Are Australians full of themselves?

Question

haha just a harmless question. I have noticed that Australians love the fact that they are Australian and they want everyone to tell them how wonderful Australia is. We go to America and want them to tell us how good we are, they come here and we still want them to tell us how good we are!! I do it myself! anyone else noticed this or just me??

Answer 1

Yes.  I have noticed that I fit into my skin, with no obvious voids or overflows.  I fill myself perfectly.

Answer 2

I think they are seriously proud of their country and being Australian. I think we need to leave off rubbing it in quite so much though.

Answer 3

Well, as an Australian, I have found that a lot of people overseas see Australia as either a tropical paradise or a barren desert. Particularly when I was travelling in France on an exchange trip, I found that a lot of Europeans had misconseptions about Australia. My host mother said she and her family would love to go to Australia one day because they see it as a warm paradise.

Another girl who I got into a conversation with said she'd love to have an "Australian Coyote" as a pet because they looked so friendly. I'm still not sure if she actually thought Australia had coyotes, or if she simply got the wrong word and meant "dingo" but I did tell her that the type of dog she was thinking about was wild and definitely not domesticated and have mauled young children to death (as I'm sure you are aware of the famous line "A dingo ate my baby.")

But then again, a lot of other foreigners who haven't really done their research on Australia think Australia is simply swarming with deadly spiders and man-chasing snakes. Again, I always point out that this is not the case.

And a lot of other foreigners are surprised at how big some of our major cities actually are. Sydney, for example, has a population well over 4 million, Melbourne is almost 4 million etc.

And as someone said above about asking Australians what part of England we are from, I've had that happen to me. In New York, a lady asked me exactly that question .When I pointed out that I was, in fact, from Australia, she replied "you certainly don't sound Australian."

But I actually enjoy these sorts of discussions. Obviously, being an Australian, I love Australia. Personally I wouldn't say I'm full of myself, and I'm sure a lot of other Australians are not full of themselves either, but then again I'm sure a lot of them are.

Whenever I go overseas, I don't go to compare it to Australia, but to experience the differences for what they are (fun/exciting/dangerous etc.)

So I wouldn't say I'm full of myself...but I certainly do enjoy pointing out misconceptions and false beliefs about Australia and correcting them whenever the need arises.

Answer 4

No, but if you are judging all australians by our politicians, thats a fair assumption to make.

Answer 5

As an Australian I can tell you directly (as we always do), that Australians don't give a flying figtree what people think of them or their country.  Australian culture is pretty egalitarian and we prefer to treat people as we ourselves like to be treated.   Australians are typically well travelled (even if only within their own country) and love to have fun (but not at others expense).  Compared to a lot of countries we actually do have it pretty good right now.   Even so, no country no matter how hard they try will ever be so full of themselves as american tourists are.   Stories abound from fellow travellers of how they can put everyone in a group offside to the point where they are avoided at all costs.

Answer 6

Actually, now I think on it and examine my conscience, I've done and still do it too. An absolutely guaranteed way to get most Aussies off-side is to criticise Australia or anything about Oz. You're right, it's not enough that they don't criticise it, but we want them to rave about it or we feel there's something just a little bit wrong with them. I guess it's because we know what a great place Australia is and how lucky we are and we want everyone else to realise it too (and be jealous of us).

Good question.

Answer 7

I don't think they are full of themselves.  At least it has not been my experience.  On almost every organized tour we take (We do a lot of globe trotting) there seems to be an Ausie couple in the group.  They get along with a group of Americans just great.  Blend in just fine and never seem full of themselves.  Usually they are very outgoing and liven up the group.  In fact, I'd say that it helps the group dynamic to have the Ausies on the tour.  

BTW:  I've found that one way to really get them launched is to ask them what part of England they are from!!  That can be really entertaining.  The devil makes me do it!