Saying that all Netherlanders have the same characteristics is no different than the Klan saying all blacks are the same. There are good Dutchmen and bad ones, saints and devils, hard workers and loafers, churchgoers and atheists, misers and spendthrifts. Peter ----- Original Message ----- From: "Edward Otte" <edotte@optonline.net> To: <dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 8:01 PM Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Qualities & Traits of the Dutch > In my humble opinion, (maybe I am too direct) Dutch people are all of what > you said below. But there are reasons for that thinking. Holland is a > small > country. There is a saying God created the heavens and the earth and the > Dutch created the Netherlands. Land is a premium and the economy depends > on > mercantilism. The Dutch invented the stock market. Business is very much a > way of life. Trading and bartering is very much a sociological norm for > the > Dutch by necessity. The Dutch are a hardy people. The old diet was bread, > beer, and fish! > > But beyond this something I have always noticed about Hollanders. They > blend > in. Where ever they go they blend in. People often point out that say > Japanese are "buying" up America but they never notice the Dutch quietly > going about their business, which is business. A factoid is besides the > British the Dutch own more real estate and businesses in America than > anyone > else, and you would never know it. This is why the Dutch, in general had > pretty good relationships with Native Americans. They wanted trade and > they > did not want anything to hurt that trade. > > Also the Dutch have been big liberals for centuries. Because they accepted > other Europeans and other religions, including Judaism, they attracted > wealth and other cultures that have made them a great nation. Like America > that diversity has given strength while the other European nations are > trying to catch up. The European Union is just a mock up of the Benelux > trade agreement between all of the Low Countries. Ah yes, the Dutch are > often overlooked but their effect has not been. > > Ed, proud to be a Nederlander! > > Sorry...my email was sent before I finished it. > > My granddaughter has a school paper to do...she can use some help! > > The assignment is... > > Discuss in the paper the information gathered detailing the > characteristics > > of your particular ethnic background which conform you or do not conform > to > the commonly held ideas. This should be as personal as possible to enable > the > paper to be revealing. (5-6 pages) > > Everyone is a consequence of their ancestral origins. Genetically, and > through association, you have become reflections of them. The discovery of > these > origins enables you to identify ethnic groups that have influenced your > development. An understanding of these ethnicities become valuable tools > for > self- > realization. Family values, attitudes concerning life and even the > celebration of holidays can be associated with your familial beginnings. > > She is going to compare and contrast them with what qualities, values, and > traditions we have. > > I am assuming we are part Dutch...I am a direct descendant from Cornelius > Melyn and John Winans. > > > This is all I could find on the net about Dutch qualities. > > The Dutch are seen as sensible, hard-working, and thrifty. > hey are very direct. Depending on your point of view, this is rude, > tactless > or refreshing. > Dutch people spend less, and when they do spend it is on more practical > items than extravagant decorations and status symbols. When given a > chance > to > practically economize, they will. > > Alice La Rue > > > > > > ************************************** AOL now offers free email to > everyone. > Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Of course as a generalized statement what you say is true. However, in the same token we would be pretending if we did not recognize that certain groups within a distribution of a natural population exhibit propensities toward certain sociological behaviors. It is the deeming of that social behavior as "good" or bad" that is a moral ill. But there is nothing wrong with noticing that in general Hollanders have developed certain cultural norms and that those social norms do tend to display certain characteristics shared by a large majority of that natural population. Nothing of what I said, can, or should be taken as painting a group with a broad brush or that Hollanders are better than others because of those traits shared by a majority of that group. Having said that I am sure that the teacher wants to have each student be proud of their heritage and to know and learn something of that group. She probably also wants to point out that when you measure all people together they mostly share the same traits to some degree or another. Having said all this I am proud of being a Hollander and my people are noted for their great contributions to humanity like the arts and in business. And yes, they do have social norms that is somewhat different than other groups and yes, those propensities toward those behaviors have made them great and the Dutch are disproportionally and positively represented for their contributions toward civilization being they are so few and such a small country. Edward Otte -----Original Message----- From: dutch-colonies-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:dutch-colonies-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Peter Christoph Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 10:55 PM To: dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Qualities & Traits of the Dutch Saying that all Netherlanders have the same characteristics is no different than the Klan saying all blacks are the same. There are good Dutchmen and bad ones, saints and devils, hard workers and loafers, churchgoers and atheists, misers and spendthrifts. Peter ----- Original Message ----- From: "Edward Otte" <edotte@optonline.net> To: <dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 8:01 PM Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Qualities & Traits of the Dutch > In my humble opinion, (maybe I am too direct) Dutch people are all of what > you said below. But there are reasons for that thinking. Holland is a > small > country. There is a saying God created the heavens and the earth and the > Dutch created the Netherlands. Land is a premium and the economy depends > on > mercantilism. The Dutch invented the stock market. Business is very much a > way of life. Trading and bartering is very much a sociological norm for > the > Dutch by necessity. The Dutch are a hardy people. The old diet was bread, > beer, and fish! > > But beyond this something I have always noticed about Hollanders. They > blend > in. Where ever they go they blend in. People often point out that say > Japanese are "buying" up America but they never notice the Dutch quietly > going about their business, which is business. A factoid is besides the > British the Dutch own more real estate and businesses in America than > anyone > else, and you would never know it. This is why the Dutch, in general had > pretty good relationships with Native Americans. They wanted trade and > they > did not want anything to hurt that trade. > > Also the Dutch have been big liberals for centuries. Because they accepted > other Europeans and other religions, including Judaism, they attracted > wealth and other cultures that have made them a great nation. Like America > that diversity has given strength while the other European nations are > trying to catch up. The European Union is just a mock up of the Benelux > trade agreement between all of the Low Countries. Ah yes, the Dutch are > often overlooked but their effect has not been. > > Ed, proud to be a Nederlander! > > Sorry...my email was sent before I finished it. > > My granddaughter has a school paper to do...she can use some help! > > The assignment is... > > Discuss in the paper the information gathered detailing the > characteristics > > of your particular ethnic background which conform you or do not conform > to > the commonly held ideas. This should be as personal as possible to enable > the > paper to be revealing. (5-6 pages) > > Everyone is a consequence of their ancestral origins. Genetically, and > through association, you have become reflections of them. The discovery of > these > origins enables you to identify ethnic groups that have influenced your > development. An understanding of these ethnicities become valuable tools > for > self- > realization. Family values, attitudes concerning life and even the > celebration of holidays can be associated with your familial beginnings. > > She is going to compare and contrast them with what qualities, values, and > traditions we have. > > I am assuming we are part Dutch...I am a direct descendant from Cornelius > Melyn and John Winans. > > > This is all I could find on the net about Dutch qualities. > > The Dutch are seen as sensible, hard-working, and thrifty. > hey are very direct. Depending on your point of view, this is rude, > tactless > or refreshing. > Dutch people spend less, and when they do spend it is on more practical > items than extravagant decorations and status symbols. When given a > chance > to > practically economize, they will. > > Alice La Rue > > > > > > ************************************** AOL now offers free email to > everyone. > Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message