polite to their underlings than Israeli bosses, simply because the Japanese don’t expect their subordinates to talk back. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/75 "2010-06-28T11:15:02Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > … You know, accusations of being a “Walter Mitty”, coming from you, are just a little ironic. Aren’t you the sad case that keeps hinting he was in the SAS or something? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/76 "2010-06-28T14:10:07Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > That’s fascinating. > > For all the Israeli bluntness mentioned above, I can’t imagine Israelis saying anything like that. Correction: I can’t imagine an Israeli \*letting someone talk about them \*like that. > > That’s why bluntness and politeness is more often than not a matter of social heirarchies and deference. I suspect that a Japanese bosses are, by and large, much less polite to their underlings than Israeli bosses, simply because the Japanese don’t expect their subordinates to talk back. Regarding Israeli bluntness: as a Canadian, I saw an upside to that. For one, Canadians are , generally, very reserved (at least, Torontonians are) as well as “polite”, which has the effect of reducing social interaction with strangers to a bare minimum of social banalities. As someone used to a city in which strangers, if they interact in public at all, are likely to cautiously agree that the weather continues fine, it was a bit of a surprise to have little old ladies on the bus in Israel interrogate me as to where I was from and then loudly critique Canadian foregn policy. ---
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/77 "2010-06-28T19:38:33Z")
In my experience, Americans can have a hard time taking _negative_ bluntness. With American friends, they are always reluctant to consider plan b’s or admit that something probably isn’t going to go well. They always prefer optimism. Another example: I went to college in England but TA at a big Southern university in the US. Phrases like “this was a really bad paper”, whilst standard at my uni, would be considered extremely rude where I am now. On the other hand, Americans are much more direct with ‘conversational interviewing’, when they’ve just met you: where are you from? what do you do? where did you go to college? These questions are all borderline rude in most parts of the UK, especially out of the blue. pdts ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Rosetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Green\_Rosetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Rosetta)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/78 "2010-06-29T03:06:13Z")
> [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](#): > > In my experience, Americans can have a hard time taking _negative_ bluntness. > > With American friends, they are always reluctant to consider plan b’s or admit that something probably isn’t going to go well. They always prefer optimism. > > Another example: I went to college in England but TA at a big Southern university in the US. Phrases like “this was a really bad paper”, whilst standard at my uni, would be considered extremely rude where I am now. > > On the other hand, Americans are much more direct with ‘conversational interviewing’, when they’ve just met you: where are you from? what do you do? where did you go to college? These questions are all borderline rude in most parts of the UK, especially out of the blue. > > pdts Oh, wow. That is so interesting! So I guess the entire concept of what is rude changes from country to country? Being American, I understand that plain criticism is considered very rude because it can hurt someone’s feelings. Why is it considered rude elsewhere to ask someone about their job or their school? Hoping this doesn’t come across as snarky, I’m just genuinely interested in that cultural difference. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/79 "2010-06-29T03:20:00Z")
> [@Green\_Rosetta](#): > > Oh, wow. That is so interesting! So I guess the entire concept of what is rude changes from country to country?\ From a lot of things I’ve seen on this board, I would definitely say yes. For example, US Americans seem to know everyone’s religion for everyone they know in their lives and all their politicians, doctors, dentists, etc. I can’t remember the last time someone asked me what my religion was (or if I was religious or went to church). They also seem to know how everyone votes - I don’t even know how my husband votes. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061/80 "2010-06-29T03:59:03Z")
Watching my Irish father in law order at a local patisserie run by a Vietnamese family is hilarious (and when I say “hilarious” I perhaps mean cringe-inducing). This patisserie is famously cheap and good and often has people standing four or five deep back from the counter. To the Vietnamese family, they are being efficient and quick and therefore helpful when they say: _“What you want!”_ in a demanding tone once you reach the counter, expecting you to answer _instantly_. To my Irish father in law it is mind bogglingly rude to do anything less than engage in a minute or two’s small talk about the weather, what is good today etc before hinting that: _“you were think that perhaps it might be the thing to maybe wonder about the possibility of a couple of croissants. Maybe If that’s not too much trouble. Although having said that, the custard tarts do look good also.”_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-nationality-is-the-most-blunt-the-least/544061.md?page=5)