Originally Posted by
sorrymiss
There are definitely cultural and behavioral patterns that groups of people and nationality follow. Is there a theme of exclusivity, discrimination, xenophobia, misogyny and insularity among many Greeks and even more so Greek-Americans? Yes, but ultimately this has less to do with their being Greek than with their level of development. If you look at most 'developing' countries you get allot fo the same (not using it in formal economic terms).
Firstly, although a small country Greece has an incredible amount of diverse subcultures that frequently are opposite from each other. For example, within only one little island, you've got a matriarchal society in the north and a patriarchal one in the south.
Also keep in mind that in many cultures that came late into the development/industrialization game, whether Greek, Italian, Arab, Irish, Russian etc. you have allot of these negative survivalist and what i would consider neuroses going on. Yes it is true that the traumas inflicted on them by Turks, Germans, Bulgarians, Albanians etc and each other has led to these coping survival mechanisms.
Also keep in mind that if you found one of the 'good ones' it would be hard to find in our Anglo or Protestant culture of industrialized anomie, coldness and depression an equivalent to the extreme loyalty, affection and love many of the 'good' Greek men can give you.
Sorry for your pain and I don't want to minimize it but it's important to step back and see things more honestly and objectively.
Just like positivity, negativity is a present or curse that each person that inherits it can decide to difuse, or otherwise not pass along. That you got burned has clouded your understanding of what really is going on here. My two drachmas, uh I mean euros :)
