Long term polls show an upward trend for the stereotypically dour nation
Czechs aren’t known for being the most optimistic bunch, but most are satisfied with their lives.
Some 71% are mostly satisfied, and another 28% are somewhat satisfied with life in general, a poll conducted in February by CVVM showed.
Less than a quarter were on the fence about the topic, with 23 percent saying life was neither satisfactory nor dissatisfactory.
Pessimism was low. Just 3 percent were very unsatisfied, and 12 percent were rather dissatisfied the poll showed.
The number of people who didn’t know was at zero percent.
Similar polls have been conducted monthly since 2003 and have mainly shown overall satisfaction.
The trend for being mostly satisfied has risen slowly over the past few years. In 2012 the figure ranged between 43 and 47 percent, while in 2013 it wavered between 46 and 49 percent.
In 2014 a majority began to be satisfied, with the number hitting 53 percent in June 2014. The lowest level that year was 46 percent, and it hit exactly 50 percent three times.
In 2015, it ranged tightly between 49 and 51 percent.
Also since 2012, the number of very satisfied people has been trending upwards. While in 2012 it hit a low of 9 percent twice and dipped as low as 8 percent in February 2013, it has not been below 10 percent since April 2013 and hit 14 percent in November 2014 and twice in 2015.
Czech people are quite reserved and xenophobic in mentality. I’ve been an Expat in Prague for many years and found that Czech people consider themselves to be living in an exclusive paradise and safe haven that they believe is “theirs” and not for anybody else… or basically not for foreigners to enjoy as much as them. So they like to enjoy their traditions and culture in their private way. As a UK expat in Prague, there can be many barriers to mixing with Czech people. I always find it very easy to mix socially with other Native English speaking expats (other Brits, then US Americans, Canadians, Australians). But Czechs are a difficult bunch of people to mix with and very reserved about other nations, often with very closed minded views and poor stereo types which are quite annoying and even offensive. Eventually you can meet friendly Czechs but they are not true friends, because they consider themselves too specific as a nation and people of a very special culture that they want to preserve for themselves. Most of my friends are expats who are native English speakers like me. Czech people can be friendly but not friends. Being friendly is not the same as being a friend. Some people can say that Czechs may seem racist… but this is too harsh to say. Czech people can be warm and friendly but they are just so hard and difficult to integrate with. They are mentally affected because of their communist past which has evolved into them from the generation before that was in that cruel regime. Communisim is very under-rated for the effect it had on Czechs and still today with their xenophobic and closed minded behaviour.
Having the same experience as you did, I packed my bags and left the xenophobic close minded place for good.
A little Russian colony is what they are, let them keep their servile communist mentality and hope they will exit the EU soon. They are more a weight than a contribution anyway.
The only fond memories I keep are those coming from admiring the beauty of the architecture that was built by migrants in the past, the same who were expelled by the rulers of the time anyway, after their contributions to the building of Prague as a city.
If you dig a bit on its history, you will realize that the mentality comes way before the communist won elections there prior WWII.
As to odors and personal hygiene of Czechs , well…That’s a whole different story to tell!
If you can handle the stench plus the Xenophobia of the little kingdom with no royalty after their extermination by populists regimes, then ; good luck to you!
Hello Bobbie,
the name tells me you may be a Brit and your disdain tells me you may have been hurt. Hurt most likely in a romance with one of them stinking – low- on- a- personal- hygiene Czechs, a czech male (as I presume you a lady) brute. Inexcusable! You just have to slap them back, eh?
I am a Canadian, a British Columbia Canadian so with my a bit freer call it North American mind, I definitely do not see the things there as severely as you do. Hey, I do know a bit a Brit mentality. Worked with few and personally knew few. Liked them all! despite of their a bit expansive (rightly so for members of once greatest empire) and we- are- the- best mentality (enhanced by that never ever fading -lovable- british accent).
So, if got hurt by a sordid Czech your indignation and damnation of the whole xenophobic bunch is understandable. But, hey, you a Brit, particularly if a Londoner, odors, stench? Be a little slower making that judgement on those inhabitants of that little Russian colony. Not long ago I spent a few days in London and a couple other places in the olde England. As soon as I walked in to a washroom, I said, yeah, back to the old Europe. Stinky, pee and toilet paper on the floor. Needless to say for my sanitary north american sense of smell it was a kick in the gut but, hey, that low level of sanitary even though it was in a pub only, is indeed something not to be proud of but will not damn the whole country with all the people in it for it. But, if I may get a dear john, who knows how I will see them. Ease up, Bobbie. Jared