4 ms·
It is a stereotype, certainly, as a "grouping of people" to define characteristics, is. Is it offensive? Well, maybe, but that's tact. However, is it true?
by bbarnett 6y ago
It is a stereotype, certainly, as a "grouping of people" to define characteristics, is.
Is it offensive? Well, maybe, but that's tact. However, is it true? Bear in mind that an excessively gregious society, and yes there are differences in societies, cultures, might view a more reserved culture as such.
And the real reason I'm responding is, how many "people there are on the streets" is irrelevant, in terms of being 'social' or not. People going places != social. It can equal work, needing supplies, traveling, etc.
I grew up in a small town, population < 1000, in a massively large county (>1000 square km), with barely 15,000 people in it at the time. When I first moved to the city, I would walk down the street and wave at people. People reacted, to my perspective, quite oddly. Some actually shied away, others looked at me as if was a lunatic.
Yet where I grew up, not waving would have been beyond rude. In the city, it was seen as absurd behaviour.
I guess what I'm saying is, Sweden could be quite anti-social, without it being "mean" to say so. It's all perspective.
- ardit33 6y agoThey are, they just don't understand it.... I was not doing value judgment, but just an observation
- runald 6y agoI'm not a Swede, but if an random person that I don't know waves at me for no discernible reason, I too would be cautious. Although, it's not clear if you wave at everyone you see, or just at people you need to interact with (such as a store clerk).
- bbarnett 6y agoThis is more of a rural versus urban thing, and just an example of cultural differences. Canadian ones, FYI. As per my example, it is rude to not wave, stranger or not, at least where I grew up. Yet when I moved to the city, entirely different! Same language, country, region. Just urban vs rural. So it is not surprising to see nation-wide cultural differences.
- tonyarkles 6y agoIt’s amusing to me that that never really leaves you either. Grew up split between a smallish (35k) town and rural. Now in a bigger (300k) city. As soon as I’m out of town on a secondary highway, every vehicle I encounter gets the two finger wave from the steering wheel. 80% wave back.