Dostoevsky

Tzu
Administrator
May 27, 2007
89,124
So you think that your own "warm feelings" for other countries is wrong too? Why?
No, I just think I'd like to visit Italy and some other countries. Or even stay there for a while, learn language and everything. But that's it. If I were there for like 10 years I'd probably "support" and watch Italy every time. But I'd never say we when it comes to talking about, never. I say we for Juventus only because we're on forum and I know we support the same team but it's a different story outside.
In fact, If I've moved to Italy 1 year ago and stayed there for like 15 years saying we about them wouldn't even cross my mind, I know I wouldn't say it and I never thought about it. For the first time I saw something like that was from you and it was a couple of months ago. I never thought some would do that.
 

Martin

Senior Member
Dec 31, 2000
56,913
No, I just think I'd like to visit Italy and some other countries. Or even stay there for a while, learn language and everything. But that's it. If I were there for like 10 years I'd probably "support" and watch Italy every time. But I'd never say we when it comes to talking about, never. I say we for Juventus only because we're on forum and I know we support the same team but it's a different story outside.
In fact, If I've moved to Italy 1 year ago and stayed there for like 15 years saying we about them wouldn't even cross my mind, I know I wouldn't say it and I never thought about it. For the first time I saw something like that was from you and it was a couple of months ago. I never thought some would do that.
Here's where your problem is. You think you can predict the future. You think that you know how you would feel in some hypothetical situation. Let me tell you then. You don't. You don't have a clue. People do things all the time "they never thought they'd do". We're wrong, we can't predict the future, we can't predict our own behavior. For you not to know this is strange.
 

Dostoevsky

Tzu
Administrator
May 27, 2007
89,124
Here's where your problem is. You think you can predict the future. You think that you know how you would feel in some hypothetical situation. Let me tell you then. You don't. You don't have a clue. People do things all the time "they never thought they'd do". We're wrong, we can't predict the future, we can't predict our own behavior. For you not to know this is strange.
:cough: Bible predicted many things :cough: :D

Sorry, maybe I just didn't express myself right.

Look, if you didn't say that back about France It'd never cross my mind that there's a way someone looks at it. I don't know nor I can predict future but I know how I felt when I saw your post 2 months ago.
 

Martin

Senior Member
Dec 31, 2000
56,913
:cough: Bible predicted many things :cough: :D

Sorry, maybe I just didn't express myself right.

Look, if you didn't say that back about France It'd never cross my mind that there's a way someone looks at it. I don't know nor I can predict future but I know how I felt when I saw your post 2 months ago.
No, you expressed yourself right. You think you know how you would react to any situation that might come up. But you don't.

I've had conversations of this sort with people who've never lived outside their own country and most of them, however intelligent, aren't able to imagine what it would be like. And many even of those who have lived abroad share the same "my nationality forever" mindset.

And yet people like me defy that assumption. Your theory fails to explain it.

You see, people like to feel certain about things. They like to feel like they know. And sometimes they do. But sometimes that certainty, which was assumed to be 100% foolproof, turns out to be wrong. And that's why my signature is what it is. :)
 

Dostoevsky

Tzu
Administrator
May 27, 2007
89,124
No, you expressed yourself right. You think you know how you would react to any situation that might come up. But you don't.

I've had conversations of this sort with people who've never lived outside their own country and most of them, however intelligent, aren't able to imagine what it would be like. And many even of those who have lived abroad share the same "my nationality forever" mindset.

And yet people like me defy that assumption. Your theory fails to explain it.

You see, people like to feel certain about things. They like to feel like they know. And sometimes they do. But sometimes that certainty, which was assumed to be 100% foolproof, turns out to be wrong. And that's why my signature is what it is. :)
I hate to argue with you. :p

One more thing, if you were with your friends or some group and you start talking about politics, would you say "we got a new president today", or, "there was a fire" "we sold our big company"...or something like that. Does it goes to that level that you feel free about it to talk like that?
 

Martin

Senior Member
Dec 31, 2000
56,913
I hate to argue with you. :p

One more thing, if you were with your friends or some group and you start talking about politics, would you say "we got a new president today", or, "there was a fire" "we sold our big company"...or something like that. Does it goes to that level that you feel free about it to talk like that?
I think the only time I would say "we" about something that refers to my country would be when talking to someone who's not from there, to make the reference clear. But I really think you read way too much into the use of the word "we".
 

Martin

Senior Member
Dec 31, 2000
56,913
And while on the subject, Kyle have you noticed that you americanos on the internet customarily talk about places and events as if everything happened in your country? :p I've scarcely seen a yank say something like "in my country we..". And if something is happening "abroad" it's an aberration.
 

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