I am a hungarian, lemme throw in my two cents. We always found life shit, no matter the circumstances, but we also drink when we are happy, sad, celebrating birth, mourning. And we don't tend to ask for help if we are dealing with demons of our own, we choke the demons with beer and cigarette smoke, but we don't like asking for help. People in big cities like Budapest tend to drink for fun but in more rural areas they drink because they are dealing with shit and that's how they learned to cope. Alcoholism is generational here also
@@senorpepper3405 yes. There is a zero tolerance on driving with alcohol in your blood (if they detect 0.001% you are busted). Even if they detect you using alcohol based mouthwash on a breathalyser you can lose your license
I've been to Budapest 4 months ago and I've met so many awesome people. I was all on my own. Once I went down into a little bar that actually only consisted of one room. The people there all knew each other, but they did not exclude me - it was the exact opposite: They treated me like I was part of their family 🤘 thank you guys!
I love this new series!! I'm obsessed with these historical effects on today's culture in different countries. Hope you continue doing this, Mark! These videos are super interesting and also very easy to follow! I'm curious where you're going next!
It's a fun series but the info doesn't seem very accurate. Palinka is NOT specific of Hungary at all. Most Eastern European countries have it. The story behind it is just folklore and we all have our national story lol
@shakerr7933 Well, speaking in general, yes. But speaking in terms of national values...also yes. But we're somehow proud of it, don't really know why.
@@hekeeke2297 Its not any value. Ask any alcoholic, he will fuck you up if tou say to him its a value and its nice. Its not nice, any sip of alcohol is a demage to your body. Dont make it a value.
@@shakerr7933 the point is: if almost anybody is, e.g., addicted to cheese, cheese-eating is not considered an addiction. ;) In a country where only ten in hundred people say "I eat cheese, and I could never live without it", it is.
@@josephkrohl7357 i'm hungarian and i disagree with that explanation. liszt was born in a village which at the time was a part of hungary but now it's in burgenland austria. his father was hungarian (hence the hungarian last name) and his mother was austrian and he grew up speaking german as his native language. he tried learning hungarian later in his life but he never reached fluency. despite all of this he considered himself hungarian, he was patriotic and many of his pieces were inspired by hungarian culture. national identity was not as simple as it is now! the habsburg empire including hungary was very diverse and many nationalities had no autonomy (slovakia used to be an integral part of hungary). just because someone lived in hungary didn't mean that they were ethnically hungarian, in fact around 1870, only around half of hungary's population was hungarian.
this is a wonderful way to close the loop on the trauma -> victim mentality / past obsession / external locus -> addiction -> processing trauma idea. Well done
I am an austrian, neighbor to both czech and hungary, and i too thought it was czech. It has the highest beer consume for sure. People here in Austria can hold their liqueur pretty good as well. Not me anymore, though. In april, i was 10 years sober now.
Can be hard here, right? I've been 5 years sober in Austria, then I fell off the wagon - and even a medical doctor among my friends expressed happiness, because I "could" drink with them again... Grats on 10 years!
I dont undersand either and Im Hungarian. Have been observing Austrians and been comparing the two countries for a while, I even noticed beer appears more often at gatherings in the neighbouring countries. I think the answer comes from the countryside not the capital, so Marc made a mistake to shoot in Budapest. It's more of a rural than an urban issue.
Czech pils is the most volume-friendly alcoholic beverage I’ve come across. I used to grab a 6pk of Pilsner urquell when finishing my shift at the store I worked at and it was so easy to just drink the whole 6pk. I’m not surprised their beer consumption is so strong.
Thank you Mark for including me in this project :) It was an honor meeting you and talking to you about my country. You guys did a great job with the video! It is short, to the point, and concludes the main points that we discussed about Hungary. As we said, Hungary needs therapy :))) I love the mini docuseries format, keep up the good work ❤
Love them Polish brothers and sisters, even if we got only Lemonade !! ( I trust that we'll figure out how to brew something out of it in the long run hehe ;)
As a Hungarian watching this, seeing the pattern and the background behind drinking it is eye opening. I can relate to the popularity of Pálinka, it is just engraved in us, but it is passed from generation to generation. It isn't something that you definitely like when you first try it. But it is kind of related to "being a man" when it comes to males drinking it. I could never imagine that Mark will make a video about Hungary, and it feels great. Thank you for this, it was a great video.
I totally get that. It's like a badge of honor to your culture to drink. This video was so informative that I feel some new compassion towards Hungarians now.
There’s a huge increase in sales of non alcohol beers in Ireland. A culture where most social occasions revolve around alcohol. There’s always been a stigma / negative attitude towards people who didn’t drink! So there’s a peer pressure, a social pressure that non alcohol beers somewhat circumvents.
It doesn't surprise me to read your comment about non-alcoholic beer. It was key to helping me quit drinking 5 yrs ago. I'm Canadian and beer is a key feature of our social culture as well. Being able to enjoy a "near beer" at home or out with friends really helped. I now call ahead to restaurants and pubs to make sure they serve non-alcoholic beer and choose based on that.
Im from Poland. Its simillar here. If you dont drink, many people think you are a pussy, incapable of trust. Its sad. There isnt one thing alcohol helps in the long term. Some one might say that it helps you meet new friends. But if all you do together is drink then would you be friends without it? Every time i got good momentum in my journey, one night out and i need at least a week to get back on track. The low focus, mood swings, apathia etc etc... Not mentioning many people with good jobs, family, big houses, losing everything with each year of drinking... Also drunks shaming users of other substances, like there is any difference
I live in the USA. I used to share an office with a guy from Poland. He was overall a nice guy, but when he found out I don't drink I had to put up with a lot of derision from him about it. It could get pretty annoying sometimes.
@@yara-um6tx Ain't that the truth, but I find the negative effects to increase significantly with age. I cannot get drunk now without getting severe mental effects for many days afterwards, that's why I rarely get drunk nowadays. And the mental effects are far from the only negative aspects of getting drunk.
Great segment. The fact that Hungarians can realize that they have thrived in victim mentality from their past trauma’s and work towards being better is impressive. Not many cultures take accountability of how they are coping. I think they are headed for a bright and sobering future. Thanks for sharing with us. Much love to their culture now that seems vibrant.
Living in a culture that pushes you toward becoming a broken victim drowning in alcohol is so messed up. Sending greetings from Czechia-we’ve got the same drinking problem and the same mindset here. And I hate it to the core.
Yeah, I truly think we are Destined for Greatness because our Forefathers were great fighters and geniuses. Although we need to forge a new identity, so we can step into that awesome future.
@@Nazhror even the paradise illusion is relative. Beautiful houses, nice views, good food & drink culture, but you also see litter in the parks, drunks sleeping on benches, smelly grey streets just one block behind the nice ones... It's really not that universally amazing.
As a Bulgarian living in the States, I see a lot of cultural similarities pertaining to people's relationship with the past, especially when visiting my family and speaking to older generations. Seems most of Eastern Europe/Balkans have their own version of Pálinka. For us it's 'rakia'. Nazdrave! Also, Kurtzgesagt shirt!
As a 36 old Hungarian who's spent quite some time in other European countries, I'd say there's a lot of inaccuracies and misleading elements in this video. We don't stand out at all in Eastern Europe in terms of alcohol use. Visiting the Balkans, most locals drink me under the table. Cooking at home is not that big a thing - out of the ~1000 people I know, 2 of them make their own pálinka, and they are not big drinkers themselves, more like enjoyers of the process of trying to create a better taste. By the way, most coutries have their own version of it, it just goes by different names such as rakija, slivovitz, etc. Also, going to a party district at night catching youth holding drinks and interviewing them is not representative as the state of the country. That doesn't change the fact that the alcohol problem in Hungary is still real, and pointing out the lingering sense of apathy was spot on, sadly. I do enjoy your books and videos Mark, but I feel like this video was built around your narrative, and that feels a bit dishonest to me. Still, I hope you enjoyed your visit here, and you're always welcome of course. I swear noone will call you a pussy for not drinking. Oh, and kudos to the dude with the Kurzgesagt shirt!
I'm a 53 year old Australian born man of Hungarian parents and a little shocked by this video. Never been to Hungary myself but knew many Hungarians and with one exception, none of them drank except special occasions or a little wine with a meal. They had invariably suffered in the war but all scorned the Australian drinking culture. I however enjoy a beer! Of course I'm only speaking from my own narrow perspective.
Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking. Plus he doesn't say when were the interviews filmed. If it was during a Friday night it would make sense to meet more drunk people.
As a Hungarian who never drinks nor has ever been drunk, I can say there is hope! The phenomenon around victimhood is called learned helplessness! The more we learn about this the more we can start talking responsibly to change our lives for the better!
Honestly? People who NEVER drink, almost scare me more than alcoholics... Trump never drinks, for example... Now of course there are people where that makes perfect sense, for example if your parents/relatives were/are alcoholics and you want to avoid that at any cost... But someone that grew up "normally", yet won't drink a drop scares me WAY more, than you would think. Got a good track record with it, also... ;-)
At the beginning I was hoping soooo much that this video is not about my country, but of course it is. At the end I almost cried, because the whole logical deduction was so right. I think both of my grandfathers were alcoholics, one stayed nice, the other became a monster. The only thing I missed in this video is the effect that alcohol causes to families, and reproduces the next generation of addicts, because they experience so much trauma at home because of it, and see no other coping mechanism than alcohol itself (luckily not in my family)
These series are awesome! There needs to be one for Ethiopia. It’s a place stuck in the past with pride and nostalgia. It would be interesting how you’d navigate the history.
Hungarian here. I had no idea that we were #1 in alcoholism. I thought it is a big problem, but my guess was around 10% which is still a lot. We used to be #1 in suicide, luckily that has gone. These days politics has a major role in getting people depressed.
Very interesting to see Mark trying to perform Therapy on an entire culutre. Trauma's are so much bigger then just 1 individual, it spreads through families and entire cultures. I think that simple things such as the no drinking challenge in November (I am currently attempting Dry January) can have a big impact, or at least, give communities the first little push into the right direction
I'm Hungarian. The moment I saw the title, my mind went straight to my country. 🤣 But honestly, I’ve got to say, I’m built differently-I’m 18, and I’ve never had a single drop of alcohol or eaten anything with alcohol in my entire life!
Thank you so much. I quit drinking on Thanksgiving day in 2020. Ever since I feel like I try to hide that I am no longer a drinker. I am mad I am not alone. I thank you for this video.
It's funny how it all seems clean and tidy in the video, but actually the real stuff starts happening when you leave the city and meet the real drinkers.
I love this new series!! I'm obsessed with these historical effects on today's culture in different countries. PLEASE KEEP DOING THIS! Have a lovely XMAS and happy new year with more videos
I've lived in several of those counties at the top of the drunken billboard, and I noticed that there's no social stigma associated to drinking, like your parents won't lose it if you came home from partying completely shit faced, it's more like they would be getting drunk themselves. There's also a sense of pride in the capacity of holding your liquor. Alcoholism runs in my family and it pretty much destroyed us all, so it was appalling to me that something that I perceived as tragic was just a way of life.
Younger Hungarians drink a lot but are not chronically depressed , older Hungarians on the other hand are completely the opposite of that state of affairs.
Hey Mark! I’m a hungarian guy who loves your book and the philosophy behind! It was one of the great books which I have been reading during my highschool years, and it is one of the first milestones which I never forget! If you need a driver/guide in hungary, just write me! It would be a honor to meet you in person! I will be a therapist soon after many years of studying and reading your book as a teenager was one step for me on this long journey! Appreciate that! 🙏😉
Great video to close the year and with the holidays upon us, im mexican and we have a tradition of drinking from dec 12 to jan 6, just because we can. I am still struggling with sobriety due to the cultural drinking enviroment. If we run out of alcohol, we can always find an open store. Who ever is fighting back alcoholism. You got it! I'm rooting for you!
Palinka isnt special in hungary. Basically all european countries have equivalent stuff... Its just called differently, rakija, pálenka, slivovice, its just a name for high rate alcoholic drink.
No, other countries dont have pálinka. Certified pálinka can be only made from fruits grown in hungary and native to hungary. You also cant add any additive to it. Those are the requirements for pálinka. The only exepction are 4 austrian provinces however in Austria you can only make pálinka out of apricot.
This video has much more dept than the title suggests! Very great and succinct video of highly important and most relevant topic that is handled with a lot of love and care.
Great vid! I was hoping to see an appearance from Dr. Gabor Mate - I'm sure he would have a ton to say on this topic as a Hungarian-American expert on trauma and addiction.
So thankful Mark! This series gives me a sharp realization of humanity to my heart, as a South Korean who just witnessed martial law then all these political turmoils now…. I tend to think and look back on our history too, the traumas of our people and how important this moment is to the mind set of future generation of SK. Btw, Franz Liszt’s music gave even more poignancy to this video, but how about Bartok!? He really composed some real winners mindset pieces! lets play Bartok sonata the finale next time❤️
This reminds me of my Erasmus experience in Hungary last year. Basically there was a reason for drinking almost everyday of the week: Mondays: Morrisons Beer Flatrate (1 Beer 0.5€), Wednesday Pub Evening in a random pub, Thursday Morrisons unlimited tap for 10€, Friday Flunky-Ball with Party afterwards. Then there were special partys every other week. A lot of my fellow students were participating in almost all events, because it is so cheap to drink there and broadly available. Budapest has so much more to offer, it is a great city for partying, though.
I do understand the locus of control thoery, but many cultures have their version of Palinka. The Greeks have Retsina, the Croatians (another routinely conquered country), have Slivovitz. The Russians have Vodka, etc.
Thank you for introducing me to the terminology of "Locus of Control". I've always sort of known of the concept but never knew how to reference it before.
I am from Bulgaria and we have the exact same problem. People here make "rakia" at home, usually 50+ liters/year. Not drinking is equal to insulting someone in most cases. When you don't drink people ask you if you are sick or just with the car. It's beyond people's imagination that you are not drinking because you don't want to. It's really hard to be sober around here. My first drink was around 13.
Mark - Imagine a person who grew up in the foster kid system, being bounced around from one place to the next, never really having a chance to build relationships with anyone who might be able to teach them all those skills, concepts, habits, and techniques that successful parents take the intentional time to teach their children as they're growing up... that person then ages out of the system, goes on to college and lives in the dorms because that's the best option for a roof over their head, but they're so far behind that they do their best to catch up, but they don't know what they don't know so they don't know the right questions to ask and the right places to look for help. They then graduate and get into their 30's and 40's and still feel so far behind because they just never got those foundational life lessons that so many other kids grow up getting, let alone, the life lessons many learn in college because they were set up so well for success by their parents before they even got there... so they're still behind and still struggling. THAT is me - and THAT is thousands of other people, believe it or not. What I would give to see you put together a complete video series that really digs in deep, starts with the basics, and then works its way up to learning how successful adults set themselves up for a well prepared and prosperous life. What are the habits they do each day? How do they organize they life and themself too? What do successful people know about money that poor people don't seem to get? What are those things successful people do differently that set them apart? I think you get where I'm going... I would sure love to see you do a full complete video series on basically, how to adult and how to adult successfully - there are so many more people out there who need this just as much as I do. I'm just the only one saying it. Any chance you'd be willing to do something of that nature? I'd sure be grateful if you did. (I need a step by step kind of game plan... I missed it all growing up.)
Another great one, Mark; thank you. There are many ways your description of loci of control and learned helplessness resonated in my own life and long term family patterns, so this is a really helpful analysis.
As a hungarian there are 2 things why we love drinking so much. Firstly because it's a big part of our culture. There are unwritten rules that at specific times at specific places what specific drinks should one consume. Secondly, Hungary is not a good place to live in. It's good for tourists, foreign students and refugees but actually living here is a nightmare. We need something to ease up the sourness. Regarding teenage alcohol consumption I think it's acceptable. I can see why one would be against underage drinking but from my point of view it's not that bad. I'm 20 now and started drinking when I was 14. I spent most of my weekend at the pub the next street from my high school. All the students went there friday and saturday to like discuss stuff and socialize. We didn't get blackout drunk every time we went there, during my 6 years I can count on one hand the times I got sick from alcohol and most of those were at holidays and birthdays. Most people between the age of 14-18 are there to like drink a few beers or maybe a shot or two which is enough to have a good time but you can't even get sick from it. Some guys despite the place or the friends drinking alcohol actually prefer to drink non-alcoholic drinks too. The reason why there are only a few cases of the youngsters getting sick is 2 thing. Firstly, they are encouraged by parents to start drinking (in small amounts may I add) so they can learn what responsible drinking is and what's their limit. Secondly the guys at this pub are so great that they actually look out for each other even when partying and know what to do when someone doesn't feel good.
Contrary to what the video says at 0:08, alcohol is not "the most addictive substance in the world". The risks of alcohol shouldn't be swept away, but making such overblown claims take legitimacy from actual valid concerns. Alcohol has a lower addiction potential than opioids, crack cocaine or nicotine. Once you are actually physically dependent, the effects might be worse - but purely from a chance point of view, it's not that high up the list.
Hi Mark. Could you make a video about people’s fear of public speaking sometime? That would be great and Im sure many people would get tips from it. I’m nearly 50 and still dread and fear speaking in front of people. I’d love to finally overcome that fear!!
I'm a Hungarian who grew up in the UK and as I became a teenager I always asked my parents about alcohol and drunkness... their face always told me what I needed to know 😂
It's so interesting watching this after your video about Portugal. Europe is so full of little distinguished cultures yet they all feel so similar at the same time because of their shared crazy history. Love learning more about my continent that way, thanks Mark! Edit: Interesting note about especially eastern europe is why the soviets encouraged drinking...
Nicely done, as always. As a Ukrainian, I can relate to all the intergenerational trauma you've been talking about in this episode. Come to Ukraine btw, we will be happy to have you.
Sir, you make some of the most interesting content there is on TH-cam. I’m Polish and I think we’re in a similar boat. Similar area, similar history, except also Catholicism cranked up to 1,000%.
We have pálenka in Slovakia and I think Hungarians adapted it from us as the name comes from a verb "páliť", which means "to burn", the process during fruit's fermentation when making alcoholic beverage. In Hungarian, they have definitely a different word for burning, it is completely different language from Slovak. But people in Slovak countryside can also produce pálenka at home, from various fruits. A drink can get really strong, up to 70%, and the problem is that "the chefs" often cannot measure level of alcohol, so it's a guess and you don't know how much you'll get drunk.
1:23 I'm quite happy to see Korea only in 5th place now. Having lived in Seoul during the 1980s and 1990s, I believe that back then Korea would likely have been tops or at least top two on this list.
Hats off Mark!! What a great almost poetic video and also so insightful. Nations have psyches and national psyches need therapy. This video is therapy for the Hungarian nation ❤
This is pretty brave to sum up something so complex......even if it is probably true. Next video can you question some American's fear of death, quest for eternal youth and desire to be either famous, infamous or notorious......yes I'm talking about your home town.
Thank you, Mark, for this deeper exploration of what moves / drives all of us, the deeper influences we seldom give much thought or consideration. Terrific post!
Im Irish and I quit alcohol being sober gives you good skin, clear mind, great sleep, more energy. Sobriety is great, alcohol makes you more stressed more anxious x10.
As a Hungarian I’m pleasantly surprised to see this topic coming up and the concept of being traumatized being applied to an entire culture instead of a person. However about processing it… I don’t think it even began. If it ever happens, it might take very long times, at least decades if not centuries. I don’t even have a slightest idea where and how to start.
They are such nice people. My grandpa felt a connection decades ago with them. He loved Budapest and the music. Years of oppression can do that to a country, I know. I hope they don't have too high a rate of liver cirrhosis. Ok, they might. It's kind of sad. But it still looks wonderful. Gramps was trying to go there with us during a tour group, but the group leader told us not to wander off. So no, haven't had a chance.
Alcohol is everywhere in Czechia. We became friends with it :D We can drink without being alcoholics - at least that´s what we think x) I read we have 11% of adults being alcoholics in Czechia. But over 20% of adults alcoholics in Hungary? Wtf man
@ Alcohol is everywhere there? Believe it, I learned that the hard way! I know quite a few alcoholics in Czech but not a single one that would admit it lol Na Zdraví!
Feliratot bekapcsolod, utána a "beállítások"-menüben kiválasztod h "automatikus fordítás", kiválasztod a nyelvet és kész, persze csak ha nem mobilon nézed.
I've been to Budapest numerous times and didn't think it was much different from than a lot of other European cities such as krakow, Prague, bratislava in terms of the drinking culture. I did notice a lot of homelessness and people being drunk very early in the day. Palinka is vicious. Can taste the vomit already. Fun video and good to make at this time of year.
I’m from hungary. I started drinking when i was 14. Now I’m 20 and trying to stay as far from alcohol as i can.
Good, it's a dangerous poison.
Very good idea. If you can't limit consumption better not drink at all
Smart move man, booze is made out to be about the good times but it's a nasty addiction. Good for you for cutting it out
Far from alcohol and close to weed?
You're from Hungary but still thirsty
I am a hungarian, lemme throw in my two cents. We always found life shit, no matter the circumstances, but we also drink when we are happy, sad, celebrating birth, mourning. And we don't tend to ask for help if we are dealing with demons of our own, we choke the demons with beer and cigarette smoke, but we don't like asking for help. People in big cities like Budapest tend to drink for fun but in more rural areas they drink because they are dealing with shit and that's how they learned to cope. Alcoholism is generational here also
Same here in Austria ;)
I belive that it would be the same case here in Poland bro
I know in Europe there's better public transportation but in hungry do the police crack down on driving drunk?
@@senorpepper3405 yes. There is a zero tolerance on driving with alcohol in your blood (if they detect 0.001% you are busted). Even if they detect you using alcohol based mouthwash on a breathalyser you can lose your license
@@senorpepper3405 yes. There's zero tolerance, not even 0.001% of blood alcohol is allowed
I've been to Budapest 4 months ago and I've met so many awesome people. I was all on my own. Once I went down into a little bar that actually only consisted of one room. The people there all knew each other, but they did not exclude me - it was the exact opposite: They treated me like I was part of their family 🤘 thank you guys!
so true. drinking culture is quite openly and robustly socialising in Hungary.
I love this new series!! I'm obsessed with these historical effects on today's culture in different countries. Hope you continue doing this, Mark! These videos are super interesting and also very easy to follow! I'm curious where you're going next!
It's a fun series but the info doesn't seem very accurate. Palinka is NOT specific of Hungary at all. Most Eastern European countries have it. The story behind it is just folklore and we all have our national story lol
I'm also surprised Czech Republic isn't mentioned. Alcoholism isn't alcoholism here, it's just a national life style.
No bro, its just alcoholism.
@shakerr7933 Well, speaking in general, yes. But speaking in terms of national values...also yes. But we're somehow proud of it, don't really know why.
@@hekeeke2297 Its not any value. Ask any alcoholic, he will fuck you up if tou say to him its a value and its nice. Its not nice, any sip of alcohol is a demage to your body. Dont make it a value.
@@shakerr7933 the point is: if almost anybody is, e.g., addicted to cheese, cheese-eating is not considered an addiction. ;)
In a country where only ten in hundred people say "I eat cheese, and I could never live without it", it is.
Just stop. I can't hear this s... anymore. "We're like this..."
"National Lifestyle"? Oh man, that sounds not very smart.
Putting music from Hungarian composer Franz Liszt in this video was a good idea.
Yes!
except he was not Hungarian lmao.... he just performed there a lot
@@agamaz5650 He was born in Hungary, therefore he was Hungarian. You can check my math on that.
@@agamaz5650He was Hungarian ya friggin nerd. Do Austrians spell the "S" sound with 'sz'?
@@josephkrohl7357 i'm hungarian and i disagree with that explanation. liszt was born in a village which at the time was a part of hungary but now it's in burgenland austria. his father was hungarian (hence the hungarian last name) and his mother was austrian and he grew up speaking german as his native language. he tried learning hungarian later in his life but he never reached fluency. despite all of this he considered himself hungarian, he was patriotic and many of his pieces were inspired by hungarian culture.
national identity was not as simple as it is now! the habsburg empire including hungary was very diverse and many nationalities had no autonomy (slovakia used to be an integral part of hungary). just because someone lived in hungary didn't mean that they were ethnically hungarian, in fact around 1870, only around half of hungary's population was hungarian.
this is a wonderful way to close the loop on the trauma -> victim mentality / past obsession / external locus -> addiction -> processing trauma idea. Well done
I am an austrian, neighbor to both czech and hungary, and i too thought it was czech. It has the highest beer consume for sure. People here in Austria can hold their liqueur pretty good as well. Not me anymore, though. In april, i was 10 years sober now.
Can be hard here, right?
I've been 5 years sober in Austria, then I fell off the wagon - and even a medical doctor among my friends expressed happiness, because I "could" drink with them again...
Grats on 10 years!
im proud of u brother
I dont undersand either and Im Hungarian. Have been observing Austrians and been comparing the two countries for a while, I even noticed beer appears more often at gatherings in the neighbouring countries. I think the answer comes from the countryside not the capital, so Marc made a mistake to shoot in Budapest. It's more of a rural than an urban issue.
Czech pils is the most volume-friendly alcoholic beverage I’ve come across. I used to grab a 6pk of Pilsner urquell when finishing my shift at the store I worked at and it was so easy to just drink the whole 6pk. I’m not surprised their beer consumption is so strong.
Ok who tf asked
Thank you Mark for including me in this project :) It was an honor meeting you and talking to you about my country. You guys did a great job with the video! It is short, to the point, and concludes the main points that we discussed about Hungary. As we said, Hungary needs therapy :)))
I love the mini docuseries format, keep up the good work ❤
Oh my gosh, your dear mother was my elementary school teacher 😭 she is the best!! Nice to see a daughter of hers here 🩷
Poland is so alike.
There's even a saying about how Poland and Hungary are good friends that fight and DRINK together.
YES!!! It is true. We still remember ❤
'Was' would be more appriopriate word for PL-HU bound. Also, staying sober is more popular among youngsters in Poland nowadays.
except for when it comes to russia - about this question, these two countries seem to hold the opposite views
Yes, the Poles are brainwashed about Russia completely.@@kazkaskazkas8689
Love them Polish brothers and sisters, even if we got only Lemonade !!
( I trust that we'll figure out how to brew something out of it in the long run hehe ;)
As a Hungarian watching this, seeing the pattern and the background behind drinking it is eye opening. I can relate to the popularity of Pálinka, it is just engraved in us, but it is passed from generation to generation. It isn't something that you definitely like when you first try it. But it is kind of related to "being a man" when it comes to males drinking it.
I could never imagine that Mark will make a video about Hungary, and it feels great. Thank you for this, it was a great video.
I totally get that. It's like a badge of honor to your culture to drink. This video was so informative that I feel some new compassion towards Hungarians now.
So... It shouldn't be named Hungary but Thirsty?
Close, Thirstary.
Nailed it!
Thirstay
Lol
Or or maybe… alcoholary! Get it? Alcoholary
You've elevated this topic to big heights with the whole connection with history, external locus and trauma. Very interesting.
There’s a huge increase in sales of non alcohol beers in Ireland. A culture where most social occasions revolve around alcohol. There’s always been a stigma / negative attitude towards people who didn’t drink! So there’s a peer pressure, a social pressure that non alcohol beers somewhat circumvents.
It doesn't surprise me to read your comment about non-alcoholic beer. It was key to helping me quit drinking 5 yrs ago. I'm Canadian and beer is a key feature of our social culture as well. Being able to enjoy a "near beer" at home or out with friends really helped. I now call ahead to restaurants and pubs to make sure they serve non-alcoholic beer and choose based on that.
Non-alcoholic beer is a europe-wide phenomenon. It became widespread due to zero tolerance policy in many work places and behind the wheel.
What a great series! Very insightful! Coming from Russia and having been living away for a while this resonates a lot. Thanks for giving us all hope!
Im from Poland. Its simillar here. If you dont drink, many people think you are a pussy, incapable of trust. Its sad. There isnt one thing alcohol helps in the long term. Some one might say that it helps you meet new friends. But if all you do together is drink then would you be friends without it? Every time i got good momentum in my journey, one night out and i need at least a week to get back on track. The low focus, mood swings, apathia etc etc... Not mentioning many people with good jobs, family, big houses, losing everything with each year of drinking... Also drunks shaming users of other substances, like there is any difference
I live in the USA. I used to share an office with a guy from Poland. He was overall a nice guy, but when he found out I don't drink I had to put up with a lot of derision from him about it. It could get pretty annoying sometimes.
@@yara-um6tx
Ain't that the truth, but I find the negative effects to increase significantly with age. I cannot get drunk now without getting severe mental effects for many days afterwards, that's why I rarely get drunk nowadays. And the mental effects are far from the only negative aspects of getting drunk.
I don't trust you already
Its because alcohol is an 'upper' in small amounts and a 'downer' in large doses. Thats the problem.
Great segment. The fact that Hungarians can realize that they have thrived in victim mentality from their past trauma’s and work towards being better is impressive. Not many cultures take accountability of how they are coping. I think they are headed for a bright and sobering future. Thanks for sharing with us. Much love to their culture now that seems vibrant.
Living in a culture that pushes you toward becoming a broken victim drowning in alcohol is so messed up. Sending greetings from Czechia-we’ve got the same drinking problem and the same mindset here. And I hate it to the core.
Same in the UK, the government wants people enslaved to booze.
Yeah, I truly think we are Destined for Greatness because our Forefathers were great fighters and geniuses.
Although we need to forge a new identity, so we can step into that awesome future.
Mark trying to convince us he didn't feel like in paradise for 20 minutes
I know right😂😂
😂😂😂
this is one thing about our country. It does look like paradise but sure doesn't feel like it when you live here
@@Nazhror even the paradise illusion is relative. Beautiful houses, nice views, good food & drink culture, but you also see litter in the parks, drunks sleeping on benches, smelly grey streets just one block behind the nice ones... It's really not that universally amazing.
Yeah. especially when in your country drinking alcohol is a crime.
As a Bulgarian living in the States, I see a lot of cultural similarities pertaining to people's relationship with the past, especially when visiting my family and speaking to older generations. Seems most of Eastern Europe/Balkans have their own version of Pálinka. For us it's 'rakia'. Nazdrave!
Also, Kurtzgesagt shirt!
Yeah the whole story about the ottomans can be told about the whole balkans
As a 36 old Hungarian who's spent quite some time in other European countries, I'd say there's a lot of inaccuracies and misleading elements in this video. We don't stand out at all in Eastern Europe in terms of alcohol use. Visiting the Balkans, most locals drink me under the table. Cooking at home is not that big a thing - out of the ~1000 people I know, 2 of them make their own pálinka, and they are not big drinkers themselves, more like enjoyers of the process of trying to create a better taste. By the way, most coutries have their own version of it, it just goes by different names such as rakija, slivovitz, etc. Also, going to a party district at night catching youth holding drinks and interviewing them is not representative as the state of the country. That doesn't change the fact that the alcohol problem in Hungary is still real, and pointing out the lingering sense of apathy was spot on, sadly. I do enjoy your books and videos Mark, but I feel like this video was built around your narrative, and that feels a bit dishonest to me. Still, I hope you enjoyed your visit here, and you're always welcome of course. I swear noone will call you a pussy for not drinking. Oh, and kudos to the dude with the Kurzgesagt shirt!
I'm a 53 year old Australian born man of Hungarian parents and a little shocked by this video. Never been to Hungary myself but knew many Hungarians and with one exception, none of them drank except special occasions or a little wine with a meal. They had invariably suffered in the war but all scorned the Australian drinking culture. I however enjoy a beer! Of course I'm only speaking from my own narrow perspective.
Spot on
As a Serbian I agree with u! I don't think Hungary is any different than any other balkan and east europian countries (regarding alckoholisam)
Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking. Plus he doesn't say when were the interviews filmed. If it was during a Friday night it would make sense to meet more drunk people.
As a Hungarian who never drinks nor has ever been drunk, I can say there is hope!
The phenomenon around victimhood is called learned helplessness! The more we learn about this the more we can start talking responsibly to change our lives for the better!
Honestly? People who NEVER drink, almost scare me more than alcoholics... Trump never drinks, for example...
Now of course there are people where that makes perfect sense, for example if your parents/relatives were/are alcoholics and you want to avoid that at any cost...
But someone that grew up "normally", yet won't drink a drop scares me WAY more, than you would think. Got a good track record with it, also... ;-)
@@mcbrite Never been Drunk in my life but "sn!ff3d COKE as a hobby"
These little docs are very entertaining, informative and most of all just plain sensible.
Seeing a Kurzgesagt tee in a Mark Manson video wasn't what I planned, but who's complaining?
i thought it was only me who noticed
I think the majority noticed who watch the video till the end.
At the beginning I was hoping soooo much that this video is not about my country, but of course it is. At the end I almost cried, because the whole logical deduction was so right. I think both of my grandfathers were alcoholics, one stayed nice, the other became a monster. The only thing I missed in this video is the effect that alcohol causes to families, and reproduces the next generation of addicts, because they experience so much trauma at home because of it, and see no other coping mechanism than alcohol itself (luckily not in my family)
Ordogi kor!
These series are awesome! There needs to be one for Ethiopia. It’s a place stuck in the past with pride and nostalgia. It would be interesting how you’d navigate the history.
0:34 As a south african, I'm not surprised.
As an Indian, me too
I knew we had to be somewhere.
Their English is fantastic, despite being drunk and easier to understand than anyone a Saturday night in most British towns.
Their English is MUCH better than old Joey Biden's.
Mate Yoright ? Just sow you in the teli
I'm a Hungarian and I never drink alcohol. Imagine people's reaction!
Alcohol is the only drug that if you don't take, others ask if you have a (health) problem.
I am Irish. Same experience at making a stand.
First oxymoron I can't get.
Hungarian here. I had no idea that we were #1 in alcoholism. I thought it is a big problem, but my guess was around 10% which is still a lot. We used to be #1 in suicide, luckily that has gone. These days politics has a major role in getting people depressed.
You will be even more depressed if you let the lefties take over your country. Trust me, as a Swede I know.
Trust me: you will get even more depressed if you let the liberals come to power.
As a Swede I know all about it
this content is CRAZY dude!
Come to brazil and help us figure out why we party all the time and leave work and everything else for last hehe 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
Addicted to dopamine probably.
So, I thought that this was just a joke:
"Samba si trabajo no."
Very interesting to see Mark trying to perform Therapy on an entire culutre. Trauma's are so much bigger then just 1 individual, it spreads through families and entire cultures. I think that simple things such as the no drinking challenge in November (I am currently attempting Dry January) can have a big impact, or at least, give communities the first little push into the right direction
I'm Hungarian. The moment I saw the title, my mind went straight to my country. 🤣 But honestly, I’ve got to say, I’m built differently-I’m 18, and I’ve never had a single drop of alcohol or eaten anything with alcohol in my entire life!
Stay strong, young king!
@@Gideon920 Thanks, Bro! 🔥
Youngsters are drinking less, but in turn almost everybody smokes weed now, so it's an elusive victory.
Thank you so much. I quit drinking on Thanksgiving day in 2020. Ever since I feel like I try to hide that I am no longer a drinker. I am mad I am not alone. I thank you for this video.
It's funny how it all seems clean and tidy in the video, but actually the real stuff starts happening when you leave the city and meet the real drinkers.
he should have visited some bar a little further away :) during working hours....
the REAL DRINKERS
those ones with the translucent blood haha
I love this new series!! I'm obsessed with these historical effects on today's culture in different countries. PLEASE KEEP DOING THIS! Have a lovely XMAS and happy new year with more videos
I've lived in several of those counties at the top of the drunken billboard, and I noticed that there's no social stigma associated to drinking, like your parents won't lose it if you came home from partying completely shit faced, it's more like they would be getting drunk themselves. There's also a sense of pride in the capacity of holding your liquor. Alcoholism runs in my family and it pretty much destroyed us all, so it was appalling to me that something that I perceived as tragic was just a way of life.
Younger Hungarians drink a lot but are not chronically depressed , older Hungarians on the other hand are completely the opposite of that state of affairs.
Mark, my appreciation for so deep and realistic way of showing us problems in a scope of a whole nation!
Hey Mark! I’m a hungarian guy who loves your book and the philosophy behind! It was one of the great books which I have been reading during my highschool years, and it is one of the first milestones which I never forget! If you need a driver/guide in hungary, just write me! It would be a honor to meet you in person! I will be a therapist soon after many years of studying and reading your book as a teenager was one step for me on this long journey! Appreciate that! 🙏😉
Great video to close the year and with the holidays upon us, im mexican and we have a tradition of drinking from dec 12 to jan 6, just because we can. I am still struggling with sobriety due to the cultural drinking enviroment. If we run out of alcohol, we can always find an open store. Who ever is fighting back alcoholism. You got it! I'm rooting for you!
Loved this video Mark keep it up!
Palinka isnt special in hungary. Basically all european countries have equivalent stuff... Its just called differently, rakija, pálenka, slivovice, its just a name for high rate alcoholic drink.
Agreed. Palinka as main reason for the rampant alcoholism there is just very lazy thinking.
Romania has palinca :))))
Yes, rakija also "heals" your wounds, suffering, pain, etc. and grandparents would often drink a shot in the morning.
@@ValahulDeLaRovine And if you would have studied your history, you would know that it is because erdély was a part of the hungarian kingdom
No, other countries dont have pálinka. Certified pálinka can be only made from fruits grown in hungary and native to hungary. You also cant add any additive to it. Those are the requirements for pálinka. The only exepction are 4 austrian provinces however in Austria you can only make pálinka out of apricot.
Bro just became the best documentary filmmaker on TH-cam. I am already watching this video for the 3rd time, keep doing this job Mark👏
This video has much more dept than the title suggests! Very great and succinct video of highly important and most relevant topic that is handled with a lot of love and care.
Great vid! I was hoping to see an appearance from Dr. Gabor Mate - I'm sure he would have a ton to say on this topic as a Hungarian-American expert on trauma and addiction.
Hungarian Canadian
I would love to see his analysis too
So thankful Mark! This series gives me a sharp realization of humanity to my heart, as a South Korean who just witnessed martial law then all these political turmoils now…. I tend to think and look back on our history too, the traumas of our people and how important this moment is to the mind set of future generation of SK.
Btw, Franz Liszt’s music gave even more poignancy to this video, but how about Bartok!? He really composed some real winners mindset pieces! lets play Bartok sonata the finale next time❤️
This reminds me of my Erasmus experience in Hungary last year. Basically there was a reason for drinking almost everyday of the week: Mondays: Morrisons Beer Flatrate (1 Beer 0.5€), Wednesday Pub Evening in a random pub, Thursday Morrisons unlimited tap for 10€, Friday Flunky-Ball with Party afterwards. Then there were special partys every other week. A lot of my fellow students were participating in almost all events, because it is so cheap to drink there and broadly available. Budapest has so much more to offer, it is a great city for partying, though.
heyyy, my favourite youtuber who pretends to be an author is backk
Best comment
Hello brain, I'm only going to have 2 drinks, ok? Brain: Dude, you already HAD 2...
I do understand the locus of control thoery, but many cultures have their version of Palinka. The Greeks have Retsina, the Croatians (another routinely conquered country), have Slivovitz. The Russians have Vodka, etc.
Thank you for introducing me to the terminology of "Locus of Control". I've always sort of known of the concept but never knew how to reference it before.
+1
I only knew about it since it was part of co-ordinate geometry, and I recall struggling to learn that concept.
++
Sorry to be smug, but I've been off drink for a good 15 hours now. It just takes willpower and courage. I'll build up to 18 hours in 2025💪
Non drinker for two years now and I love this content. It’s so fascinating. Thank you! ❤
I am from Bulgaria and we have the exact same problem. People here make "rakia" at home, usually 50+ liters/year. Not drinking is equal to insulting someone in most cases. When you don't drink people ask you if you are sick or just with the car. It's beyond people's imagination that you are not drinking because you don't want to. It's really hard to be sober around here. My first drink was around 13.
Mark - Imagine a person who grew up in the foster kid system, being bounced around from one place to the next, never really having a chance to build relationships with anyone who might be able to teach them all those skills, concepts, habits, and techniques that successful parents take the intentional time to teach their children as they're growing up... that person then ages out of the system, goes on to college and lives in the dorms because that's the best option for a roof over their head, but they're so far behind that they do their best to catch up, but they don't know what they don't know so they don't know the right questions to ask and the right places to look for help. They then graduate and get into their 30's and 40's and still feel so far behind because they just never got those foundational life lessons that so many other kids grow up getting, let alone, the life lessons many learn in college because they were set up so well for success by their parents before they even got there... so they're still behind and still struggling. THAT is me - and THAT is thousands of other people, believe it or not. What I would give to see you put together a complete video series that really digs in deep, starts with the basics, and then works its way up to learning how successful adults set themselves up for a well prepared and prosperous life. What are the habits they do each day? How do they organize they life and themself too? What do successful people know about money that poor people don't seem to get? What are those things successful people do differently that set them apart? I think you get where I'm going... I would sure love to see you do a full complete video series on basically, how to adult and how to adult successfully - there are so many more people out there who need this just as much as I do. I'm just the only one saying it. Any chance you'd be willing to do something of that nature? I'd sure be grateful if you did. (I need a step by step kind of game plan... I missed it all growing up.)
Thanks. Hope you enjoyed the trip too. It looks like a beautiful country and people
Another great one, Mark; thank you. There are many ways your description of loci of control and learned helplessness resonated in my own life and long term family patterns, so this is a really helpful analysis.
As a hungarian there are 2 things why we love drinking so much.
Firstly because it's a big part of our culture. There are unwritten rules that at specific times at specific places what specific drinks should one consume. Secondly, Hungary is not a good place to live in. It's good for tourists, foreign students and refugees but actually living here is a nightmare. We need something to ease up the sourness.
Regarding teenage alcohol consumption I think it's acceptable. I can see why one would be against underage drinking but from my point of view it's not that bad. I'm 20 now and started drinking when I was 14. I spent most of my weekend at the pub the next street from my high school. All the students went there friday and saturday to like discuss stuff and socialize. We didn't get blackout drunk every time we went there, during my 6 years I can count on one hand the times I got sick from alcohol and most of those were at holidays and birthdays. Most people between the age of 14-18 are there to like drink a few beers or maybe a shot or two which is enough to have a good time but you can't even get sick from it. Some guys despite the place or the friends drinking alcohol actually prefer to drink non-alcoholic drinks too. The reason why there are only a few cases of the youngsters getting sick is 2 thing.
Firstly, they are encouraged by parents to start drinking (in small amounts may I add) so they can learn what responsible drinking is and what's their limit. Secondly the guys at this pub are so great that they actually look out for each other even when partying and know what to do when someone doesn't feel good.
Contrary to what the video says at 0:08, alcohol is not "the most addictive substance in the world". The risks of alcohol shouldn't be swept away, but making such overblown claims take legitimacy from actual valid concerns.
Alcohol has a lower addiction potential than opioids, crack cocaine or nicotine. Once you are actually physically dependent, the effects might be worse - but purely from a chance point of view, it's not that high up the list.
It’s certainly addictive but yeah that claim was completely incorrect. Of socially accepted addictive substances - there’s a better argument
Your content and thoughts you put beneath are always glorious, Mark! 👍
Such high quality production! Keep it up!
Love your podcasts with Drew, Mark!
Strange. I have visited Hungary twice and never saw anyone drunk on any of the nights I was in Budapest.
This series is important. Keep doing them.
Hi Mark. Could you make a video about people’s fear of public speaking sometime? That would be great and Im sure many people would get tips from it. I’m nearly 50 and still dread and fear speaking in front of people. I’d love to finally overcome that fear!!
I'm a Hungarian who grew up in the UK and as I became a teenager I always asked my parents about alcohol and drunkness... their face always told me what I needed to know 😂
Love this format!
It's so interesting watching this after your video about Portugal. Europe is so full of little distinguished cultures yet they all feel so similar at the same time because of their shared crazy history. Love learning more about my continent that way, thanks Mark!
Edit: Interesting note about especially eastern europe is why the soviets encouraged drinking...
Nicely done, as always. As a Ukrainian, I can relate to all the intergenerational trauma you've been talking about in this episode. Come to Ukraine btw, we will be happy to have you.
Sir, you make some of the most interesting content there is on TH-cam. I’m Polish and I think we’re in a similar boat. Similar area, similar history, except also Catholicism cranked up to 1,000%.
“Asking fish to notice the water they are swimming in.”
Love this.
Literally every Eastern European country drinks tons of homemade alcohol, the drinking static’s by country always makes laugh.
Same in Lithuania! External locus of control mentality totally blew my mind.
you saved my life Mark 😭
We have pálenka in Slovakia and I think Hungarians adapted it from us as the name comes from a verb "páliť", which means "to burn", the process during fruit's fermentation when making alcoholic beverage. In Hungarian, they have definitely a different word for burning, it is completely different language from Slovak. But people in Slovak countryside can also produce pálenka at home, from various fruits. A drink can get really strong, up to 70%, and the problem is that "the chefs" often cannot measure level of alcohol, so it's a guess and you don't know how much you'll get drunk.
We have is in Romania as well, it's spelled ''palinca''. It seems like all Eastern European countries have it.
1:23 I'm quite happy to see Korea only in 5th place now. Having lived in Seoul during the 1980s and 1990s, I believe that back then Korea would likely have been tops or at least top two on this list.
Hats off Mark!! What a great almost poetic video and also so insightful. Nations have psyches and national psyches need therapy. This video is therapy for the Hungarian nation ❤
This is pretty brave to sum up something so complex......even if it is probably true. Next video can you question some American's fear of death, quest for eternal youth and desire to be either famous, infamous or notorious......yes I'm talking about your home town.
Thank you, Mark, for this deeper exploration of what moves / drives all of us, the deeper influences we seldom give much thought or consideration. Terrific post!
Im Irish and I quit alcohol being sober gives you good skin, clear mind, great sleep, more energy.
Sobriety is great, alcohol makes you more stressed more anxious x10.
Well, thats my next vacation booked!
Seriously interesting stuff - thank you, Mark😊
These videos about countries and cultures are awesome! 👏👏
As a Hungarian I’m pleasantly surprised to see this topic coming up and the concept of being traumatized being applied to an entire culture instead of a person.
However about processing it… I don’t think it even began. If it ever happens, it might take very long times, at least decades if not centuries. I don’t even have a slightest idea where and how to start.
This kind of videos are very interesting Mark, thank you so much!!
Budapest is an amazing night out and the beers is criminally cheap.ruin bars are crazy and city is stunning as well
Loving the documentaries, keep it up mark!
this in-depth video is great! keep it up mark, bests.
Beautiful video. Whoever is your editor, chef's kiss.
Man honestly i Love these kind of videos (also about Portugal and South Korea) please keep on producing stuff like this❤
They are such nice people. My grandpa felt a connection decades ago with them. He loved Budapest and the music. Years of oppression can do that to a country, I know. I hope they don't have too high a rate of liver cirrhosis. Ok, they might. It's kind of sad. But it still looks wonderful. Gramps was trying to go there with us during a tour group, but the group leader told us not to wander off. So no, haven't had a chance.
I love this format, keep it this way, please.
This is so cinematic and the storytelling really is top notch 👌🏻 love it
Best quote in the whole video, "you can function much better if you're not putting the poison in your body"!
Where tf is my Czechia?! We literally drink from our childhood.💀
There is no way Hungary can beat Czechia. I've been everywhere and no other country comes close.
Yep. Was sure the title is about Czechia
Funny, I thought it's Lithuania :D But I've never been to Czechia, so that's possible...!
I think you could have expected many countries in the east/central europe, due to occupators and rebellion.
Alcohol is everywhere in Czechia. We became friends with it :D We can drink without being alcoholics - at least that´s what we think x) I read we have 11% of adults being alcoholics in Czechia. But over 20% of adults alcoholics in Hungary? Wtf man
@ Alcohol is everywhere there? Believe it, I learned that the hard way!
I know quite a few alcoholics in Czech but not a single one that would admit it lol
Na Zdraví!
Wonderful video, thank you for this!
Thank you Mark to make this video! Please, make a hungarian subtitle!
Feliratot bekapcsolod, utána a "beállítások"-menüben kiválasztod h "automatikus fordítás", kiválasztod a nyelvet és kész, persze csak ha nem mobilon nézed.
I've been to Budapest numerous times and didn't think it was much different from than a lot of other European cities such as krakow, Prague, bratislava in terms of the drinking culture. I did notice a lot of homelessness and people being drunk very early in the day. Palinka is vicious. Can taste the vomit already. Fun video and good to make at this time of year.