Lonely Ireland - do Irish people lack self-esteem more than others?

[Mister_Jinks]

The Irish have given up on self-deprecation after realising that they were just terrible at it

[Panopticon]

They're right.

The very day a travel book about Ireland is published, everything the authors write about us gets in the papers.

Strikes me as a real need for attention and affirmation from the rest of the world.

[Munnkeyman]

are you happy with all the hippies selling beeds brestfeeding and drinking cider on shop street ?

What boobie sucking on Shop Street? I never noticed to be honest, it's something I would notice but I never have. I'll have to lurk more.
Will somebody please think of the children? Oh wait...what?

[daveL]

They're right.

The very day a travel book about Ireland is published, everything the authors write about us gets in the papers.

Strikes me as a real need for attention and affirmation from the rest of the world.

the Author is Irish himself

but I completely agree with you...

Newstalk this morning... a discussion about the contents of the new Lonely Planet followed by a voxpop of "what do Germans really think of us?"

absolute cringe

[Panopticon]

the Author is Irish himself

In what other country would a travel book, aimed at foreigners, and not containing anything egregiously offensive, generate front-page news?

[Mister_Jinks]

Lonely Planet is written by, and for, well-educated, middle-class, left-leaning, self-consciously cool 20-somethings.

In my own experience to tend to put a glossy hue on things regardless of destination. Then again, who would buy a Lonely Planet and travel to the destination if LP described it as a dive

[daveL]

In what other country would a travel book, aimed at foreigners, and not containing anything egregiously offensive, generate front-page news?

oh I was agreeing with you but I hit submit too soon... I finished it above

National Insecurity at play

[Munnkeyman]

Is it the blushing that crushes Irish self esteem? 15 years ago I worked in London and was on our firms regular interview panel. You knew the Irish candidates were so strong academically and in experience, but at interview you could heat the building from the redness in their faces. It comes across as lacking in confidence. Any suggestions as to how we can address that?

Free head for every Irish person before an interview? We could claim it as a cultural necessity otherwise we'll never work again.
The E.U. might even give us concessions, Silvio Berlusconi could organise the whole thing.

[Mister_Jinks]

In what other country would a travel book, aimed at foreigners, and not containing anything egregiously offensive, generate front-page news?

Any other country that the majority of the world's population couldn't locate on a blank map perhaps

[Prester Jim]

1. Well people with low self esteem establish and allow harmful relationships that hurt them and often further lower their self esteem. (eoghan harris, Bertie Ahern, troika, tick)
2. They tend to abuse alcohol or other drugs to come out of themselves. (Yup)
3. They constantly internally degrade themselves and come to expect failure and even create it for themselves.
Oh for sure this is true of a lot of us, particularly many of our most prominent commentators. I once read a copy of the sindo about 2005 or so that had me shaking with rage, the belittling of our nation and our achievements and our history... how could we not have low self esteem as a nation.

Step 1 for recovery remove the parasites pushing our self esteem ever lower.