What about your country makes you most proud to be a citizen?
What makes you a proud citizen of your country? What has your country done that makes you proud to be a citizen? What are some of the things that makes you proud being a citizen of your country? I've really been thinking about this question of being proud of your nation and your home land and I'm very much confused because in one hand I understand the concept of homeland and all the cultural and linguistical aspects that comes with it. But in the other hand I just think that physical boundaries shouldn't make us different and in the end of the day we are all people and can respect each other without having to be proud of being born in one place or other, mainly because I believe that the place you were born is completely random and you could have been born in a completely different place. I can't see any reason to be proud of your nationality and I instantly lose respect for people who say they are "proud to be american/british/whatever". CMV.
I suppose it depends on your definition of "pride". Don't get me wrong. I can take pleasure in learning and taking part in my country's history, traditions and values. But to take PERSONAL satisfaction in such an abstract notion as nationality, something in which I had no choice, to me seems perverse and rather silly. I cannot even fathom the idea of being proud of just being from a place.
Why should I be, "Proud to be an American," or "Support the Home Team", or "Wear my School Colors"? Why is it special that I just happened to be born somewhere, or went to school there because I could afford it and like their programs?
I see a lot of patriotism, nationalism, jingoism, and xenophobia around me, and I'm completely and utterly confused. How is it that people can be so utterly convinced that their specific place of birth is, "Number one, best in the world," let alone think less of other people for not being from there. I'm unabashedly not proud to be from my hometown, my state, my country. It's just circumstance. I'm happy that I was lucky to be born in a first world country with access to basic amenities and some luxuries, but I don't particularly care where that life takes place. I'd be just as happy being Canadian, British, German, Australian, or whatever else. The highschool and college I went to mean nothing me to other that just being where I studied. When I watch sports, I don't care about the "home team", I cheer for whichever team has the cooler mascot and prettier colors or logo. And people who complain about immigrants, or outsourcing, only buy Made in America, are even more... foreign to me. Like, we're all human, why does it matter that the job goes to someone from your specific homeland?
I see countries and nations as convenient means of governing human society in smaller chunks, and nothing more. I would never, "Die for my country," I would fight to maintain my quality of life and stop other's rights from being violated. I don't give two shits about my country, and I can't grasp how people seem to put so much value on it.
I suppose it depends on your definition of "pride". Don't get me wrong. I can take pleasure in learning and taking part in my country's history, traditions and values. But to take PERSONAL satisfaction in such an abstract notion as nationality, something in which I had no choice, to me seems perverse and rather silly. I cannot even fathom the idea of being proud of just being from a place.
Why should I be, "Proud to be an American," or "Support the Home Team", or "Wear my School Colors"? Why is it special that I just happened to be born somewhere, or went to school there because I could afford it and like their programs?
I see a lot of patriotism, nationalism, jingoism, and xenophobia around me, and I'm completely and utterly confused. How is it that people can be so utterly convinced that their specific place of birth is, "Number one, best in the world," let alone think less of other people for not being from there. I'm unabashedly not proud to be from my hometown, my state, my country. It's just circumstance. I'm happy that I was lucky to be born in a first world country with access to basic amenities and some luxuries, but I don't particularly care where that life takes place. I'd be just as happy being Canadian, British, German, Australian, or whatever else. The highschool and college I went to mean nothing me to other that just being where I studied. When I watch sports, I don't care about the "home team", I cheer for whichever team has the cooler mascot and prettier colors or logo. And people who complain about immigrants, or outsourcing, only buy Made in America, are even more... foreign to me. Like, we're all human, why does it matter that the job goes to someone from your specific homeland?
I see countries and nations as convenient means of governing human society in smaller chunks, and nothing more. I would never, "Die for my country," I would fight to maintain my quality of life and stop other's rights from being violated. I don't give two shits about my country, and I can't grasp how people seem to put so much value on it.
