Who says Texans live in the dark ages?

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Snestorm

Do you take pride in your country?

No. Nor do I feel ashamed by my nationality.

Antikristuseke sees it right, I think. You can take pride only in some kind of personal acchievement or performance. A skill you learned. A deed you did. A consequence you caused.

But being proud of living under a blue sky? Or being proud of being born in this country instead of another? - Or being proud of having this skin colour, and not another, or this sexual orientation and not another? where'S your personal acchievement in that quality you are porud of? You did not even contribute to it! Hell, you even did not get asked!

You can prefer this over that, and you can like or dislike to be this or that, or to stay here or there. You can love it and find it pleasant, or not. But being proud? Maybe parents can be proud of the acchievements of their offspring, because their educational success may be reflected in their children'S records, and thus: their investement/contribution. But I already have a problem when it is the other way around and the offspring says he is proud of his father/mother. My father was a classic musician. They said he did well on his instrument. Am I proud of him for having been member of a big famous orchestra? No. It was his acchievement, not mine, and I did not assist him in it. But I love him for being like that, and i love him for having been part of some great music being performed. But love is not the same like pride.

And then a principle thing, since it is often mistaken: pride, and honour, are two different things. What is it many moral systems and religions have to say on pride? They usually do not rate pride as a virtue, but a sin, don't they. I wouldn't go that far, but I prefer honour over pride any day.

so to come back to your question, I used to like living in Germany, because of it's landscape that I like more than most others i have seen in the world, the security and comfort it provides (different to some other nations I have seen) , and the access to medical help that you have (unknown in some countries), if needed. But proud of all that - I am not, because I did not make Germany to be that way.