Do Swedish people come off a bit rude?
What you should know about Swedes and their behaviour! Lesson # 1
One of the many aspects that I love about living abroad is that it gives you an entirely new perspective on things, almost comparable to receiving a new pair of glasses. It is an eye-opening experience that forces you to take a step back and critically reflect upon the positives and negatives in your country. Having lived abroad for several years, both in England and in Germany, I grew familiar to certain rules and behaviours. Moving back to Sweden was definitely a change I had to adapt to, and I could clearly see the cultural differences between the countries. I still recall one of my first reactions being: Gosh are Swedish people rude! Being accustomed with the politeness in England and receiving a personal greeting when entering the bank: “Good afternoon Miss, how can I help?” or the gentlemen-like behaviour of German men who would let you exit the elevator first and hold the door for you. Well I’ll tell you, when I got off that plane in Gothenburg last summer all of that vanished. No more personal greetings at the bank, instead pull a number and get in line! If you are lucky, you are approached with a smile. Doors are no longer being held open, and worst of all: people don’t apologize when they accidentally bump into you or even say a small ‘thank you’ when you get up from your seat so that they can get off the bus. Unbelievable, I thought!
Sweden and its people have many good qualities, but lets be honest, customer service and politeness just aren’t some of them! I don’t think Swedes perceive themselves as rude or are rude on purpose. I can, however, understand if foreigners see them that way. It all comes down to the culture and the way in which we have been brought up. At heart, Swedes are quite friendly people who are not shy to show their affection and love hugging ;)
Tip: Try not to be offended or take it personally if you find yourself in a situation where, for example, the manager of a store doesn’t give you a warm welcome, or if you are in a restaurant and have to wait for what seems like ages for the waiter to come to your table and sometimes, you even have to wave your hand to get their attention. Take a deep breath, you are in Sweden! Swedes are patient creatures who don’t pay attention to the details - it's the way we roll.
Kram, (the Swedish version of ‘Hug’)
Caroline
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