In our research, we regularly ask Poles how they perceive other nations, but in the May survey, we decided to do something different and find out how Poles perceive themselves. Since creating a self-portrait is usually more difficult than describing others, who always seem more defined and one-dimensional, we used open-ended questions, giving respondents freedom of expression, unconstrained by the selection of answers. The first question concerned what a typical Pole is like.

The most frequently mentioned trait was hard work, appearing in nearly a third of responses (29.7%). Second among the characteristics of a typical Pole were discontent, a lack of humour, and sadness (14.9%). Poles also perceive themselves as people who care about the good of their homeland, as patriots who are not indifferent to the interests of their own country (10.9%). They also consider entrepreneurship, goal-setting, ambition, cleverness, and thriftiness to be their strengths (10.6%). Other strengths most frequently cited by respondents include kindness, sensitivity, and helpfulness (10.4%).

What do you think a typical Pole is like? What traits do you associate with Polish people? Traits mentioned by at least 5% of respondents

In the next question, we asked respondents to indicate what they believed Poles could be proud of, assuming that their responses would provide valuable insight into their self-stereotype. Respondents primarily mentioned Polish history (24.3%). These responses were often quite general, but if specific historical events were mentioned, they tended to be from relatively recent times: the overthrow of communism and the Solidarity movement, Polish struggles during World War II, the Battle of Warsaw in 1920, and the 19th-century independence uprisings during the Partitions. The second most frequently cited category of reasons for pride was the ability of Poles to unite and act together in times of crisis (10.6%), often illustrated by the assistance Poles provided to Ukrainians after the outbreak of war in 2022. The third most frequent category of responses referred to Poland's current political and economic position, as well as the successes of the past thirty-odd years that led to this position (10.0%). Next in line were responses referring to positive character traits attributed to Poles: their resourcefulness, hard work, entrepreneurship, and ambition (9.3%). The top five reasons for pride for Poles were completed by outstanding figures from our history (7.2%), among whom John Paul II was by far the most frequently mentioned.

Reasons for Poles to be proud. Answers mentioned by at least 5% of respondents