Deep Spirits

I came across an interesting quote and was curious to hear your thoughts on it.

"Climate has much to do with national character.... A climate which permits labor out-of-doors every month in the year and which requires industry to secure comfort - to provide food, shelter, clothing, fuel, etc. - is the very climate which secures the highest civilization."

I once had a discussion with friends and family about this very subject, mainly discussing North vs. South. The North being more industrial, more hard-working, the South being more connected with nature and less "developed", especially in the past.
When we talked about North and South it was basically about the European North and the European South.

What are your thoughts?

Interesting how true this is .Ive had day dreams(thought experiments) before wondering what I would be like if there were 5 versions of myself each growing up on a different continent and them coming together , how different they would be , who would be better off for their location , if I would just rebel against what ever culture I was thrown into , or would I acclimate myself better in some and not in others. Anyway enough with my non-sensical daydreams and on to your point .
The southern half of the U.S. is much more prone to farming, laid back personalities and a common description for their speech is , a slow southern draw . While the north is more industrious, business prone and one of the sayings that come from the north " a New York minute" which is obviously analogous to how fast things happen there . Makes me wonder just how much our own personality is affected by our geographical upbringing , almost as if most of us never had a chance to be anything but a reflection of our limited surroundings .However I think the influence a geographical location had on individuals was more prominent years ago before a lot of the technology we have now was integrated into most everyones homes 24 hours a day. America used to be called "the melting pot" , all these different people coming together each with their own history and culture , I cant help but think it is now "the great molding pot" , with media , hollywood, gov't and advertisement shaping the lives of everyone into exactly who the powers that be would like us to become .

I don't think that Climate vs national character (lower case my own) really apply on my continent.

There's the wannabes with money vs the wannabes on minimum wage and/or govt welfare.

There's the Haves vs the Have Nots.

There's the Heard vs the Unheard and similarly, the Respected Pillars of the Community vs the unrecognised, disresepcted, silent pillars of the community (again, lower cas my own).

In my country racism comes in many forms.

There's:

Get Out We're Full vs Refugees vs please come and seek asylum.

You Must Not Be Muslim vs You Must Not Be Infidel

You Must Not Be Homosexual vs Everyone Has The Right To Bear Children Regardless Of Capacity

You Must Be White, Middle Class, Tertiary Educated, And Not.Accept.Any.Other.People Bar.Your.Own.

hmmm...So many more segregated sects within communities within contemporary suburbia.The parameters of acceptance are always changing, so is it any wonder that there's global hatred on the rise?

I do think, that the awarness of the climate is very much affected by where one lives. I can of course only speak of myself..being here in Austria, where many people care about recycling or where one's food is from, this has also affected me in a positive way. Now, I also pay attention to from where something is being imported or in which trash I throw my plastic bottles...
Of course there are always exceptions..because I do not think that the national character is the only indictaor of how someone views the climate..I think that That depends on various things, e.g. upbringing, intelligence, if such things are also supported in that region, where one lives, etc.

Hello Chiara, nice to see you posting. And a very fair point you raise.

Just out of interest, I am Italian, are you?

Hi Chessa...
I am Austrian..I was born in Austria, but my parents are Serbian and I have a stepdad, who is American..