[jacquesm]

Why be proud of a thing that happened to you by chance?

I was born into a particular family but that's nothing to be proud of, it wasn't exactly my achievement.

I'm Dutch by birth, but I'm not proud to be Dutch.

I'm a European by birth, but it doesn't make me proud either.

What I an be proud about is those things that I've achieved that were not 'normal' for a person of my birth station and privilege level. (And that's not a whole lot, given the fact that I was born in one of the wealthiest countries in the world as a 'white male' which means I had just about all the lottery cards picked just so.)

[avshyz]

Is there anything wrong with being patriotic? By being proud of your culture?

Yeah, I puff my chest when I think of my personal achievements. But that doesn't mean I don't feel a sense of pride when I read I piece of text written thousand years ago in the same language I speak today.

There's nothing wrong with being proud of being a part of something, as long you don't disparage others. But I guess it's easier to think in collective terms when you're born of a minority that for the larger part of history was oppressed.