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> A friend once commented that they didn’t “feel European” I see myself as 1. A Schleswig-Holsteiner (The norhernmost state in Germany) 2. European 3. German.

> A friend once commented that they didn’t “feel European” I see myself as 1. A Schleswig-Holsteiner (The norhernmost state in Germany) 2. European 3. German. There was an interesting map posted on reddit a while ago [0], showing which of the three different things people feel most attached to, I am apparently in the majority with my #1 pick up here. I do feel European, but it’s just too abstract to be a primary identification. [0]: https://i.redd.it/5iybkit5lf5b1.jpg https://i.redd.it/5iybkit5lf5b1.jpg

jwr 2y ago
Nothing makes you feel European like spending several months in the US.
- mathverse 2y ago
  Quite the opposite. It made me realize that if the US took better stewardship of Eastern Europe we would all be better off. I feel more connected to americans and their way of life than Germans.
  - jwr 2y ago
    Hey, if you feel more American, that's fine! My point was just that staying outside of Europe makes you realize that all these EU countries have much more in common than people think and that divisions between countries in the EU are largely artificial (and hyped/inflated by politicians, who want to preserve their seats and power).
    - mathverse 2y ago
      History, traditions and current struggles are more common that's for sure but the attitude towards life is different.
  - shepherdjerred 2y ago
    As an American, why do you say this? I feel like most Europeans strongly dislike the US/Americans.
    - onetoo 2y ago
      I obviously can't speak for everyone, but I personally don't know anyone who strongly dislikes the US, and especially not US citizens. The sentiment I personally hear when talking about the US (and, again, I don't speak for everyone) is more akin to the kind of sympathetic concern you might have for a friend who's become an alcoholic: It pains you to see them hurt themselves like that, but their temper flares when you suggest that maybe they drink just a little bit too much. But they can't be helped until they're ready to admit that they have a problem, unfortunately. So until then, all you can do is pray they don't crash when drunk driving.
icemanx 2y ago
as German I never felt European and neither do I know any german that feels so. Germany is the only country in europe where patriotism is considered right-wing and not seen well, in other countries there is indeed a national consent / identity, people are patriots and proud of that (poland, spain, italy, romania, albania, turkey, ...). You will definitely not get any any "we are all europeans <3" vibes there. The concept of being an "european" is a woke leftist mindset that you will encounter mostly in Berlin but it is what it is -> a woke idea and not reality
- Semaphor 2y ago
  You already showed in your other, deservedly dead, comment that you have no idea what you are talking about (e.g. claiming Bildungsurlaub does not exist, despite one easily being able to look up the relevant laws), so keep your lack of knowledge to yourself and troll somewhere else.
  - mathverse 2y ago
    [flagged]
    - perching_aix 2y ago
      > "feeling european" is a woke mindset. oh my god...
  - kunley 2y ago
    He does have a point tho, at least partly Germany is using the "we are all Europeans" agenda in their own interest. Normal folks just don't care that much about politics tho and embrace their own culture.
- groestl 2y ago
  > Germany is the only country in europe where patriotism is considered right-wing and not seen well Nah, not exactly. Source: Am Austrian.
  - 2y ago
klausa 2y ago
I do _feel_ european, and I think that's the closest I actually self-identify in some way; but I would also never answer a question like "where are you from?" with "Europe" or something like this? Feels pretentious, and not what the person is probably asking!
- albertzeyer 2y ago
  When someone asks "where are you from", you are usually trying to guess what you can tell them that is most exact which they still know. Usually that's the country. Or if it is a big city (Paris, Berlin or so), you might also tell that, otherwise not. If there is a chance they might not have heard about the country (but quite unlikely, unless it's maybe a small country, and you are in a very different part of the world), then I think Europe might be the best answer. But this is anyway not the same question as "what do you identify with" (at least I would not interpret it that way). You might want to expand by answering that as well though, depending who you speak with.
- ferbivore 2y ago
  I do this sometimes to avoid invoking any stereotypes. Telling someone which country you're from opens you up to "of course that's what an X would say" replies, or worse.
jasonvorhe 2y ago
I don't understand what all this "I feel X" is supposed to mean. Is there anything left of some true national cultural heritage that hasn't been made into a tourist attraction or some kind of mockery of what it once may have stood for? Probably, but not in a way that would bring me to identify myself with it. And why would I even feel "European"? The EU is just as democratic as most of its member states. If you're not part of the wealthy upper class you don't matter. The European Commission is calling the shots, members are forced to favor European interests and it's currently chaired by Ursula von der Leyen of the Albrecht family whose track record features internet censorship, incompetence in running a national military, plagiarism of her dissertation and being a NATO hawk and someone being investigated for corruption due to shady deals with Pfizer during the pandemic.

jwr 2y ago

Nothing makes you feel European like spending several months in the US.

mathverse 2y ago
Quite the opposite. It made me realize that if the US took better stewardship of Eastern Europe we would all be better off. I feel more connected to americans and their way of life than Germans.
- jwr 2y ago
  Hey, if you feel more American, that's fine! My point was just that staying outside of Europe makes you realize that all these EU countries have much more in common than people think and that divisions between countries in the EU are largely artificial (and hyped/inflated by politicians, who want to preserve their seats and power).
  - mathverse 2y ago
    History, traditions and current struggles are more common that's for sure but the attitude towards life is different.
- shepherdjerred 2y ago
  As an American, why do you say this? I feel like most Europeans strongly dislike the US/Americans.
  - onetoo 2y ago
    I obviously can't speak for everyone, but I personally don't know anyone who strongly dislikes the US, and especially not US citizens. The sentiment I personally hear when talking about the US (and, again, I don't speak for everyone) is more akin to the kind of sympathetic concern you might have for a friend who's become an alcoholic: It pains you to see them hurt themselves like that, but their temper flares when you suggest that maybe they drink just a little bit too much. But they can't be helped until they're ready to admit that they have a problem, unfortunately. So until then, all you can do is pray they don't crash when drunk driving.

icemanx 2y ago

as German I never felt European and neither do I know any german that feels so. Germany is the only country in europe where patriotism is considered right-wing and not seen well, in other countries there is indeed a national consent / identity, people are patriots and proud of that (poland, spain, italy, romania, albania, turkey, ...). You will definitely not get any any "we are all europeans <3" vibes there. The concept of being an "european" is a woke leftist mindset that you will encounter mostly in Berlin but it is what it is -> a woke idea and not reality

Semaphor 2y ago
You already showed in your other, deservedly dead, comment that you have no idea what you are talking about (e.g. claiming Bildungsurlaub does not exist, despite one easily being able to look up the relevant laws), so keep your lack of knowledge to yourself and troll somewhere else.
- mathverse 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - perching_aix 2y ago
    > "feeling european" is a woke mindset. oh my god...
- kunley 2y ago
  He does have a point tho, at least partly Germany is using the "we are all Europeans" agenda in their own interest. Normal folks just don't care that much about politics tho and embrace their own culture.
groestl 2y ago
> Germany is the only country in europe where patriotism is considered right-wing and not seen well Nah, not exactly. Source: Am Austrian.
- 2y ago

klausa 2y ago

I do _feel_ european, and I think that's the closest I actually self-identify in some way; but I would also never answer a question like "where are you from?" with "Europe" or something like this? Feels pretentious, and not what the person is probably asking!

albertzeyer 2y ago
When someone asks "where are you from", you are usually trying to guess what you can tell them that is most exact which they still know. Usually that's the country. Or if it is a big city (Paris, Berlin or so), you might also tell that, otherwise not. If there is a chance they might not have heard about the country (but quite unlikely, unless it's maybe a small country, and you are in a very different part of the world), then I think Europe might be the best answer. But this is anyway not the same question as "what do you identify with" (at least I would not interpret it that way). You might want to expand by answering that as well though, depending who you speak with.
ferbivore 2y ago
I do this sometimes to avoid invoking any stereotypes. Telling someone which country you're from opens you up to "of course that's what an X would say" replies, or worse.

jasonvorhe 2y ago

I don't understand what all this "I feel X" is supposed to mean. Is there anything left of some true national cultural heritage that hasn't been made into a tourist attraction or some kind of mockery of what it once may have stood for? Probably, but not in a way that would bring me to identify myself with it. And why would I even feel "European"? The EU is just as democratic as most of its member states. If you're not part of the wealthy upper class you don't matter. The European Commission is calling the shots, members are forced to favor European interests and it's currently chaired by Ursula von der Leyen of the Albrecht family whose track record features internet censorship, incompetence in running a national military, plagiarism of her dissertation and being a NATO hawk and someone being investigated for corruption due to shady deals with Pfizer during the pandemic.