The Negative Aspects of Lebanese Culture and their Influence on Our Mentality as a People

[Rafidi]

 

[!Aoune32]

I have noticed the same. As a woman, I haven't had to deal with such attitude. It's something that happens mostly between men.

However, simply walking down the street, especially in certain areas, is very uncomfortable because of the verbal harrassment, staring, and even being followed by creeps. I was once feeling upset and went for a walk to relax but ended up more upset because I wasn't left alone. This was in a very public place, in broad daylight.

A lot of men in Lebanon seem to have nothing better to do than to hang out on the sidewalk in front of shops. You can't walk to the grocery store without being stared at creepily.

There is also a general trait that is not exclusive to men, but shared by women as well: people constantly talk badly about each other. You visit person A and they trash talk person B and vice versa. Wherever you go, all you hear is people gossiping about each other and tearing each other down. Even if you refuse to get involved, they just don't shut up. They go on and on until you have a headache and want to run away. By the time you leave, you are drained.

In fact, Lebanese people talk way too much, in general, and never let you put a word in...never ask about you except to pry in your business in a judgmental way. All they talk about is themselves...either to boast (over the stupidest things) or to complain (over the stupidest things).

People in Lebanon are self-obsessed, arrogant, superficial, petty, and mean-spirited. They only "care" about you if they think they can gain something from you.

There are exceptions, of course, but the more I visit Lebanon, the more Western I feel.

Akide ma3andoun anything better to do. Do you ever see a man in Lebanon actually act like a grown up? 40 years old, still living with his mother, ironing his shirts and making him breakfast.

 

[!Aoune32]

Oh, let me remind you of Samir Geagea's "bay bayyah" remark! Samir Geagea is the Christ incarnate to some Maronite Christians. The same mentality, all of them. Hot headed and temperamental, impulsive, quick to display fireworks from their hotheadedness. They are always on the lookout for trouble. Zero idea about humility. Arrogance is sanctified as machismo. Inherent wickedness and sugarcoated and justified hatred for one another.

This is not about a certain man or party.
This is a problem with the whole Lebanese populace. They are born to yell, scream, be arrogant and as Indie said they only pry into your business to compare with you. They seem to think if they pry and compare with you and your life is not that good that means they have the upperhand. I hate the Lebanese mentality and thank GOD I don't live in the country. I would be in a fight with my cousins every day. The Lebanese people outside are more open minded as they mix with westerners and tend to adopt their mentality after a certain period of time. Their mentality changes. Most of them anyway.

 

[!Aoune32]

For instance, why do Lebanese bosses find pleasure in yelling and cursing instead of explaining and being understanding? In some of the countries I have been to and worked, the Lebanese employer is seen as abusive and exploitative. They are in competition with the Indians and Chinese for being seen as "exploitative". And seeing how Lebanese society is and how our leaders exploit their followers for power and inheritance of political posts, and how the poor/weak/lower classes have no say in the future of their country, I am not shocked! Many of our MPs are rich billionaires. How would a billionaire feel with the less privileged in the society? How are we going to instill change? Our culture is more about power, money, and class. Even things like religion, sect and other identities we create to discriminate on are just means.

It is due to the Lebanese DNA. They tend to believe that due to him being your boss you are his slave. He gives you a measly $800 a month and thinks that he has done you a favour, 3refet kif?
You won't instill change until the Lebanese populace actually wake up. Don't blame our politicians. The Lebanese populace taught them to be this way. The Lebanese population vote for the same rat bags and they know that these parasites actually love sticking their carrot up their ass**. Yet they still vote for them. It is the people's fault the country is the way it is not our RICH billionaires.

Halla2 Lebanon for me has become just a holiday destination. Only way to go back and live there is if I had enough money but I am not impressed nor happy with people's behaviours over there. It simply is the law of the jungle. I was there in Feb-March. Simply appalling.

 

[Al Muqawama]

Something about typical "Lebanese" that really annoys me is that bi fansou ktirrrrr byenzal fik kel saroukh akbar men el teniii 3a asas enta we7id habilee w msada2 kelshi ye3ni..

Men weyn jeybin hal tefshikhhh kellou?

 

[Iron Maiden]

Something about typical "Lebanese" that really annoys me is that bi fansou ktirrrrr byenzal fik kel saroukh akbar men el teniii 3a asas enta we7id habilee w msada2 kelshi ye3ni..

Men weyn jeybin hal tefshikhhh kellou?

Financial/emotional Insecurity, uninteresting life, hopelessness and no future prospects, lack of cultural interests, simple peer pressure, impressing a potential romantic prospect, or just venting because marto nekdé

 

[Indie]

It is due to the Lebanese DNA. They tend to believe that due to him being your boss you are his slave. He gives you a measly $800 a month and thinks that he has done you a favour, 3refet kif?

I saw this with my own eyes. Except the poor employee was probably not even making half that amount. She was a young Palestinian or Syrian girl working at a café. Her boss was a brute and she seemed terrorized. You would think he would pretend to be civil in front of the clients, but not at all. The poor girl was so nervous she dropped something on the floor, and of course that only made him behave more aggressively towards her.

His attitude was so appalling, I almost yelled at him. But I knew he would only take it out on her, later on, so I contained myself. I waited until he wasn't looking and gave her some money. I will never go there again, and I hope she found a better boss to work for.

 

[!Aoune32]

I saw this with my own eyes. Except the poor employee was probably not even making half that amount. She was a young Palestinian or Syrian girl working at a café. Her boss was a brute and she seemed terrorized. You would think he would pretend to be civil in front of the clients, but not at all. The poor girl was so nervous she dropped something on the floor, and of course that only made him behave more aggressively towards her.

His attitude was so appalling, I almost yelled at him. But I knew he would only take it out on her, later on, so I contained myself. I waited until he wasn't looking and gave her some money. I will never go there again, and I hope she found a better boss to work for.

Hence the Lebanese deserve that their country is in shit.

 

[Nonan]

There is a lot in what you started and it needs some unpacking.
1) on the character / temparement
I don’t think it is dissimilar than many Mediterranean / near easterners... importance of showing off, misplaced pride, “masculinity”, “hot headed”... you’d find this in Sephardic Jews (watch “la vérité si je mens”), and in southern Italians, French, Algerians, Moroccans, etc. I wouldn’t equate it to “seriousness” though. When you say serious I think German or Swiss German. Somehow that seems quite different
2) add on this the fact that we have not had any “civic” teaching, no appreciation of the common good or sense of accountability to it. Part is the fault of the French and then we made things worse during the war
3) also, there is a broad sense of impunity, since the war, that makes the quickly makes the bravado become deadly... generations of Lebanese have lost basic sense of decency and understanding of value of human life
4) finally, I’d argue Lebanese May be in a social “panic mode” right now. The country is all but destroyed economically and ecologically, the future is quite bleak for the coming generation and the orchestra of politicians is playing on the sinking titanic. This may contribute to making things seem even worse

This is a very good topic and worth maybe some more interactive exchange (not sure how it can be set up). At the end of the day, we need to figure out which pieces can we influence, which need to be influenced and how to do it. Either way, this takes generations

 

[!Aoune32]

There is a lot in what you started and it needs some unpacking.
1) on the character / temparement
I don’t think it is dissimilar than many Mediterranean / near easterners... importance of showing off, misplaced pride, “masculinity”, “hot headed”... you’d find this in Sephardic Jews (watch “la vérité si je mens”), and in southern Italians, French, Algerians, Moroccans, etc. I wouldn’t equate it to “seriousness” though. When you say serious I think German or Swiss German. Somehow that seems quite different
2) add on this the fact that we have not had any “civic” teaching, no appreciation of the common good or sense of accountability to it. Part is the fault of the French and then we made things worse during the war
3) also, there is a broad sense of impunity, since the war, that makes the quickly makes the bravado become deadly... generations of Lebanese have lost basic sense of decency and understanding of value of human life
4) finally, I’d argue Lebanese May be in a social “panic mode” right now. The country is all but destroyed economically and ecologically, the future is quite bleak for the coming generation and the orchestra of politicians is playing on the sinking titanic. This may contribute to making things seem even worse

This is a very good topic and worth maybe some more interactive exchange (not sure how it can be set up). At the end of the day, we need to figure out which pieces can we influence, which need to be influenced and how to do it. Either way, this takes generations

Mate its too late to fix anything. This is the Lebanese peoples fault no one else. Dont blame the french for our **** ups. The Lebanese doesnt matter actually they are from south, north, bekaa etc bifakro they are some special race from outer space. the whole country is wrong, its people are wrong, even what our fathers taught us 90% of it is wrong.

Nchalla no 4 turns out right and the economy falls on their heads. Only way they learn as they only care about money.