Why are British people so averse to expressing their feelings?

Brits have an intriguing relationship with their own and other people's emotions. On the one hand we seem to be masters at over-regulating our emotions. We are not overly demonstrative in the stereotypical manner of the Italians, Spanish or Americans — wearing their passions on their sleeves, sometimes with little regard for the feelings of others. read more

Compare that to when you see people from other nations mourn their dead, say after an earthquake for example. They're always in floods of tears and show real, genuine emotion. I don't like to see anyone upset, but it irks me the way British people are always so stiff upper lip about such occurences. read more

Prior to this, the British were far more in touch with their feelings. Even the stiff, expressionless Victorians were, in reality, an emotional and sentimental bunch. read more