ABSTRACT
Anheuser-Busch (A-B) market research showed that the British beer drinkers were changing their tastes from the traditional ales and bitters to the kinds of lagers that A-B made. The company was confident that Great Britain was a logical choice for international expansion primarily due to the large volumes of beer drunk by British consumers and because English was the national language. However, there was the potential for misjudgments, for as George Bernard Shaw once said: “Britain and America are two nations separated by a common language.” Great philosophical and cultural differences existed that were obscured by the conception that a shared linguistic heritage would substantially reduce problems. Jane Walmsley, a television broadcaster in England talked about the British mentality and how it differed from its American counterpart:1
Our “first floor” is your “ground floor”; your “french fries” are our “chips”; what you call a “pickup,” we call a “van.” But the vocabulary notwithstanding, there are other differences between the American mind and the British mind.
In Britain, one rolls with the punches. It’s fruitless to try to take control; bad form to get too involved; arrogant and self-important to attempt to outwit destiny. Lives are to be lived with a certain detachment and a sense of distance preserved.
Events must be allowed to run their natural course. Stay cool, and never be seen to try too hard, since anyone with half a brain should recognize the central absurdity of existence and accept the inevitable. Success—if it’s to count—must appear effortless. Since nothing matters very much anyway, think twice before making important sacrifices. Never run for a bus. Never skip tea.
The British are more at ease when the range of personal choice is strictly limited. This is reflected in the retail industry, where dresses come in four sizes, shoes in one width, 257and ice cream in three flavors. Too many options only confuse people and encourage them to behave in a greedy and selfish way. It’s part of human nature to be happier when our horizons are limited, someone else is in charge, and we know what’s expected of us. That’s why monarchs are so useful, and the class system survives.
The theory is that money can’t buy taste, or style, or a sense of priorities—which are things you’re born with. Your spending habits are seen as a reflection of breeding and the quality of your mind, and allow others to make judgments about your background and personal style. People should concern themselves with loyalty to employers, or duty to the wider community. It is the custom of the wealthier Brits to periodically remind the masses of the virtues of self-denial and restraint. This is called noblesse oblige. Brits of most persuasions are happiest talking about “self-reliance” and the “common good,” which reminds them of the War, the Crown, and the BBC, in no particular order.
Culturally, socially, psychologically, and literally—Brits form orderly queues. They like to keep things nice and cozy. Unpredictability carries with it the risk of change and general social turbulence (“No shakeups, please—we’re British”).
