"Proud to be British"

Why?
Did you have to work long and hard to be British?

I don't get this attitude or saying or whatever it is, sure you can like Britain, or enjoy the culture or whatever, but why the hell would you be proud to be British? Your being British isn't an achievement, it was completely random and therefor not really something you can be proud of to my eyes.
Might as well just say "i'm proud that i was born at all"
Same goes for all other nationalities, skin colors, sexual preferences etc, just any coincidental thing that people say they are proud of.

I agree...

It means more that you're proud of the country than specifically proud of yourself.

I like a lot of things about living in Britain right now. I like our weird arse customs like pancake day and bonfire night and cheese rolling and rugby and football and men in socks and sandals and theatrical luvvies and chips and gravy and chicken tikka massalla and east lane and scousers going on about how great liverpool is and coronation street etc.

Im not proud because i have nothing to do with those things. But I like to be a part of the understanding what its all about club.

Pride seems to be the wrong word, unless someone can come up with a really good explanation.

Why be proud of something that you have not personally achieved?.

Oh sure, ruin all the fun.

https://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/29/johann_hari_frenzy_around_britains_royal


rogY

I am proud to be british because I like what we stand for. I like our history i like our culture, I like our language our way of life. I like what we have given to the world. all the things we are and all the things we have been are things to be proud of. Other countries havent done a fraction of what we have achieved. a tiny island on the edge of europe ruled an empire on which the sun never set. we civilised half the bloody planet. we invented laws that are copied the world over because they are just and fair. Our political system is called The Mother of all Parliaments. We invented sports the whole world plays. We have produced the greatest playwright in history, the greatest rock band the world has ever seen, some of the finest actors, scientists, artists, musicians and writers. All these things we have achieved on this little island. That is something to be proud of and that is why I am proud to be british.

The OP is missing the point. Probably deliberately.

This is a day when a minority of bitter, twisted tits feel that its appropriate to take snidey pot shots at the country. Oh well I suppose theres no law against it. Lucky them.

whilst being proud to be British (or any other nationality) is valid, from a purely definition of the word stance.

it does come across as pretty silly, i don't know about anyone else, but taking pride in something i had no control or affect on, doesn't really make sense to me.

so if anything i'm glad to be British.

I'm happy that I live in Britain, I think it is a great country, but I take no pride at all in it.

This was my thought on it as well.

Many people proudly display "proud to be an american" bumper stickers, for instance, and I don't think it is so much about the fact that they are proud of "themselves" more that they are showing pride and respect for their country.

Nothing wrong with that. But no, it isn't a 'personal acheivement', we can't control where we were born. And even those who control where they live as in they moved there, that still isn't really an achievement, but i don't see anything wrong with these "Proud to be...insert country name here" as it is showing pride in the country you live in.

I would rather see more people display pride than go out and spray graffiti all over bldgs in a display of no pride. lol

I think it's a matter of semantics. I've always had a problem with the "proud to be (nationality)" statement myself for the same reason the OP gives...it's taking "pride" in something you did nothing to acheive. The location of your birth is simply a historical fact and you can't really claim pride for it any more that you can claim that you're proud to be black or white or tall or brunette or blonde. I'd say it's more accurate to say that you're glad to be these things.

I'm American and in spite of it's flaws, I love America because it's my home. I love many of the things we've done in the world as well, and I'm glad I live where I do but it's because it's what I know and a part of who I am, but I did nothing to "acheive" being American.

I'm proud that I'm a good father. I'm proud of being a devoted husband. I'm proud that I've read all of Dostoevsky and that I keep myself in really good shape physically, but I can only be glad about where I live and where I was born.

I have an issue with it because, while it can be argued that you're showing pride in your country, and not yourself.. But how often do you hear an American say, "I'm damned proud of Australia!" It's always their own country, which shows to me they just want something to brag about.

Those people aren't proud of their country, they usually just think they're better than everyone else and use their country's better qualities as a way of showing that.