Privacy and the Highlands Ethos.

[Larry124]

In the USA there is a mountain regions (east to west) ethos (religious and cultural) that highly values privacy.

An aspect of independence/freedom.

Same in the Scottish Highlands?

Hard to maintain on a web forum since sharing opinions and beliefs and preferences is (and must necessarily be) the substance of the content.

Equally hard to maintain when your kilt is the center of attention, like it or no.

Some touchiness now and then should be no surprise.

Example: I once asked a (USA Appalachian Mountains) man his opinion. Without hesitation he replied: "What do you think?"
Ain't giving anything away to a stranger.

[Panache]

Larry,

Interesting thought.

From my perspective there is a perception of the Scots being often seen as dour as a people, certainly not very open to embracing strangers.

When one thinks of the clan system which was based on blood, faith, and trust I think you are right in saying there was a certain amount of privacy involved.

On the Internet one can dance from one place to another.

One can assume all manner of guises and, as long as the groups involved are unaware of each other, one can pretty much do as one pleases.

This anonymity allows all sorts of Freedom to do what one will.

In the old days your word was your bond.

Today that bond is harder to perceive.

It may be good here, but poor there.

For good or bad , the truth is, there is far less privacy and one's acts can easily haunt one later.

Best to be as you are, speak as you are, stand for what you are, and live as what you are.

Cheers

Jamie :ootd:

[Larry124]

...Best to be as you are, speak as you are, stand for what you are, and live as what you are.

Aye, I'm wi' you.

[Arlen]

Let me tell you, as a Scot who moved to America... YES!!!


One of the main culture shocks for me when I visited here was how openly friendly people are here.
In Scotland it's considered polite to let people have their privacy and let them be.
It's certainly not a lack of friendliness.

[Jock Scot]

Let me tell you, as a Scot who moved to America... YES!!!


One of the main culture shocks for me when I visited here was how openly friendly people are here.
In Scotland it's considered polite to let people have their privacy and let them be.
It's certainly not a lack of friendliness.

Got it in one Arlen! You will find the Scots courteous and helpful almost to a fault(most of the time), but unless you have known a Scot for a long lifetime you will never know ALL there is to know about them and even then, perhaps not. I suppose that is probably why I use a "nom de plume" here, it is just a natural thing to do to keep a bit of ourselves to ourselves.

[Arlen]

Got it in one Arlen! You will find the Scots courteous and helpful almost to a fault(most of the time), but unless you have known a Scot for a long lifetime you will never know ALL there is to know about them and even then, perhaps not. I suppose that is probably why I use a "nom de plume" here, it is just a natural thing to do to keep a bit of ourselves to ourselves.

It's just a culture difference but easy enough to get around, as you said.

For the first few months Diane was living in Scotland she was dreadfully homesick and thought no one liked her.
By the time she went home to America she was overwhelmed by how 'in your face' it felt like people were.

[piperdbh]

The OP here was about a sense of privacy among mountain folk. I'll speak for us and say that what we value very highly the qualities of privacy and of minding one's own business. My grandmother forbade trick-or-treating, not because of religious views or fear for her children's safety, but rather because she didn't want them "bothering the neighbors". We also prize independence, because, not too long ago, the isolation of the mountains demanded independence.
What some people perceive as mistrust or even fear of strangers is not usually mistrust or fear. In the southern Appalachians, many of us have lived in the same area for two or three or more generations, and we know each other's kinfolk, and we share many aspects of a common history. When a stranger moves in, we don't have that common ground to meet on, or the common history to remember, so, consequently we don't have much to say to that person. After some time passes and he/she demonstrates just what kind of person he/she is, we decide how involved we will become with that person. It's just like marrying into a family. It usually takes a while to fit in.

As for the "loudmouth American", they're all around. There are plenty of them in my family. I can loan some of them to you, if you'd like to see one in action.

[Bugbear]

Many times you have to create your own privacy here, even if it is learning to stare blankly at a wall and not hear things being said to you, or to avoid responding with your own thoughts. In some situations one has to have a persona for one's own good or to keep things peaceful.

That's not to say every region in Amarica is the same.

[Bugbear]

There's been times I wish I had started out with a pin name here, but I've been quoted so many times, it wouldn't really matter if I hat it changed at this point.
Oh well...

I'm not so sure that we Americans really show all of who we are... I do have to admit that there are quite a few of us who do not have a good sense of other people's privacy,; that rudely disrupt and butt in to other people's lives, rather than being quietly observant.

[DryFly]

I think that the online forum actually allows us to walk the private/public line rather successfully. Just like the local tavern(s) in small town US (and Scotland?) we arrive to enjoy discourse with a group that we are comfortable with. We sit at our computers with an ice water, ginger ale, malt beverage, fruit of the barley or like this morning a cup of coffee to weigh in on the topic at hand. We only know most of our "pub mates" by what we see here. A few we know better. We are allowed to keep as much of ourselves to ourselves as we deem prudent.

In the meeting on neutral ground we are able to slowly observe and hopefully appreciate those cultural differences.