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Comment by BlargMcLarg | Hacker News Reader

Eh, this is the attitude in most of Western Europe as well

My French friends/coworkers like to joke that it is the French pastime to complain. It really is a cultural difference, so much so that sometimes I need to explain to American colleagues that Marie/Marc/etc. isn’t particularly upset, it’s just normal for them to complain, and it also can be really healthy. It’s sort of how many engineers (good QA?!) are contrarian by nature.

hopefully someone says “no we’re not!” to prove my point.

I am french and it is true. When I come back from visiting my family in France I even complain about my compatriots habit of complaining about everything!

In Italy the attitude is so prevalent (not entirely without reasons) that we have a pithy expression to satirize it: "Piove, governo ladro" (It’s raining, thieving government!)

I mean it's not like we have much of a choice. It's the result of decades of progress, economic development and home comforts as a result of an okayish relationship with Russia and their natural resources, which "suddenly" collapsed (it wasn't actually that sudden).

Yeah, same in Austria. Energy prices on my provider are going up by 90%, many food items are up 50%+ since the start of the year, and outside of some grumbling in private conversations I've not heard much complaining.

> outside of some grumbling in private conversations I've not heard much complaining.

I mean, where else would you hear about it? Are you expecting random strangers on the street to just angrily scream at you about increasing energy prices and inflation?

Imho one of the biggest giveaways was when German supermarkets started mentioning "inflation" in their discount prospects, first saw that like 2 months ago.

Yeah, that's something people sometimes do in the form of protests. But I think almost everyone realizes that there's no easy way out this time.

there were huge protests against vaccines and mask mandates not too long ago (not making a moral judgment here, just saying people are definitely not afraid to voice their opinions loudly in public on some issues)

It may be similar in Germany. Populists from conservative-right parties have made this their new topic and some people are responding to it, but over all the reception isn't very strong.

Can confirm for Germany. We complain about too much complaining as well.

Western European here, I will for sure complain outside my family/friend circle ;)

Not that we have it bad here, compared to others, of course.

Agreed; Ireland is very similar

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