3 ms·
Sweden would be a better comparison, with a GDP per capita of $53,442, which is about 50% higher than Italy's. Sweden is culturally very similar to Norway. I h
by marvin 8y ago
Sweden would be a better comparison, with a GDP per capita of $53,442, which is about 50% higher than Italy's. Sweden is culturally very similar to Norway.
I have no doubt that certain cultural aspects of Southern Europe have a huge impact on their countries' GDP, long lunches and a more relaxed attitude towards labor (not to mention taxes and corruption!) among them. In Scandinavia, the Protestant work ethic is still deeply ingrained in the culture, and this shows.
- fixvzbdjzis 8y agoGod bless the Swedes, the per capita largest merchant of weapons in the world. Sweden: enjoy your feminism with a side of slaughter folks!
- mathattack 8y agoCorruption too. And off the books businesses. (Which perhaps underpform, and definitely are undermeasured)
- johnchristopher 8y agoDo you think the Protestant work ethic can be beneficial to an individual ? Or does it work only on a larger scale ?
- marvin 8y agoAh, sorry for the late reply here. This actually touches on something I've been thinking about recently. It's probably got its advantages and disadvantages on an individual level. You'd most likely be regarded as an attractive worker, but would at the same time have to be careful not to get taken advantage of. I think many who have this work ethic fall into the trap of the latter point, and that this is systematically abused some places. E.g. Scandinavia, where people pay _massive_ amounts of tax and at the same time voluntarily work unpaid overtime for low-pay public-sector jobs such as nursing, in a misunderstood loyalty to their patients. And it necessarily leaves less time and space for non-work-related activities. So it meshes poorly with hedonism. But happiness can certainly come from fitting in with a role and excelling at something.