What are the characteristics of Greek people?

By: | Post date: 2016-10-10 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Culture, Modern Greek

Originally Answered:

How can you describe the personality of the Greeks?

Noone’s biting?

InB4 “You can’t stereotype all Greeks”, &c &c

Mercurial. Impulsive.

There’s an apocryphal Turkish saying (which in fact, I’ve only found in Greek sources—but then again, I haven’t asked Quora): Gâvurun/Yunanın akili sonradan geliyor. Του Ρωμιού η γνώση ύστερα έρχεται. A Greek’s common sense comes later.

Passionate. Like to yell at each other as a performance piece. Like to disagree for the fun of it. The saying goes “Where there are two Greeks, there are three opinions”. (It’s a saying that Jews also lay claim to.)

Their sense of honour (amour propre: How do I translate the Greek word filotimo?) is a double-edged sword: it makes them generous to a fault, but also very touchy.

Very much about the collective and the social ritual, like many recently traditional societies. Operate through positive politeness (What are the negative and positive politeness strategies?) No interest in “personal space”.

Nationalistic, but mistrustful of authority and of notions of the common good. Enterprising and street-smart (or at least, they used to be). Blame malicious outside forces by default, rather than admit problems closer to home.

*shrug* That’s a start.

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