Quote:
Originally Posted by abaya
... I don't think there's anything wrong with being a critical American. Ktspktsp used to call me a self-hating American, which I think I was for several years in my 20s after initially living in Iceland and having all international friends...
...Icelanders also believes that their country is truly the best in the world, in every category--and it even has the "awards" to prove it...
... I began to reconcile myself with being an American. I knew that I would always be on the outside of Icelandic society precisely because I had been raised elsewhere, and I had to figure out what exactly about America I carried within myself, without disowning it.
Now, I think I can say that I don't hate it anymore, and I will never love it unconditionally, but I do feel some sense of attachment and pride to it ...
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Wow. Much of this matches my story. Back in the dark days of the Cold War, I was said to be a "self-hating American." Like you, I was part of an international crowd. After years of travel and time spent living in Europe, I began to appreciate the United States. Perhaps, like you, this change had something to do with being an outsider in a foreign land.
Your description of Icelandic patriotism is very much like what I've found in most countries I've visited. Often it is covert, but palpable.
I am not intimidated or angered by the patriotism of other nations. In fact, my own love of country allows me to better understand and appreciate patriotism in others.