C K …what do you mean by this. It sounds awfully self-critical.

Sadly, I think Capital Kiwi is right on the money. Being self-critical is probably the outstanding defining mark of the evolving NZ identity. In the late 70s, a NZ comic challenged this attitude with a humorous ditty entitled "You don't know how lucky you are." He lost, and emigrated to Australia, where he has done spectacularly well.