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Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Culture
Is it true that continental Europeans don't like to stand in line?
Edward T Hall, in his 1959 book, The Silent Language, wrote about a Pole he knew. The Pole thought that Americans were like sheep when the queued up for something, so he would push in line whenever he felt like it. The Pole couldn't stand conforming to the group like an automaton. He would say "what does it matter if there's a little confusion and some people get served before others?" (Hall 1959: 173)
Hall extrapolated from this behaviour that "many Europeans are likely to look upon standing in line as a violation of their individuality." (ibid. 172)
Is any of this true?
Hall extrapolated from this behaviour that "many Europeans are likely to look upon standing in line as a violation of their individuality." (ibid. 172)
Is any of this true?
Top answer
' It's not true of the British.
- ' It's not true of the British.
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2 Answers
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I assume you mean 'Is Hall's extrapolation true?'
It's not true of the British.
It's not true of the British.
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It's not true of many continental Europeans. There are, however, certain situations, such as waiting for a bus, when continental Europeans are less likely to queue than the British. This is partly because buses in Britain traditionally had only one door for passengers to get on and off, while buses on the continent frequently have more than one.
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