Know Thyself

Now that the Common Market is a booming reality, it is customary to speak of a species of New European. It is no less customary to observe that the old nationalism still survives. What do the various Europeans really think of each other? To find out, a London and Brussels market-research expert named Victor Selwyn organized a detailed questioning of 185 selected business executives, lawyers and other professionals. The results, included in the new Guide to National Practices in Western Europe, produced some familiar stereotypes and some surprises:

> The Germans rated themselves highly on tolerance; nobody else did. The Germans also rated themselves highly fashionable; nobody else did.

> The French rated themselves chauvinistic, brilliant but superficial, and high livers. Others rated them in about the same way.

> Everyone thought the British had an admirable sense of humor. Indeed, there was more unanimity on this than on any other trait.

> Nobody judged the Italians to be trustworthy--not even the Italians themselves.

> The Swiss rated themselves very highly for trustworthiness and thrift; the others rated them cold and miserly.

> The people most admired by Italians were the French; the French admired the British; the British admired the Dutch. Indeed the Dutch were the most generally admired people in Europe, praised by everyone except the Belgians--their closest neighbors. The Belgians, in turn, were the least admired people, rated as undisciplined, narrow and, for good measure, bad drivers.

What is the practical point of all this? Says Selwyn: "Unless [outside] businessmen can come to understand fully Continental attitudes and customs, they will be at a grave disadvantage." Specifically, he suggests, hire Dutch salesmen, but beware of Italian accountants or Belgian chauffeurs.

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