I have found most Slovak people to be generally quite pleasant in their demeanor. They tend to be introverted by nature, although some of that it seems is a by product of the communist years. The men tend to be on the passive side and the women a bit more assertive. At least to some degree, being forced into a position of powerlessness (communism) diminishes a person’s inclination to be assertive. As a result it is difficult to know if Slovak men are naturally more passive or if it was bred into them. I get the impression that there is a significant degree of importance given among Slovak people to a good public image. It seems rare to me that people or families give any hint of problems or difficulties outside of the home. My own experience growing up Catholic had this same characteristic which may partly explain the same tendency here as it has traditionally been a society rooted in Catholicism.