Closely related to English reserve is English modesty. Within their hearts, the Enghshare perhaps no less conceited than anybody else, but in their relations with others they valueat least a show of modesty. Self-praise is felt to be impolite. If a person is, let us say, verygood at tennis and someone asks him if he is a good player, he will seldom reply "Yes,"because people will think him conceited. He will probably give an answer like, "Im not bad"or "I think I am very good," or "Well, Im very keen on tennis." Even if he had managed toreach the finals in last year s local championships, he would say it in such a way as to suggestthat it was only due to a piece of good luck.
The famous English sense of humor is similar. Its starting-point is self-dispraise, and itsgreat enemy is conceit. Its object is the ability to laugh at oneself——at one s own faults, one sown failure, even at ones own ideals. The criticism, "He has no sense of humor" is verycommonly heard in Britain, where humor is highly prized. A sense of humor is an attitude tolife rather than the mere ability to laugh at jokes. This attitude is never cruel or disrespectfulor malicious. The English do not laugh at a cripple or a madman, or a tragedy or anhonorable failure.
Since reserve, a show of modesty and a sense of humor are part of his own nature, thetypical Englishman trends to expect them in others. He secretly looks down on more excitablenations, and likes to think of himself as more reliable than they. He doesnt trust big promisesand open shows of feelings, especially if they are expressed in flowery language. He doesnttrust self-praise of any kind. This applies not only to what other people may tell him aboutthemselves orally, but to the letters they may write to him. To those who are fond of floweryexpressions, the Englishman may appear uncomfortably cold.
