Watching The English - by Kate Fox

After having worked day-to-day for a few years now with English people, I found this book’s arguments to be very true and relatable.

As I grow older I’ve become more practical in thought, speech and behavior and, after reading this book, I realize it conflicts with the author’s description of English social patterns. I learned there’s a constant tendency towards indirectness, humor, self-deprecation, appearance of modesty and, moreover, moderation in argument and expression.

This makes intention and meaning of spoken words to come from a complex interpretation of voice tonality, context and body language. Which arguably applies to any culture but, in my opinion, it’s more present in this one. As the author defines it, it’s due to a “social dis-ease”.

There seems to be a cultural tendency towards not appearing comfortable in social situations. A culture of saving face in interactions, where positivism or eagerness for activities are rare. Attitudes seem driven by the feeling of the world being a nuisance that has to be coped with. The emotions meter tilts towards moderation… in everything. It doesn’t mean there’s no emotion, it just feels like it.

As Roger Waters wrote in Pink Floyd’s Time: “Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way.”