Are Spanish People Rude?

[Bridie]

It's a perception of severity or seriousness that I'm trying to make. I've only met a couple of people from Spain and they've both been, as you say laid-back, friendly, largely unopinionated,

Oh, I never claimed them to be unopinionated! They tend to be (generalising again) VERY opinionated!

while a very nice fellow, he's also got a certain reservation to him.

Yes, I think they tend to be more formal than maybe both Australians and Americans.

[Peasant]

Americans are boorish.

[Cato]

Oh, I never claimed them to be unopinionated! They tend to be (generalising again) VERY opinionated!


Yes, I think they tend to be more formal than maybe both Australians and Americans.

Mary,

You know what I mean. They're very opinionated about things when they become animated (I've seen this a couple of times from my co-worker), otherwise they tend to be, as you've said, laid-back.

[El Palleter]

How do you figure that I'm being self-righteous? How many Americans have you interacted with? Your commentary about me being self-righteous is either plain-speaking or a bit of sanctimony (which would be a case of the pot calling the kettle black).

I couldn't give you an exact figure. Not even close. But I've interacted with enough Americans both in real life and online to know

Notice that you also hint at what the cause is likely to be:

There're other factors that set Americans apart from Europeans, be they Spanish or English, and these qualities can be things like the residual influence of our Puritan past (which also might be worth mentioning since religion is far stronger here than in contemporary Europe; the intense religiosity that many of my countrymen display probably makes us to seem a bit, ahem, zealous).

[Raikaswinþs]

I would like to add a few points to Murchois post, and to Ben's opinion.

I am a Spaniard, an Old Castilian from Burgos, and I was taught to say please when asking for something. So, even though the way Spaniards speak might be more direct than , let's say, the English, I still consider not polite to avoid the please and the thanks. So the correct Spanish (polite) way to approach a bar tender is: "Un par de canyas , por favor", or, alternatively" me puedes poner un par de cervezas??

Lets call things by its name, and lets be honest, Spain is a country filled with "maleducados, groseros y macarras". Also, I have worked as a waiter, bar man and PR for many years in Spain, and I can tell so many stories that would make many a Spaniard to go red in embarrassment.

There is a perceived idea that Spaniards are more "tactile" than, let's say...brits. Well, we have to precise, that in some(many) areas of spain, and in some (many) social circles, to behave in what you would call a stereotypical Spanish way, would be considered not only extremely rude, but also you would be automatically be classified as a macarra, a barriobajero or a "cani".

It is absolutely false that all Spaniards address you 30 cm from your nose and that they constantly kiss each other, tap each other and such. When I first moved to Sevilla at the age of 17, it took me years to adapt to that kind of behavior, and even today I still find it more unconfortable and faux than "friendly" and "warm".

The part of Spain where I come from, people are usually dry at first glance, too serious or formal, not too given to cheesy humor, and not very fond of kissing and touching each other every 5 minutes.

About Spaniards being loud, well, I can only say that this fact is quite relative. The characteristics of the Spanish language, combined with the fact that this perception is boosted by being a "foreign language" provides that false impression.

You can say that English are certainly quiet, rather than Spaniards being specially loud. For the record, Scots and Poles are every bit as loud as Spaniards. Neither speak in whispers , neither avoid eye contact. Yelling at each other in the streets is not something as Spaniard as it has to do with social class, and I have observed the exact same behaviors in many European countries.

the next cliche to trash out is that there is something like "anglo-saxon" culture that applies to every country where English is the first language. Scots and English are like night and day in many cases, and let's not even Start with Aussies, who are, by the way, much less formal, much more friendly , talkative , warm and loud than the Spaniards (and they have a much less corrupt and more effective and involved political class, that is the reason why today Australia is a better country to live in than Spain)

Finally, about the supermarket grannies, I can say that I have observed the same phenomenon in Poland, Scotland and Portugal, and about the queuing system...well two notes here:

Informal queues in Spain are far from perfect and they often lead to discussions about who was first. Again this has to do more with education than with nationality. I still prefer the Spanish system tho, than the English ques, where 15 peple stand in aperfect line, 25 cm to each other, staying silent for 15 minutes and looking unconfortable.

But I have to say, that queues in Eastern Europe , specially in Poland, are much more chaotic than in anywhere else I have been. First of all t, there is no queue, nobody standing, nobody waiting... but when the bus comes, out of nowhere, a marabunta of people starts pushing each otehr, shoving and elbowing their way to the bus in the most embarrasing spectacle I have seen in my life (observed in Krkakow's bus station, in Bielsko Biala, Katovic and Poznan). Somebody explained me that this issue roots from communist era.


So....again...Spaniards are rude? well, there's certainly millions of uneducated, rude Spaniards, but the politeness standards exist in Spain the same than in UK and they are not so different. I would also add that there are millions of rude and uneducated brits, and that to the Spanish eye, there's a perception that the English is rude, drunk, fat and smelly. And it's a well earned stereotype, like most of them. Sadly

[Bloodeagle]

I have never been to Spain, but have read plenty of American travel guides and Spain is not considered rude by American sensibilities, except for the cat calls and persistent sexual advances towards women, that the entire Mediterranean is known for. Americans find the French to be rude, but not much else.

There're other factors that set Americans apart from Europeans, be they Spanish or English, and these qualities can be things like the residual influence of our Puritan past (which also might be worth mentioning since religion is far stronger here than in contemporary Europe; the intense religiosity that many of my countrymen display probably makes us to seem a bit, ahem, zealous).

Here, I think that we have more than one America. My ancestors were Southern, mostly Presbyterian, and Methodist. I do not believe Southerners are a brash as those in the North, and Southerners try not to be as direct, because they do not like to offend others, during polite conversation.

[Cato]

I couldn't give you an exact figure. Not even close. But I've interacted with enough Americans both in real life and online to know

Notice that you also hint at what the cause is likely to be:

And how exactly is a Puritan heritage a bad thing in and of itself? Why, simply because they [the Puritans] rejected the mores of the Roman Church or the Church of England?

What are Puritan ethics?

Unvarying faith in their purpose- adversity was simply a way for God to challenge the elect.

Work ethic- hard work was glorified as it was required for survival of society.

Education- everyone needed to be literate enough to read the Bible.

Moderation- excess of any kind was considered self-centered rather than focused on God. Plainness and temperance.

Being one's brother's keeper- keep other in line.

Introspection- constantly searching for traces of sin in oneself.

Yes, horrid.

[Cato]

Here, I think that we have more than one America. My ancestors were Southern, mostly Presbyterian, and Methodist. I do not believe Southerners are a brash as those in the North, and Southerners try not to be as direct, because they do not like to offend others, during polite conversation.

Etiquette exists in the north too you know. What you call brashness might be more of the same fire that helped th launched the Revolution, which was largely born in the northern colonies.

[Bloodeagle]

Etiquette exists in the north too you know. What you call brashness might be more of the same fire that helped th launched the Revolution, which was largely born in the northern colonies.

I agree with you 100%. The differences are small but noticeable within the confines of our country.

[Comte Arnau]

It is absolutely false that all Spaniards address you 30 cm from your nose and that they constantly kiss each other, tap each other and such. When I first moved to Sevilla at the age of 17, it took me years to adapt to that kind of behavior, and even today I still find it more unconfortable and faux than "friendly" and "warm".

The part of Spain where I come from, people are usually dry at first glance, too serious or formal, not too given to cheesy humor, and not very fond of kissing and touching each other every 5 minutes.

I agree with that. Also with the fact that Andalusia is a different world in that regard.

But I also think that Southerners are more 'tactile', even if that doesn't necessarily mean 'patting' each other. I noticed that one day, while walking with a Northern friend in one crowded local festival. I was walking naturally in the crowd, while my friend was doing ridiculous postures not to even rub somebody's arm. It was like, er... dunno what to think. And I repeat, I never pat on people's shoulders and I need my Lebensraum when speaking, but there are quite a few examples of that closeness social relationship in which differences become more or less evident.