Comments on: Nationalistic fervor, and why even that is not enough

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 06:05:34 +0000

Great post. I am trying to get you on my RSS feed, but can’t figure it out. can you help me?

By: Michael

Michael — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:09:42 +0000

<3 your comments, guys, keep them up! :3

I will reply later, when I'm more in the mood.

By: NovaJinx

NovaJinx — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:07:36 +0000

I understand how you feel mike, very well indeed. During my 2nd at the university I started feeling disgusted and kind of let-down by Finland and our culture. This was probably because I started hanging around on international IRC-channels and growing influence of anime – I finally got some view of my own on the Rest of the World.

I really felt Finland was insignificant, uninteresting and absolutely boring place; I wanted to get out and preferable stay out for good. For this purpose I applied for student exchange in the US. After spending a full academic year surrounded by foreigners, in a different culture and environment I can say that it made me realize a lot of things about my home country. In fact I could say that being in the US taught me more about Finland than it did about the US itself.

In the end I came to the realization that as much as I might have though of Finland as a boring place, I still love it as my home. The last few months in the US I was all done – I wanted to get back home no matter what. There were a lot of very positive sides to Finland that I hadn’t realized until I was somewhere else for a long period of time. Also I came to understand many things about the US that weren’t all that great, after the first euphoria had subsided.

Guess what I’m trying to say is, staying abroad is a good way to understand your country better and appreciate its culture despite the flaws that you already know so well. Like the saying goes, distance makes hearts grow fonder. Just a few years ago if I was to choose, I’d gladly trade my cultural identity to American and live in the US permanently – without a moment’s hesitation. And now as much as I liked America, I wouldn’t give up Finnish identity and home country for anything.

Oh man, such a TL;DR again. orz

By: RyanA

RyanA — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:05:27 +0000

I can identify, but I’m American and our “culture” really is diversified and blended from many; so it’s hard to find it unless one is from 1-2 sole ethnic backgrounds (I’m from about 7). Still some things are just AMERICAN, and often times I don’t get it, and look another direction.

One thing I cannot stand is ignorance, though I’m quite passive to it, I pity the closed and disconnected souls blinded by it. No one country or ethnicity is above or below, but individuals within those groups can represent extremely well and top the world’s best. Their influence rubs off on those around them, but in the information age, ideas can spread anywhere, and it breaks the barrier of culture.

It’s rare that a single group provides someone who tops all others (though it happens), but in terms of thinking, perspectives, and ideas, the world, our 6 billion brothers and sisters, have yet to approach a number of individuals who stand greatly alone in time; Einstein represents this them well.

All we can hope for is truly inspired individuals, because that is genius.

By: astrobunny

astrobunny — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 08:48:51 +0000

I feel the same way you do, mike. Being a proud Malaysian made me cringe in embarrassment in front of my New Zealand friends when the Olympic contingent of the various countries marched out to the front of the Grand Stand. 22 million people from Malaysia produced 8 competitors to the Olympics. In glaring contrast, 4 million people in a cold isolated nowhere could produce 185 participants. Somehow when people tell me I feel the grass is greener on the other side, I think this is one of many cases where I would rather graze across the river.