Last week there was a passionate response by Spanish readers of this blog to a post I wrote linking to a satirical article making fun of 24 hours in the life of a Spaniard. It made me think that it might be interesting to attempt a serious definition of the Spanish, and the question of passion and wild abandon (recklessness?) seemed an interesting place to start.
Are the Spanish passionate? Can they be reckless? They speed up at the site of orange (or recently red) traffic lights, let seven-year-olds play with fireworks (in Valencia at least) and run in front of bulls – all that suggests a recklessness to their character that you won’t find in, say, the UK – but that may just be because in the UK all the things that seem to make the Spanish wild and reckless have long ago been quashed by rules and regulations designed to put safety ahead of wild abandon and fun. A shame, as anyone who has been to a riotous Spanish fiesta will know that there is nothing better than a good dose of wild abandon once in a while.
And how about passion? The Spanish might not be as romantic as the French, but they have just as much national pride, and will defend their favourite national dish or corner of Spain tooth and nail… and boy can the guys at the bar talk about football. So passionate in fact are the Spanish when it comes to a healthy discussion about almost anything, that many newcomers to Spain often mistake a lively conversation on a street corner for a full scale argument – though the Spanish word for argument is ‘discusión‘, so I don’t know where that leaves us!
Before I am shot down, I would like to add that all this passion and recklessness is balanced by a seriousness of character and respect for correct manners, comportment, and indeed a respect for respect itself, that it is hard to find elsewhere, but we shall come back to that later. In the meantime I want to start two small lists, perhaps you can add to them below in the comments?
When the Spanish are at their most passionante:
- Talking about Spanish cuisine or the beauty of Spain
- Discussing politics
- Arguing with difficult or dishonest taxi drivers or waiters
- When someone has ‘faltado el respeto‘, shown a lack of respect, or been ill-mannered
…
…and reckless?
- Playing with bulls, while drunk, in town fiestas everywhere
- During Las Fallas, anywhere in the Valencia region
- Behind the wheel of a car (according to accident statistics – over 100 dead again this Easter)
…
Do the Spanish strike you as passionate or reckless? Is there a link between the two? What would you add to these lists?
Narcis
11 Apr 07 at 5:57 pm
They could be passionate & reckless talking about “las dos Españas” or now more than two…
A. Machado: “Españolito que vienes al mundo te guarde Dios. Una de las dos Españas ha de helarte el corazón”
Jill
11 Apr 07 at 6:41 pm
Passionate – about anything Spanish and rightly so.
Reckless – many love to overtake at speed just before a motorway exit and then promptly exit, causing you to brake hard! I guess that comes under ‘behind wheel of car’ Ben.
greytop
11 Apr 07 at 7:02 pm
Reckless – in the workplace, judging by the lack of precautions on building sites visible every day.
I think the driving is more inattentive. I regularly see distracted drivers crossing the centre line or invading the hard shoulders – maybe by phones, talking or children. Some of the worst accidents are through invasion of the opposite carriageway.
Passionate – about their regions
ValenciaSon
12 Apr 07 at 12:14 am
Passion and recklessness seems to be a duality that keeps Spain balanced. One is the ying to the others’ yang.
jose antonio
12 Apr 07 at 8:00 am
Is it possible to define the characteristics of a whole nation. Some drive badly, some manage dangerous building sites, some don’t wash their hands after going to the toilet and making your tortilla…some but not most/all.
jose antonio
12 Apr 07 at 8:04 am
In London recently, I am queueing in marks&spencer behind a large group of Americans. Single queueing system with flashing signs on each till…a voice “till 7 please”, “till 12 please” etc when it was their turn they didn’t move. “Till 11 please” they just stare at the flashing sign and the flashing number 11 at the till. Again, “till 11 please” and they don’t move. Someone shouts “oy! Till 11″ and an American woman says “ok, ok, but where do I go?”. So, I think all Americans are stupid?
Ben
12 Apr 07 at 8:45 am
Obviously you have to be careful with generalisation, but if something happens more often in one country than in others, then you can probably assume it is something to do with the national character, don’t you think? In the case of the American woman, that was one woman. If lots of Americans did the same you could generalise about it. Spanish people do crazy things with bulls all over Spain all summer long, and nothing as dangerous or crazy occurs in, for example, the UK – so I think that allows me to say something about the Spanish, and the British.
Ben
12 Apr 07 at 8:47 am
… the idea was to try to define the Spanish character, remember? Do you think it is not possible? In your view is it a fruitless exercise? Of course I started with something obvious, as I said, but hopefully over the next couple of weeks we can dig deeper….
jose antonio
12 Apr 07 at 9:51 am
Its convenient to categorise people through generalisations. It also helps some people feel superior to others. The comment on the Spanish you found so funny because it made you feel superior, no? You have a great haircut, you wash, wear the right amount of clothing, pick up dog shit? Safer to do things with toros than go to a pub with the English and get stabbed. Generalisation of course.
Ben
12 Apr 07 at 10:02 am
So, do you think it is wrong to try to define any nationality’s characteristics whatsoever? And how would you define the Spanish?
greytop
12 Apr 07 at 10:21 am
It is maybe not wrong to try. Whatever you say will however upset someone, somewhere unless strictly factual.
I understand Jose Antonio’s frustration at the tendency to satirise individuals’ characteristics & treat them as national characteristics. Heaven forbid that Spaniards judge all British by the behaviour of those on the Costas – or indeed in any UK town centre on a Friday night. Statistically there are reasons for saying Brits binge drink more than say the French. Watching a group falling out of a UK pub at closing time is merely one instance of this.
In my example of building site safety I really should have quoted figures for accidents in the workplace, not generalised from personal observation. If Spain came bottom of that table I could conclude that it is a national characteristic – or Spain keeps better records. But being lazy….
ValenciaSon
12 Apr 07 at 10:24 am
I think the human equation is too complex to define in a single statement. At the same time, one can find recurring themes in the behavior of a society, without generalizing. Lets face it, Americans (most) are louder than Canadians (most) and Canadians (most) are more laid back then Americans (most) and so forth and so on. My father’s impression of England when he went there was that it was such orderly society that people there won’t even jay-walk. Had my father gone to a pub during or after a football game, he might have left England with a different impression. Maybe I’m generalizing by implying that all English pubs become rowdy around football. There are behavioral characteristics that are so well known from repeated occurrence, that anticipating them is understood, despite the risk of generalization.
Edith
12 Apr 07 at 10:32 am
True, generalizations are always risky and we should always use them wih caution, if at all. Are there any common denominators which characterize the Spaniards despite regional, social and political differences? There are probably many exceptions to the rule but I agree that a certain amount of passion and recklessness are part of the Spanish character. I have a preference for the passionate bit, and this is something you won’t see too often in my neck of the woods. In Holland, people have a tendency to keep a lid on things, so to speak, to avoid conflicts and to deny there is any problem. Not so in Spain. Tempers may flare and people call a spade a spade. Like many Mediterranean people, the Spanish also have a savoir-vivre which I sorely miss in northern Europe.
In Mexico you will also find this combination of passion and wild abandon, so perhaps they inherited these cultural traits from the Spaniards; who knows. Last but not least, we should always bear in mind that these are clichés and that many people may not fit the stereotype.
jose antonio
12 Apr 07 at 1:27 pm
Yes, it is frustrating especially coming from a country with such strong traditions and symbolism. Ben, will you let us escape and be a modern European people with diversity? We have our strange ones just like all countries but we aren’t so different really.
ValenciaSon
12 Apr 07 at 4:54 pm
Cuantos se han muerto conduciendo un coche durante semana santa?
Ben
12 Apr 07 at 5:02 pm
J-A – “will you let us escape and be a modern European people with diversity?” Of course! That is what I love about the Spain of today. But I also love the things that make Spain Spain, and that is what I am interested in here.
Ben
12 Apr 07 at 5:11 pm
VS – Mas de 100…
ValenciaSon
12 Apr 07 at 7:04 pm
Ben, 100!? Que barbaridad!
Brandon
13 Apr 07 at 8:47 am
I’m still wondering about Ben’s question- is it fruitless to try to describe the ‘character’ of a nation? If so, what’s the alternative? “All nations are the same and shame on anyone who says otherwise”? Sounds bland. And untrue. Actually, thank God it’s untrue.
Edith
13 Apr 07 at 10:32 am
In the 1940s, anthropologists like Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict were prominent advocates of the so-called ‘Culture and Personality’ school of thought, which drew on the relationship between the individual and his/her culture. In ‘Patterns of Culture’, Ruth Benedicts examines three vastly different cultures by trying to characterize them from a psychological point of view. Benedict believed that every culture has a profound effect on the way people think, act and live.
Sparkalina
13 Apr 07 at 1:13 pm
Passionate: Um, these comments???
Ben
13 Apr 07 at 4:55 pm
Yup!!!!
Paul
13 Apr 07 at 9:57 pm
As an ‘ignorant American’, can someone clue me in on the British “till 7, please”? Not having been there, the reference is lost on me. I’m guessing that the American translation would be: “I can help the next customer at cash register #7″ … but I could be wrong about this.
Ben
13 Apr 07 at 10:43 pm
That’s right, a till is a cash register.
Graeme
14 Apr 07 at 9:26 am
“We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language.” Oscar Wilde
Edith
14 Apr 07 at 4:44 pm
English is not my native language and I didn’t know what a ’till’ was, either. ‘Cash register’ sounds much more familiar. American English is making huge inroads into many non-English speaking countries these days.
jose antonio
14 Apr 07 at 4:51 pm
I guess I thought she was stupid because, a) she was waiting to pay and would have seen other people going to pay at the cash registers in front of her b) there was a neon sign with \”11\” flashing on it with an arrow pointing to the right 1 metre in front of her eyes c) till (cash register) number 11 had a flashing red neon \”11\” above it with a man waving at her. You still think she has an excuse for not knowing what to do? Jejeje
ValenciaSon
14 Apr 07 at 5:21 pm
What a huge responsibility it must be to be omniscient.
jose antonio
14 Apr 07 at 5:46 pm
Is that the best you can do ValenciaSon?
What a huge responsibility it must be to be the real Peter Griffin.
ValenciaSon
14 Apr 07 at 11:16 pm
Peter Griffin, a bit hypocritical after your emotional turmoil you shared with us on stereotyping Spaniards. Mare meua, I’ll try not to lose too much sleep over being identified as a cartoon character.
MC
29 Jan 08 at 2:57 am
Hahahaha you’ve all brightened my day. I found this blog by way of searching for “characteristics of Spaniards” because I want to figure out if I would like to live in Spain, and here is this blog discussing if there is any benefit to universally describing Spaniards… obviously to me there is much benefit. How else can I stop lumping Europe into one big chunk of foreigness (before I move there)? . I’m American, obviously. If anyone is interested, I would like juicy details/opinions. I hope people are not so easily offended that they would rather everyone shut up and the exchange of ideas cease.
Carlos
15 Jul 09 at 7:29 pm
I am spanish, thank you for your respectful insight into our culture. Many spanish would be surprised to see that we are described as patriotic, but you are right, only that we are more passionate about a good Tortilla than our flag.
At the end of the day, GB is dark and wet and we here practicall live in a desert, dry and sunny. So it is not so difficult to get together and reinvent ourselves constantly.
The english are pretty reckless… too many fights after half a dozen pints…