Don't Be Afraid to Be Proud of Your Country

Americans are by nature a very patriotic group.  We’re often very proud of our country, its foundation on the principle of freedom, and the opportunities that we’re afforded.  But sometimes, we seem scared to show that pride.  When interacting with people from other countries, for example, we seem hesitant to distinguish our own country or point out differences.  We're sometimes faced with the argument that talking good about one's own country is arrogant and not multicultural.

During my time in Spain, I met many people who were not afraid to tell me that Spain was the best country in the world, their dialect of Spanish the most “pure”, and their cuisine the best in the world.  These claims may be debatable, but the fact of the matter is they weren’t afraid to tell me (an outsider) that they believed them.  I admired the pride they had in their country.

America is my country and I believe it’s the best one in the world.  However, I have friends who live in Costa Rica, Argentina, Brazil, and Spain, that believe their respective countries are the best in the world.  It’s not that it’s a competition; there just exists a strong bond between a person and their place of birth or residence.  I’m happy that my friends have such pride in their countries and mimic them by having pride in mine; everyone should have this right.

There is certainly a boundary of boasting and arrogance that should not be crossed when it comes to being proud of one’s country, but I say that there’s a healthy patriotism to be had in your nation and that that should be respected.