Why Do Brits Hate Success So Much?

[ewenm]

I think it's more along he lines of "Why do Brits hate people who show they are successful so much?" but its still very sad that someone being successful triggers jealousy rather than aspiration in others.

[pilchardthecat]

Colin 1985 said:

eldar said:

UK - You've got a decent car, its not fair, I can't afford one on benefits. The government should take more of your money and give it to me so i can

US - You've got a nice car, one day I'll have a better one.

EFA.

EFevenmoreA

[Fastra]

Colin 1985 said:

eldar said:

UK - You've got a decent car, its not fair, I can't afford one on benefits.

US - You've got a nice car, one day I'll have a better one.

EFA.

Nail on the head there!

Any country that continues to reward people for doing feck all is only going to breed a nation of morons!

[Boosted LS1]

Balmoral Green said:

It's nothing to do with success, money or jealousy. Some people have class, and some don't. The Brits tend to resent 'loud' people, that's all. And some don't have the brain to work it out, so they resort to the simplistic to explain it, like writing it off as jealousy or being snobby. It isn't.

I agree totally and would add that less is more etc. People with class know how to be discrete and polite. They don't do flash. Then there are the bling bling brigade shouting look at me, I'm loaded. No wonder it rubs people up who are less fortunate.

[plenty]

It's a combination of:

- egalitarian ideals: everyone should have equal opportunities, hence conspicuous achievement is viewed with suspicion

- a preference for understatement and against ostentatiousness

- a predisposition to pass judgement, and also be conscious of how one is judged by others

[Fire99]

All pretty much said, but when you are unhappy with your own successes, it's easier to criticise other people and try and 'bring them down' in some way to your level rather than aspire to improve yourself.

It's just a way for under-achievers to feel better about themselves.

[MGB Boy]

All depends on the person I feel, you can tell when someone is trying to be an in your face show of .
Its basically just you get those who are in your face show offs so people automatically assume everyone else is the same.

I also don't get the 'small penis' / 'must be making up for something attitude'. If someone wants to drive a good car, Why does their penis automatically shrink? And what the fk does that have to do with anything anyway!?

[BriC175]

RWD cossie wil said:

It just seems to be the mentality of it's far easier to drag someone down than go out and achive yourself?

That's just it - you'll find those who make these sort of comments are those who have no strong desire to succeed in life. They just see all the nice things that the success can bring at face value, call them a c*nt, go back to their financed astra's and credit cards and forget about it all, because it's easier, and makes them feel better.

I know which life I'd rather lead... I just need to get off my arse and do something about it

Edited by BriC175 on Thursday 10th June 23:49

[Pothole]

fk I hate the terms 'Brits'! Apart from that, it's not recent and it's not limited to this country. Most people are jealous. Modern society appears to promote materialism over any other philosophy for life, encouraging further jealousy.

Edited by Pothole on Thursday 10th June 23:53

[busta]

Walking down the street recently with my girlfriend and some of her family, we passed an S1 Elise. Her cousin walked over to it, motioned as if to kick it and said "Eugh, I hate flash gits who drive posh cars like that destroying the environment".

[Marquis_Rex]

pilchardthecat said:

RWD cossie wil said:

kambites said:

It's by no means unique to the UK.

Americans seem to have a much more open mind I have found....

That's because they live in a country where everyone has to work, or they don't get stuff (like healthcare), so working hard is seen as almost universally good.

People in the the UK have it easy, they get that st handed to them on a plate without having to raise a finger. This might seem like a good thing, except now everyone thinks it's an inalienable right. They've forgotten that the only reason they can have it at all is because it's paid for by the hard work of others.

This country needs a fking good kick up the arse with a healthy dose of reality IMO.

Edited by pilchardthecat on Thursday 10th June 21:23

^ This! +1

I've lived in a few countries. I found the UK was the worst- some of it is certainly due to the welfare-living-off-everyone-else system and the attitude this engenders but it's more than that: I lived in Germany which has a generous benefits system (but strangely alot fairer than the UK) but there isn't as much abuse of it as in the UK. Also the attitude is different. I often got the thumbs up when driving my Porsche and people wanting to see the engine. I doub't its to do with the country of origin of the car, as when I have driven the Aston martin V8 Vantage in the UK- the reaction is similar to that of my Porsche: People make a special point of making sure they don't look at your car, you get the finger or nescafe shake, I had a ford Focus on the other carriage way coming the other way- mimick a gun like motion with his hand.

The attitude towards success in the UK is pitiful. WHen, last year, things were looking dodgey for me, hours cut, auto industry out here doing badly, I came back to the UK, and my neighbor seemed to take great glee and said with a smile- it's about time you joined the real world and sold your Porsche and Challenger. He said this before trying to screw me over on some shady deal - signing over my house to him, bascially. Classic, lazy, UK blue collar jealousy.

The USA , as already stated, is the best scenario, people understand the simple relationship that you work hard and you reap rewards. An interesting car or even a showy and expensive one will nearly always illicit a positive reaction.

The best way to deal with jealous tossers in the UK, is to rub success in their faces and watch their heads explode. I will make sure I do this- next time I'm in the UK to my neighbor- it will be MOST satisfying when I show him pics of my new life

[Pothole]

busta said:

Walking down the street recently with my girlfriend and some of her family, we passed an S1 Elise. Her cousin walked over to it, motioned as if to kick it and said "Eugh, I hate flash gits who drive posh cars like that destroying the environment".

Jealous and showing off. Nice.

[davepoth]

It's not even that so much. The class system is alive and well. It's a lot more pernicious than many would believe as well. The lower classes keep themselves down as much, or maybe even more than the upper classes do, often subconsciously, by being negative about any outward sign of success or wealth. Their children are then conditioned to the "I'm glad I'm not worse off, but then it would be terrible to be better off" condition of their parents.

Do read Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" for a more thorough discussion of the idea.

[Marquis_Rex]

Balmoral Green said:

It's nothing to do with success, money or jealousy. Some people have class, and some don't. The Brits tend to resent 'loud' people, that's all. And some don't have the brain to work it out, so they resort to the simplistic to explain it, like writing it off as jealousy or being snobby. It isn't.

Germans disapprove of showy people to a greater degree than the UK. Much greater and yet the reaction towards Aston Martins and Porsches never generates the kind of bitter jealousy that it does in the UK. It's not in their psyche- nor is it - over here....

Edited by Marquis_Rex on Thursday 10th June 23:55

[Colin 1985]

Paddy_N_Murphy said:

pilchardthecat said:

Colin 1985 said:

eldar said:

UK - You've got a decent car, its not fair, I can't afford one on benefits. The government should take more of your money and give it to me so i can, meanwhile I should have compensation too! Init.

US - You've got a nice car, one day I'll have a better one.

EFA.

EFevenmoreA

EFevenmoreandabitA

Back to me then

[Pothole]

davepoth said:

It's not even that so much. The class system is alive and well. It's a lot more pernicious than many would believe as well. The lower classes keep themselves down as much, or maybe even more than the upper classes do, often subconsciously, by being negative about any outward sign of success or wealth. Their children are then conditioned to the "I'm glad I'm not worse off, but then it would be terrible to be better off" condition of their parents.

Do read Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" for a more thorough discussion of the idea.

If that was a reply to me, why would you assume I haven't?

[KENZ]

Just because you drive a flash car doesn't mean your loaded. Most are financed and the majority of owners are up to their eyes in debt. More so in America..

Doesn't make me jealous. Good luck to them. I've worked hard all my life and own both my cars, although I'm about to replace my daily runner with a new model on tick

[tinman0]

RWD cossie wil said:

Just a general observation, but anyone who does well for themselves seem to get done down, and hated by everyone else?

Yup, had the Mustang out for a season on our events, and the car either got complimented or I got snide comments.

Since then, the Mustang is rarely seen for work purposes, and I drive an anonymous grey van instead.

[Negative Creep]

Conversely why are we also such snobs? So many people are obsessed with having the latest reg plate, rgardless of which Ocean Finance spec car it's attached to. Only after leaving the country did I realise how bad the obsession with modern cars is. The badge and year, not the car, are most important.

Are we also the only country who has age related reg plates?

[petrolsniffer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcYy62Gzq7w This was posted in another thread

Now anyone with a simular car want to go test this in a uk town centre? if you do please tell me how long it takes before your car is showered in bottles/spit.