[tluyben2]

It's one of those things you (well I at least :) learn when you get older; you have a few years to do what you came here for and then you expire, so feeling embarrassed or otherwise caring about the negative things people might think about you is not very interesting and should best be not at all even in your brain at any time. Took me about 34 years to learn that and it's not actual advise you can give someone as people don't listen or cannot do it, but it will make everything a lot easier (and more successful as well).

Also people looking down on you are usually not better off either; I had a guy at a party talk to me about my 'little company', 'little moneys', 'little investments' (these words don't translate well; in Dutch you have 'small' words geldjes, investerinkjes which I don't know how to translate). He was a banker guy making E500k/year after tax (the fact he said that makes him a loser already imho); when he told people about his job my ears started bleeding out of boredom. I would not trade places with him for any amount of money let alone be bothered about him belittling what I do :) It's not often (never...) that belittling/offensive people actually have a life to be jealous about; that's why they are offensive and give you shit; they envy you.

[pekk]

Is your attitude toward bragging about income culturally typical for Dutch people?

[JonnieCache]

Is certainly typical in the UK. Income is considered an intensely personal matter. You may as well walk into a party and proudly start telling people your genital measurements.

Here's an amusing video on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E837tnxRVS0

"It's essentially a distillation of the problem we always have with american behaviour that's different from ours: Are they being admirably honest and upfront, cutting through the cant and failing to be hamstrung by old-world prejudices and preoccupations, or are they just being rude?"

The video is actually about asking other people their income, rather than stating your own. The point is basically the same.

[tluyben2]

Good one that video. I'm not sure if that's it in the Netherlands either.

When thinking about it; why do you tell or conversely, why do you ask? Why you tell without being asked, to me, is just a sign of you having a very small penis (it's usually guys). Asking it; are you really interested? Or are you comparing to yourself in some kind of oh i'm really not interested what you answer I make more anyway and really want to tell you that!? Or do you want to feel bad about your own income in some kind of sadomasochistic manner people seem to enjoy? Or do you want the other person to feel bad because you know he makes crap or is 'in between jobs'?

I'm trying to figure out what the upside is here; I don't mind telling what I make per se but I'm curious why anyone would want to know and when I think about it I cannot come up with any positive reasons. And so it never came up as a question from or to me and the only people I heard talking about it are guys I suspect were picked on a lot in high school. But maybe someone can enlighten me here? :)

[tluyben2]

Not sure, but 'we' find it very sad when people do that. It generally means there is something wrong with them, why else would you feel the need to do that? It's generally some kind of insecurity, not unlike bragging or showing off in other ways like driving up in an expensive car you cannot actually really afford. It more entices pity in me than anything else.

[lucian1900]

Is it not typical in for many peoples?

[dethstar]

I think it is a Douche thing to do.