# Why Is Eccentricity So REVERED In England? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 21, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497 "2004-06-21T19:27:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/1 "2004-06-21T19:27:29Z")
I love England…it is a great country (good beer, good cheese, and CHARMING eccentricity)! My question for out British friends: why is this so revered in your country? I mean,you have lots of people who think a nice vacation involves being humiliated and screamed at (Butlins Camps), you are home to the famous “Flat Earth Society”, and Marxism is alive and well in old Blighty! I always liked the British gift for irony…one night, the BBC concluded their annual broadcast of the complete works of Richard Wagner…the commentator stated:…“and now we come to the end of our broadcast, which is perhaps justa s well…” Ans Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park, where you can here such entertaining nonsense at all hours! And, a country with three offical machine thread standards (Metric, English and…Whitwoth!) The world would be a lot poorer without England! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/2 "2004-06-21T19:52:39Z")
The eccentrics make the rest of us look normal by comparison and are therefore encouraged. On the other hand perhaps I am one of them. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/3 "2004-06-21T23:00:47Z")
Encouraging eccentrics makes it easier for the public to keep an eye on them, and also prevents them from doing anything truly dangerous, such as running for government office. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/4 "2004-06-22T00:51:00Z")
It really is difficult to put my finger on any precise reason and there is considerable variability of reaction to any two given acts; for example, an individual who inconveniences others by cutting to the front of the queue at the bank will be frowned upon (although in most cases, everybody will complain to _each other_, rather than taking him to task; on the other hand, an individual who inconveniences the audience of a cricket match by running naked across the pitch with his arse painted blue, is wildly applauded. Perhaps it is this; although we don’t have an explicitly laid-out written constitution like the USA, we do have an overwhelming preponderance of _rules and regulations_ - some of these (like the largely unwritten ‘don’t cut to the front of a queue’) are widely perceived as being for the good of everyone and breaking them is taboo, however, a great many more are widely perceived as bureaucratic nonsense or authoritarian heavy-handedness and _the ordinary man in the street, taking his stand against the cruel machine_ will quite likely be applauded - most people won’t dare to step out of line and do as he does, but they can enjoy his rebellion vicariously. It isn’t our fault we have all the rules; whoever we elect to change them ends up just making more. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/5 "2004-06-22T05:57:25Z")
“Eccentricity” is, of course, a time-honored euphemism for “homosexuality” . . . One wonders how the Brits manage to reproduce at all. ---
**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 22, 2004, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/6 "2004-06-22T07:42:07Z")
I blame the class system. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/7 "2004-06-22T07:46:47Z")
\ 'Tis said that mortal man seeks out men of learning for discourse, that through the exchange of ideas he may better himself, and so, come closer to God. I, on the other hand, like to surround myself with complete tossers to remind me I’m best \ ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/8 "2004-06-22T10:20:19Z")
Only the rich are eccentric. The poor are mentally ill. ‘Eccentric’ perhaps applies to things nobody really takes seriously, and the British are the epitomy of not taking things seriously. By comparison, I found America downright _weird_, and all the more sinister because the weird beliefs were strongly held. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/9 "2004-06-22T11:58:25Z")
he English love of eccentrics goes back quite a way…Dicken’s novels are full of eccentric characters…like MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT, and Wilkins McCawber in GREAT EXPECTATIONS. Oh, and I forgot to mention…on one model of the MGB sports car, they had all three thread standards in the bolts used! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RandomLetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/10 "2004-06-22T13:57:19Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Encouraging eccentrics makes it easier for the public to keep an eye on them, and also prevents them from doing anything truly dangerous, such as running for government office. 😃 But what about the Monster Raving Loony party then? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/11 "2004-06-22T14:17:49Z")
> [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > hell I don’t remember the quote correctly Blackadder\> “It is said, Percy, that civilised man seeks out good and intelligent company, so that, through learned discourse, he may rise above the savage and closer to God. Personally, however, I like to start the day with a total dickhead to remind me I’m best.” ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/12 "2004-06-22T14:24:59Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > My question for out British friends: why is this so revered in your country? England isn’t my country. We in Britain are eccentric about the name of our country. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/13 "2004-06-22T18:51:33Z")
> [@RandomLetters](#): > > But what about the Monster Raving Loony party then? 😉 Didn’t the Silly Vote ended up getting split between the Silly Party candidate (Mrs Elsie Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…) and the Very Silly candidate (Malcolm Peter Brian Telescope Adrian Blackpool Rock Stoatgobbler John Raw Vegetable Brrroooo Norman Michael (rings bell) (blows whistle) Edward (sounds car horn) (does train impersonation) (sounds buzzer) Thomas Moo… (sings) “We’ll keep a welcome in the…” (fires gun) William (makes silly noise) “Raindrops keep falling on my” (weird noise) “Don’t sleep in the subway” (cuckoo cuckoo) Naaoooo… Smith… ), so the Sensible Party (Jeanette Walker) ended up winning instead? 😉 [Reference here](http://www.ibras.dk/montypython/finalripoff.htm#Election) ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/14 "2004-06-22T19:39:45Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Dicken’s novels are full of eccentric characters…like MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT Old Martin or Young Martin? And really, in a novel as full of screwballs as _Martin Chuzzlewit_ is…Seth Pecksniff, Montague Tigg, Sairey Gamp, Augustus Moddle, Jefferson Brick, Chevy Slyme, to pick a few of the more obvious examples…why cite the Chuzzlewits, who are more or less normal? ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eccentricity-so-revered-in-england/251497/15 "2004-06-22T22:31:47Z")
> [@Ukulele Ike](#): > > Old Martin or Young Martin? > > And really, in a novel as full of screwballs as _Martin Chuzzlewit_ is…Seth Pecksniff, Montague Tigg, Sairey Gamp, Augustus Moddle, Jefferson Brick, Chevy Slyme, to pick a few of the more obvious examples…why cite the Chuzzlewits, who are more or less normal? i’ll take “things the op doesn’t know what he’s talking about” for £500, Alex.