I was listening to BBC Radio 4 a while back (Radio 4 is the highbrow station for the posh, erudite & cultured).
An American literary figure (can't remember who she was) was talking about herself and how she enjoyed living & working in England. She was asked how she thought British people differ from Americans. This is what she said...
In America, if you buy an expensive, fancy car and park it on your drive, your neighbour will immediately notice and think 'That's a nice car. I want one of those'.
In Britain, if you buy an expensive, fancy car and park it on your drive, your neighbour will notice and he'll hope he's there when you drive it into a tree so that he can watch you die in the ensuring inferno!
I thought that was a good answer!