Do I have any Polish physical traits?

I'm Mark, 22 years old. I am coming to the forum because lately I have a desire to learn more about my heritage. I am having issues with my biological father's side. Because he left my mother when I was 2. I heard from him on the phone in 2012, but his side of the family are all New Yorkers, and they're sadly living in poverty. They all have alcoholic issues and they're divided to no end. I asked my cousins about him and they tell me he's trash and to avoid him. I can't even ask my dad's family about our heritage.

My mom only told me that her side is Sicilian and English. . My father is Polish and German. Those are the four nationalities I have in me and I know there's more in me that I'm not aware of. So since ancestry.com is a scam, and it cost tons of money to get real results.. I am asking Polish natives... How Polish am I? I figure if I visited Poland, people might think I blend in well if I have Polish traits.

imgur.com/6oiJKlo,crIIBdx,p0mKeBU

imgur.com/6oiJKlo,crIIBdx,p0mKeBU#1

imgur.com/6oiJKlo,crIIBdx,p0mKeBU#2

I apologize for not shaving ;)

How do you know it's a scam?


With this appearance in Poland you'd look right at home.

I can try ancestry when I can scrape some money up. Thanks :). I should have studied Poland earlier. I can tell you guys are far more patriotic than US citizens. I don't know your view on the nationalists in our country, but they seem passionate to defend their homeland.

Ancestry.com isn't a scam, but it doesn't give you the answers on a plate. Sometimes they have special offers.


There aren't any traits as such, except perhaps those characteristic of Central and Eastern Europe as a whole. It's more complicated than that.


Don't confuse nationalism with patriotism - they are two very different things. And never trust anyone who describes themselves as either.


Trust your own judgement rather than your cousins'. They might actually be very nice people - alcoholics often are, and poverty is nothing to be ashamed about.

Poverty, alcoholism, trash people, sadly in the word we live in these traits are typically associated with poor people, not the other way round. Theres always two sides to a story.


Patriotism and nationalism are destructive mindsets, not much good can come from them, these days being confident in oneself is a much more beneficial mind set, if you go back far enough the entire human race is related.

I'm still puzzled by these so-called 'Polish physical traits'. Apart from the flat head backs, not unique to Poland, there aren't any traits that are unusual all over Europe.

Looking at the OP's picture, he (if he were a European) could be from many places, not especially Poland.

edit

Flat head backs can be seen all over Europe, the back of my head isn't flat and I look very Polish.

Particularly noticeable in Eastern Europe, including Poland. It is perhaps a Slavic physical trait. Brachycephaly is much more common in Eastern than Western Europe. It is a genetic thing. Though yes, not everyone in PL has is. But most do.

Worth googling - there have been a lot of studies on this

Here's an interesting read on the Poland syndrome

ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/poland-syndrome

"People with Poland syndrome are missing part of one of the major chest muscles, called the pectoralis major. In most affected individuals, the missing part is the large section of the muscle that normally attaches to the upper arm on one side and the breastbone (sternum) on the other."

edit


Where is the source of this information?


Most Polish people have Brachycephaly? you must be living in a different Poland then, it is obviously not truth to such a point that I'm not sure if you're serious.

As stated ad nauseum here on PF, when I close my eyes and envision a Polish male, he is generally broad-faced, oval-headed and quite fair, with a lantern jaw, sculptured facial structure, even features and a muscular build; and there you have him - Andrzej Duda!

LOL

Duda couldn't really be anything else - The same with Kwasniewski.

Though Leszek Miller (if we're taking politicians as examples) is different. There's are always exceptions to everything and Silesia (historically, linguistically and culturally different) is quite a big one.


Yep. Check this out.


Perhaps you never noticed when you lived there - Silesia, wasn't it? Brachycephalic heads are a Slavic trait.

Most Poles look like they could be from anywhere in Europe. Nevertheless I have noticed too that some men have very flat heads. Those I have seen were in remote areas and in very poor circles if in towns so probably the result of alcoholism and reproducing oneself within the family....

Aren't high cheekbones a more typical Polish facial feature than the short-headedness you are on about? Also frequently pronounced noses? Some have large ears which is usually seen as a Jewish trait.

The cheekbones are well enough known, however there are exceptions to every rule.

One commentator wrote (in a very good article) about angular faces.

I already have and it is not truth


source to this cause your being boring...

So you don't think that the back of the head being flat is more common in Eastern Europe than Western?

Can you post a picture of the flat head syndrome you are referring to?

Syndrome?

Stop splitting hairs Jon. Pictures please, or it didn't happen .....

I don't know. Last time I noticed a lot of people with the flat back of the heads was in Greece. I was there on holiday for 2 weeks and although not many of them were bold it was still very visible. I'm not sure if it's because they are mixed with arabs or is it a Greek thing. I'm also not sure if we should categorise Greece to Eastern or Western Europe. To me it's a Southern Europe.

Geneticists say it's a 'Dinaric' trait. That could also include people in Greece. The exact term is planoccipital. If you go to Africa, you hardly see it at all, however in Poland it seems to be quite common.

Have a look next time when you're in a mixed group of Poles and Brits. I think you'll see the difference in the back of people's heads.

I have been in a situation like almost everyday for a last 11 years since I live in England.


surely not as common as majority

I think probably yes - if not, it certainly feels like it. When I've got a bit of time, I'll find a couple of pics - I think you'll agree when you see them.


Next time, observe closely - you might be surprised.

To go off the head thing but still on topic, I remember seeing a group of businessmen between about 45 and 55 in age, half of them Polish and half of them English who were at the Warsaw Marriott for a conference. All near-identically dressed, none of them slim. Without looking at the faces/heads, it was easy to tell who was from which country. The suits were identical. Can you guess how? :-)

Yep, post them pictures cause we all want to know the things you see.

Nah, I'll lift them of the internet, so you can see the things scientists see.

No reply to my question about the besuited businessmen? It's blindingly obvious and very much a physical trait....

the scientists see that Polish people have flat heads?

Looks like you're deliberately trying to misunderstand. Read up on Planoccipital skull shape - it's a trait that dominates in certain regions of the world, including Eastern Europe.

I've never been to Eastern Europe so I can't confirm that

but black hair isn't common at all in Poland !