The environmental determinism angle here is really compelling, especially how harsh winters selected for emotional restraint over expressiveness. What I find most interesting is how Protestant work ethic didnt just shape economics but fundamentally rewired social bonds. Living in a culture with high individualism now, I see how ancestral survival strategies still echo in modern interaction patterns. The generational trauma framing is spot-on tho because these aren't just cultural quirks but inherited coping mechanisms.
Very cool article! ...or warm? Anyways, I was wondering if you had a source list for this? It would be nice to see where you got your information and inspiration from 😁
Somewhat surprised, being a North-European. Have had many good and genuine discussions with fellow-Europeans. In my experience the Americans are very superficial: big smile, how are you? But don't tell them you're feeling rotten, if by chance. Very superficial, no deeper talks. And the chances you will get invited to their homes, close to nil. Avoid discussions over politics, not possible. Find out which party they have voted first!
I get what you mean. I could have brought up how Americans can come across as superficial to Europeans, especially with the cheesy smile, but I didn’t want to distract from the main point. That’s probably a conversation for another time. I know exactly the feeling you’re describing—spend a day with an American, feel like you’ve made a new friend, and then nothing comes of it. The next time you meet, there’s no continuity, no real sense that a connection was made.
I lived in Sweden for about three years, and I found Swedes much easier to connect with than, say, Germans or the Dutch. That said, the emotional restraint is in the Nordics to a degree, too.
The Dutch, for instance, are so adept at managing their emotions that it’s easy to overlook the fact they can be hurt, unless you make a conscious effort to remember they have feelings like anyone else and shouldn’t be dehumanized in your mind.
All that said, we’re all human. Once people get to know each other—especially in private—they open up and form bonds in all kinds of settings. The pain of losing a loved one, the satisfaction of an achievement, and the emotional chaos of a breakup are all universal experiences.
What I’m referring to is a general cultural impression. For example, when you watch a British true-crime show and see a mother talking about the violent rape and death of her daughter, she often sounds almost neutral, as if she were the reporter rather than the victim’s family. To outsiders, that emotional restraint can be striking—even unsettling—if you’re not used to it.
The environmental determinism angle here is really compelling, especially how harsh winters selected for emotional restraint over expressiveness. What I find most interesting is how Protestant work ethic didnt just shape economics but fundamentally rewired social bonds. Living in a culture with high individualism now, I see how ancestral survival strategies still echo in modern interaction patterns. The generational trauma framing is spot-on tho because these aren't just cultural quirks but inherited coping mechanisms.
Very cool article! ...or warm? Anyways, I was wondering if you had a source list for this? It would be nice to see where you got your information and inspiration from 😁
Thank you!
Somewhat surprised, being a North-European. Have had many good and genuine discussions with fellow-Europeans. In my experience the Americans are very superficial: big smile, how are you? But don't tell them you're feeling rotten, if by chance. Very superficial, no deeper talks. And the chances you will get invited to their homes, close to nil. Avoid discussions over politics, not possible. Find out which party they have voted first!
I get what you mean. I could have brought up how Americans can come across as superficial to Europeans, especially with the cheesy smile, but I didn’t want to distract from the main point. That’s probably a conversation for another time. I know exactly the feeling you’re describing—spend a day with an American, feel like you’ve made a new friend, and then nothing comes of it. The next time you meet, there’s no continuity, no real sense that a connection was made.
I lived in Sweden for about three years, and I found Swedes much easier to connect with than, say, Germans or the Dutch. That said, the emotional restraint is in the Nordics to a degree, too.
The Dutch, for instance, are so adept at managing their emotions that it’s easy to overlook the fact they can be hurt, unless you make a conscious effort to remember they have feelings like anyone else and shouldn’t be dehumanized in your mind.
All that said, we’re all human. Once people get to know each other—especially in private—they open up and form bonds in all kinds of settings. The pain of losing a loved one, the satisfaction of an achievement, and the emotional chaos of a breakup are all universal experiences.
What I’m referring to is a general cultural impression. For example, when you watch a British true-crime show and see a mother talking about the violent rape and death of her daughter, she often sounds almost neutral, as if she were the reporter rather than the victim’s family. To outsiders, that emotional restraint can be striking—even unsettling—if you’re not used to it.