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Are Australians boring?

Are Australians boring?

Old Dec 16th 2012, 10:15 pm
  #16  
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

Originally Posted by Mr Grumpy
I think you might be looking for 'alternative' types of people and that just isn't Australia. This country has maintained a strong sense of peace and stability by being very uniform and having a culture of conformity - this is good as it massively reduces social conflict.

I have lived in places where there are lots of prominent 'sub groups' and all it does is create division and conflict. I prefer a society of sameness and certainty.
I agree that Australia is conformist but is that a good thing? Don't think it equates an interesting society. It can suppress a lot of creatative thought and individuality. Not best for mental health also. Hence the Stanford Wives comparrison is I've noticed often used to critique Australia.
The thing with sub groups is that they allow those not in the mainstream to find a place/identity without impacting to much on mainstream values.

Surely a mature demorcratic society can make room for all within the law.It makes life less sanitised and more interesting as well.

I agree most people probably do prefer the sameness and predictability of the place though. Surely we don't need to be like South Korea or Japan etc
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Old Dec 16th 2012, 10:16 pm
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

Thing to recognise is that there is a cultural gradient centred on Canberra - the further you get from there the less you get the boring/conservative/PC global mindset, and the more you get what you might call 'typical aussie'.

Position yourself on that gradient to match what you want to live with.
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Old Dec 16th 2012, 10:26 pm
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

Might be a Sydney thing. I found that people there tended to talk about property and business a lot of the time. My idea of hell is a dinner party on the North Shore where everyone is talking about their house prices/moves/renovations or how their house relates to local schools/transport ... (sorry I am sticking knitting needles into my eyes by this point).
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Old Dec 16th 2012, 10:29 pm
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

Originally Posted by GarryP
Thing to recognise is that there is a cultural gradient centred on Canberra - the further you get from there the less you get the boring/conservative/PC global mindset, and the more you get what you might call 'typical aussie'.

Position yourself on that gradient to match what you want to live with.
I don't agree with that. You could use that same statement for most of the main cities. Having lived and worked in Canberra for a while there are some lovely communities not too far away which would, to seem, see fairly typical aussie. Queanbeyan for example is a busy country town but yet only 15 minutes from Canberra CBD.
Murrumbateman is a decent quaint town surrounded by wineries with local farm folk who abhor Canberra yet only 20 minutes away.
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Old Dec 16th 2012, 10:34 pm
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

Originally Posted by michael_w
Might be a Sydney thing. I found that people there tended to talk about property and business a lot of the time. My idea of hell is a dinner party on the North Shore where everyone is talking about their house prices/moves/renovations or how their house relates to local schools/transport ... (sorry I am sticking knitting needles into my eyes by this point).
I have had dinner parties on the North Shore where we never talked of things like that, but other times we have. I have also had those same conversations at barbies on the south coast. Its not a Sydney 'North Shore' thing, that just sounds like a typical 'southerners vs northerners' or 'council house vs private house' comment from back in the UK.
Its also a maturity/stability thing that comes with age, whats wrong with discussing the future of your family and their home with others of the same ilk? I sometimes yearn for shooting off to the pub with my mates and giving each other grief about our football teams, having a few beers and then going home....but locality and maturity changes that.
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Old Dec 16th 2012, 10:44 pm
  #21  
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

Some are. Some aren't.
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Old Dec 16th 2012, 10:58 pm
  #22  
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

Originally Posted by Family of 3
Some are. Some aren't.
This. Same as some Brits are boring, some Irish are boring, some Scots, Welsh, insert country's citizens here are boring.
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Old Dec 16th 2012, 11:03 pm
  #23  
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

Originally Posted by Dorothy
This. Same as some Brits are boring, some Irish are boring, some Scots, Welsh, insert country's citizens here are boring.
Hmm I disagree. Since I been here I met 1 australian character. In that time I've met more Irish and Scottish characters. And thats in Australia

Agree with the suburban thing. That's a good point. Mayne they are not that boring but by the time they get suburban they're definitely not interested in being interesting. Getting conversation out of some is hard work.

Maybe they take longer to open up. Some of the guys in my team it's taken a year. The immigrants are not like that at all. Getting to the point when you think it's not worth making an effort as don't think there is much up there ;-)

Last edited by itxrd; Dec 16th 2012 at 11:05 pm.
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Old Dec 16th 2012, 11:11 pm
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

I agree with those who say Australia is, in the main, a conformist society.

It's my observation that to be "different" in Australia risks being labelled or ridiculed as "odd" whereas the wonder of eccentricity is celebrated in the UK.
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Old Dec 16th 2012, 11:15 pm
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

I've just been talking, through FB, to a good mate of mine in the UK. Asked what he's been up to and basically his response was sitting in the house watching TV or going to the local for a few beers!
We were at an Ozzie friends house for a BBQ two nights ago, apart from the wine and food we ended up playing table tennis and darts whilst the kids played on the trampoline and sang made-up songs. Water skiing, climbs and sport at the weekends are frequent activities for the Ozzie family. Not boring to me and their sense of humour is excellent.
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Old Dec 16th 2012, 11:29 pm
  #26  
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

Originally Posted by itxrd
Hmm I disagree. Since I been here I met 1 australian character. In that time I've met more Irish and Scottish characters. And thats in Australia

Agree with the suburban thing. That's a good point. Mayne they are not that boring but by the time they get suburban they're definitely not interested in being interesting. Getting conversation out of some is hard work.

Maybe they take longer to open up. Some of the guys in my team it's taken a year. The immigrants are not like that at all. Getting to the point when you think it's not worth making an effort as don't think there is much up there ;-)
There are over 20 million people living in Australia. How can every one (with the exception of the one you met) be "boring"?

Maybe it's you who's boring and people just don't want to engage in conversation with you? I live in the suburbs and would definitely say I'm not boring - and definitely interested in being interesting and I have never had a problem with conversing with Australians or people from any other country.

I have to ask you...When you lived in UK how many newcomers to your work did you make any effort to get to know? How many immigrants were in your circle of friends?
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Old Dec 16th 2012, 11:32 pm
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

Originally Posted by the troubadour
I agree that Australia is conformist but is that a good thing? Don't think it equates an interesting society. It can suppress a lot of creatative thought and individuality. Not best for mental health also. Hence the Stanford Wives comparrison is I've noticed often used to critique Australia.

Surely a mature demorcratic society can make room for all within the law.It makes life less sanitised and more interesting as well.
I'm not sure what the OP means by character...I will only say to people - get out and meet educated, interesting people. Sydney and Melbourne would be best for this. I am in a group of cross-country skiers/climbers/potholers/abseilers who will talk about philosophy whilst they do it....this is just one subgroup. There is also a big Burlesque scene.

I don't like Stepford and to be honest, I don't know what these people talk about once they have built and furnished their homes...

Originally Posted by GarryP
Thing to recognise is that there is a cultural gradient centred on Canberra - the further you get from there the less you get the boring/conservative/PC global mindset, and the more you get what you might call 'typical aussie'.

Position yourself on that gradient to match what you want to live with.
Again it depends - I would have thought there would be interesting people in cities and Canberra is supposed to have a highly educated workforce. Sometimes people on this forum don't want typical Aussies if they are 'rednecks' or 'conformist'. You can be caught between 2 extremes! And the middle is Stepford - is it no wonder some people struggle in Australia.

Originally Posted by paddyo
I have had dinner parties on the North Shore where we never talked of things like that, but other times we have. I have also had those same conversations at barbies on the south coast. Its not a Sydney 'North Shore' thing, that just sounds like a typical 'southerners vs northerners' or 'council house vs private house' comment from back in the UK.
Its also a maturity/stability thing that comes with age, whats wrong with discussing the future of your family and their home with others of the same ilk? I sometimes yearn for shooting off to the pub with my mates and giving each other grief about our football teams, having a few beers and then going home....but locality and maturity changes that.
I have found as I have got older there is a degree of conformity brought on by fatherhood and work, so I don't mind a bit of 'middle class' chitchat. It happens in London too. What you need is people who can push the boundaries and provide change. We have people here who discuss astronomy, music and come bustling into the house just to tell me something.

Originally Posted by brissybee
I agree with those who say Australia is, in the main, a conformist society.

It's my observation that to be "different" in Australia risks being labelled or ridiculed as "odd" whereas the wonder of eccentricity is celebrated in the UK.
I think people have to find others.
I think overall the UK is more eccentric - but there are whole swathes of people in the UK who can't stand eccentricity. There are people who in live in Wimpy estates who see people as eccentric, or with strong individual streaks as 'posh' for example. 'Not like us'. Go to Lakeside Thurrocks, or to Kingston, London, on a Saturday morning and you will see UK conformity.

I also recommend people read the Culture sections of the newspapers - there are people around.
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Old Dec 16th 2012, 11:43 pm
  #28  
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

Originally Posted by Dorothy
There are over 20 million people living in Australia. How can every one (with the exception of the one you met) be "boring"?

Maybe it's you who's boring and people just don't want to engage in conversation with you? I live in the suburbs and would definitely say I'm not boring - and definitely interested in being interesting and I have never had a problem with conversing with Australians or people from any other country.

I have to ask you...When you lived in UK how many newcomers to your work did you make any effort to get to know? How many immigrants were in your circle of friends?
Yes that's what I thought - maybe they don't want to talk to me but then I overhear their conversations they're definitely boring :-). And when I say boring I mean as paddyo said there is just no banter. Or if there is their patters crap haha

As for the burbs I'm sorry but it is soooo boring here it's unreal. someone walking past the house is an event. your just in the middle of nowhere.
I am out all the time and making an effort. If I go to the park/shops etc in most places I'll end up chatting to people. But here...no one wants to know you. They already have all their pals. Thank god were moving away that's all I can say.
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Old Dec 16th 2012, 11:46 pm
  #29  
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

Originally Posted by michael_w
Might be a Sydney thing. I found that people there tended to talk about property and business a lot of the time. My idea of hell is a dinner party on the North Shore where everyone is talking about their house prices/moves/renovations or how their house relates to local schools/transport ... (sorry I am sticking knitting needles into my eyes by this point).
It could be Perth to a large degree as well.Add kids as well.........
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Old Dec 16th 2012, 11:50 pm
  #30  
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Default Re: Are Australians boring?

Originally Posted by Dorothy
There are over 20 million people living in Australia. How can every one (with the exception of the one you met) be "boring"?

Maybe it's you who's boring and people just don't want to engage in conversation with you? I live in the suburbs and would definitely say I'm not boring - and definitely interested in being interesting and I have never had a problem with conversing with Australians or people from any other country.

I have to ask you...When you lived in UK how many newcomers to your work did you make any effort to get to know? How many immigrants were in your circle of friends?
Yes that's what I thought - maybe they don't want to talk to me but then I overhear their conversations they're definitely boring :-). And when I say boring I mean as paddyo said there is just no banter. Or if there is their patters crap haha

As for the burbs I'm sorry but it is soooo boring here it's unreal. someone walking past the house is an event. your just in the middle of nowhere.
I am out all the time and making an effort. If I go to the park/shops etc in most places I'll end up chatting to people. But here...no one wants to know you. They already have all their pals. Thank god were moving away that's all I can say.

Ps maybe I should change the title to Aussie are boring and unfriendly
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