An Attempt to describe the Austrian Mentality

by Alexandra Umfahrer
Edited by Galina Toktalieva
Photo by editor
I`m Austrian and I love my country. Nevertheless, some things go wrong and I want to criticize them by means of loving criticism.
To assign a general mentality to a nation can easily lead to prejudices and racism. Not all Austrians fit the characteristics imposed on them. Not all Germans are punctual and industrious, not all Italians are hot tempered. (more…)

I do not know whether you are teasing your readers with your comments about masculine stupidity, mean-spirited men who want to split bills in restaurants or you really mean it.
I take your point that men are obsessed by their penises – it’s part of the male psyche that would be rather difficult to eradicate, but I do think that there must be some men, in Vienna or elsewhere, who are warm-hearted, sensitive and possessing a reasonably rounded personality who try to communicate with women at a higher level than that of banging away for instant gratification. You say you’ve lost count of the pricks. I have not lost count(well maybe one or two!) of the pussies I have met – I remember (most of) them with pleasure and affection – chiefly because nearly every one was a friend with whom there was SOME kind of relationship before the coupling began. I was also taught by some charming older women in my youth to respect women and try to share pleasure instead of taking it. As you very wisely say, feelings are the root of the matter – without that- sex can be a mechanical pleasure best performed by oneself.
It’s good that you challenge we males in our fantasy that we rule the universe – as you well know we don�t, and look to women for all the things that we want – such as comfort, assistance – and sex! Males can be psychologically traumatized if they are refused sex – particularly when they are younger – thank goodness the desperate urges of youth are fading (a little!) There was nothing worse when I was 20 than lusting after almost every woman in sight and not being able to do anything about it – complete frustration.
There – I’ve probably proved your theory for you that men are ruled by their cocks. Because we are on two different sides of the equation, we will probably never agree on this issue, but you have my complete respect for voicing it succinctly and well. Steven, London

Christoph Exler. Everybody has his own concept of love and art. And love is the only form of art where everybody

considers himself to be highly professional. I wrote these angry lines after personal talk with this painter in one of Vienna cafes. He impressed me as sarcastic person with obviously reduced respect to others mental systems, cultures and nationalities, than his own. This man whom I met by chance in Graben, introduced himself as well known Austrian painter, and with certain aplomb he invited me to drink a cup of cofree with him. There in Havelka he demonstrated me one of his drawings. It was very dark in cafe, and I could not make portrait of a man. He talked much and gave feeling of being sarcastic. In breaks between consumation of beer, he criticized all photographers for being stupid and especially me, though he had never seen what I was doing. I paid attention to small detail, that always signalizes for me about ways person has and his awareness, that though he invited me, I lost two hours listening to him and paid for my drink myself. He didn’t offer to pay for me.

Recollecting the past, I see that nude modeling ads used to bring rich post, and usually after some selection you stay with nothing. All corresponding photographers turn out to be only next seekers of strawberry, dozens of them appear and disappear in life of models as foam. The saddest thing is they look not only for strawberry- satisfaction of their own libido- but also eager to get it free of charge. It never occurs to them that all gains they can get by lying are illusive. With one of my insistent correspondents I decided to meet, because he demonstrated some signs of literacy. General literacy gives more hope for mutual understanding. It was rainy day, and we had met in Ritter cafe, at Mariahilfer strasse. Franz was solid man with lively small brown eyes around 50 years old. He showed me big collection of half-nude women in different appealing poses, best photos he made during last years. I think there is no male photographer in the world who would never try to do Akt. Some of their photos are original, two-three are good, and majority is not more than manifestation of their own libido

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