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The Rude Politeness of People in Nordic Countries
There’s one aspect of Nordic mentality I’m not 100% on board with.
I’m visiting family in Finland after living 16 years abroad (and after 3,5 years stuck in the city of Buenos Aires without leaving, thanks to the pandemic).
And one of the things that most shocks me after spending so much time on Spanish-speaking countries is the strange kind of politeness that’s not exactly polite.
It’s all based on a very Finnish, or Nordic, characteristic: we don’t really want to be around others. We’re from the woods! We’re used to having a lot of space around us, and that means we don’t really feel comfortable talking to others.
That’s why we’ll do anything to not have to make any kind of contact with others. Because talking to strangers is the worst thing that can happen to a Finn.
The Instagram account Finnish Nightmares usually does a perfect job of showing this.
@finnishnightmaresofficial
So, how does this relate to politeness?
Well, Finnish people are more polite in ways that don’t require them to get closer to other people. Cars…
