As a Norwegian, most of us get on very well with Icelanders. Iceland is definitely a part of Norden and the comedian Ari Eldjarn sums up the Icelandic attitude very well, definitely a bit more chaotic, less organised and a wonderful lack of bullshit.
Hello. I think Iceland is a beautiful, unique place. However, I am not into that kind of cold, rude culture. I like politeness and smiles, it's proper basic education but also warmth, openness, and extended kindness. I lived in Sweden for a period, and some people were quite cold, mostly among Swedish nationals rather than immigrants. I often felt that Swedes perceived me as odd or as if I wanted something from them when I was friendly and cheerful. Making new friends was extremely challenging, and despite my partner being Swedish, and besides him and his parents, I was only able to truly connect with other expatriates. I couldn't wait to leave. While there are certainly kind individuals, the culture does not seem to foster happiness and emotional well-being. Contentment is not the same as happiness. I read that one in ten Icelanders show symptoms of depression, and young women are the most affected, with 18% of girls and women aged 15-24 experiencing symptoms of depression, the highest rate in Europe. I live in the USA now, and yes, there are some very rude people here too, but I am in California, so most people here are super friendly, and they have really beautiful smiles and are so helpful. I always feel welcome and can talk to total strangers about anything, people are curious and interested. It's so nice. Just 2 days ago, I bought a small chair from a thrift store and was carrying it out, and a guy was driving his 4X truck by and stopped and asked me if I needed help, and he actually got out and carried the chair all the way to my car. I thought it was wonderful. I was so grateful for his friendly and kind gesture.
Hi there, I wanted to respond to your comment and share some thoughts, especially regarding how cultures can be perceived in different ways depending on our personal experiences and expectations. First, describing Icelandic (or any) culture as "rude" can come across as quite insulting, especially if it's based on a misunderstanding of how social interactions work in that context. Icelandic people, much like Swedes, tend to value personal space and modesty in communication. What might feel like "coldness" to you could simply be their way of respecting boundaries, something that is often appreciated in those societies. The phrase "proper basic education" also feels quite condescending. Suggesting that warmth and politeness are hallmarks of being properly educated dismisses cultural differences in behavior. Icelanders, like Swedes, may not always express friendliness in overt ways, but that doesn’t mean they lack kindness or openness. It’s essential to approach these differences with humility and understanding, rather than judging them through the lens of your own cultural expectations. Additionally, I noticed your use of the word "expatriate" to describe yourself and others you felt you could connect with. It’s worth reflecting on why the term "expat" is often used for certain groups (typically from wealthier or Western countries) while "immigrant" is reserved for others, despite similar circumstances of moving abroad. This can perpetuate a hierarchy where some are viewed more favorably based on their background, which doesn’t promote a fair or accurate understanding of migration and identity. Generalizations often arise from personal experiences, but it’s important to be careful when describing an entire culture based on individual encounters. While you found it challenging to make friends in Sweden, others may have very different experiences. Swedish friendships, for example, often take longer to develop but are deep and meaningful once they are formed. In contrast, cultures like the U.S., especially in places like California, are known for being outwardly friendly but can sometimes be more superficial in terms of forming lasting relationships. Neither approach is inherently better; they’re just different. "Fast friends are loose friends, and the root that grows slowly is the strongest." As for the chair anecdote, in Iceland or Sweden, the probability of a stranger asking if you needed help is much lower - not because they lack kindness, but because they tend to prioritize self-reliance and equality. They might offer help if they see you visibly struggling or if you ask for it, but not out of a sense of "chivalry." Treating men and women as capable of handling things themselves part of the gender equality in the culture. It’s not that people wouldn’t help-they would-but the act of assistance comes from a different place. It's based on recognizing genuine need, not on performing traditional gender roles which would be more than likely the reason in the US or say Türkiye.
The difference between Iceland and the rest of Scandinavia could be down to the Celtic influence since the majority of Icelandic women have Irish/Scottish origins, (descendants of slaves).
I love continental Scandinavia, but I lived in Iceland for 4 months and found the people to be shockingly rude and harsh. I think that their brains don't have enough serotonin because of the weather, but...good God, I do not enjoy the way they live and interact with one another. I met a few people that were very, very sweet, who seemed like they had just come to accept living in a culture where kindness is very much an afterthought. But if you are psychopathic and hate people, Iceland may just be the perfect environment for you.
As a Swede Iceland is part of Scandinavia. It is just a given, like we are very close to Finland even if Finnish is different Icelandic is still a languge closer to ours (even if Norweigan and written Danish is very close to Swedish). I have never lived in Iceland but had work contacts, it is more simliar than say Germany or the UK to Sweden. Iceland being so proud of it's unique languge etc is a bit like Ireland to me, litterature and culture seesm to have higher staus in Iceland and Finland comapred to Sweden/Norway/Denmark being very focused on being "modern" or fitting in?
Er det finske språket mer likt Svensk enn Islandsk ? Den der er jeg usikker på siden islandsk og norsk er ganske nært.. Norsk og Svensk har vel ca 70 % likt språk mens Islandsk ligner mer vårt Nynorsk (10%, kanskje,,)men det er svært vanskelig å forstå Islandsk dersom de prater fort..
It's frustrating when people misunderstand Janteloven as some kind of mantra or philosophy that people consciously follow. That's not what it is at all. Originally, it was a sarcastic critique-an exaggerated commentary on how communities suppress individuality and ambition in favor of conformity. Ironically, over time, it's been embraced by the other Nordics as a positive reflection of their cultural values, emphasizing modesty and equality. In Iceland, though, the influence of Janteloven is much weaker as the book it comes from was never popular there, and people tend to celebrate personal success more openly. Iceland is also importing American culture and mindset more than the other Nordics, for better or worse, which brings a greater focus on individualism and ambition.
Finally a good content after long long time. This was really helpful and good However Americans are open ?😆 They are so narrow minded and so prudish that it is unbelievable . And they think it is only correct way to view life.
@@decollector95 What ? you are able to lock anybody who just let pee small child on front of other people ... Just for this ... and you telling you are not insane ?
As a Norwegian, most of us get on very well with Icelanders. Iceland is definitely a part of Norden and the comedian Ari Eldjarn sums up the Icelandic attitude very well, definitely a bit more chaotic, less organised and a wonderful lack of bullshit.
“You live in Reykjavík?… No, I live in Kópavogur” … it’s like “You live in Boston?… No, I live in Cambridge, M.A.” 😂
Oskar is funny 😉
Hello. I think Iceland is a beautiful, unique place. However, I am not into that kind of cold, rude culture. I like politeness and smiles, it's proper basic education but also warmth, openness, and extended kindness. I lived in Sweden for a period, and some people were quite cold, mostly among Swedish nationals rather than immigrants. I often felt that Swedes perceived me as odd or as if I wanted something from them when I was friendly and cheerful. Making new friends was extremely challenging, and despite my partner being Swedish, and besides him and his parents, I was only able to truly connect with other expatriates. I couldn't wait to leave. While there are certainly kind individuals, the culture does not seem to foster happiness and emotional well-being. Contentment is not the same as happiness. I read that one in ten Icelanders show symptoms of depression, and young women are the most affected, with 18% of girls and women aged 15-24 experiencing symptoms of depression, the highest rate in Europe.
I live in the USA now, and yes, there are some very rude people here too, but I am in California, so most people here are super friendly, and they have really beautiful smiles and are so helpful. I always feel welcome and can talk to total strangers about anything, people are curious and interested. It's so nice. Just 2 days ago, I bought a small chair from a thrift store and was carrying it out, and a guy was driving his 4X truck by and stopped and asked me if I needed help, and he actually got out and carried the chair all the way to my car. I thought it was wonderful. I was so grateful for his friendly and kind gesture.
Hi there,
I wanted to respond to your comment and share some thoughts, especially regarding how cultures can be perceived in different ways depending on our personal experiences and expectations.
First, describing Icelandic (or any) culture as "rude" can come across as quite insulting, especially if it's based on a misunderstanding of how social interactions work in that context. Icelandic people, much like Swedes, tend to value personal space and modesty in communication. What might feel like "coldness" to you could simply be their way of respecting boundaries, something that is often appreciated in those societies.
The phrase "proper basic education" also feels quite condescending. Suggesting that warmth and politeness are hallmarks of being properly educated dismisses cultural differences in behavior. Icelanders, like Swedes, may not always express friendliness in overt ways, but that doesn’t mean they lack kindness or openness. It’s essential to approach these differences with humility and understanding, rather than judging them through the lens of your own cultural expectations.
Additionally, I noticed your use of the word "expatriate" to describe yourself and others you felt you could connect with. It’s worth reflecting on why the term "expat" is often used for certain groups (typically from wealthier or Western countries) while "immigrant" is reserved for others, despite similar circumstances of moving abroad. This can perpetuate a hierarchy where some are viewed more favorably based on their background, which doesn’t promote a fair or accurate understanding of migration and identity.
Generalizations often arise from personal experiences, but it’s important to be careful when describing an entire culture based on individual encounters. While you found it challenging to make friends in Sweden, others may have very different experiences. Swedish friendships, for example, often take longer to develop but are deep and meaningful once they are formed. In contrast, cultures like the U.S., especially in places like California, are known for being outwardly friendly but can sometimes be more superficial in terms of forming lasting relationships. Neither approach is inherently better; they’re just different. "Fast friends are loose friends, and the root that grows slowly is the strongest."
As for the chair anecdote, in Iceland or Sweden, the probability of a stranger asking if you needed help is much lower - not because they lack kindness, but because they tend to prioritize self-reliance and equality. They might offer help if they see you visibly struggling or if you ask for it, but not out of a sense of "chivalry." Treating men and women as capable of handling things themselves part of the gender equality in the culture. It’s not that people wouldn’t help-they would-but the act of assistance comes from a different place. It's based on recognizing genuine need, not on performing traditional gender roles which would be more than likely the reason in the US or say Türkiye.
The difference between Iceland and the rest of Scandinavia could be down to the Celtic influence since the majority of Icelandic women have Irish/Scottish origins, (descendants of slaves).
I love continental Scandinavia, but I lived in Iceland for 4 months and found the people to be shockingly rude and harsh. I think that their brains don't have enough serotonin because of the weather, but...good God, I do not enjoy the way they live and interact with one another. I met a few people that were very, very sweet, who seemed like they had just come to accept living in a culture where kindness is very much an afterthought. But if you are psychopathic and hate people, Iceland may just be the perfect environment for you.
Good to know!
As a Swede Iceland is part of Scandinavia. It is just a given, like we are very close to Finland even if Finnish is different Icelandic is still a languge closer to ours (even if Norweigan and written Danish is very close to Swedish). I have never lived in Iceland but had work contacts, it is more simliar than say Germany or the UK to Sweden. Iceland being so proud of it's unique languge etc is a bit like Ireland to me, litterature and culture seesm to have higher staus in Iceland and Finland comapred to Sweden/Norway/Denmark being very focused on being "modern" or fitting in?
Er det finske språket mer likt Svensk enn Islandsk ? Den der er jeg usikker på siden islandsk og norsk er ganske nært.. Norsk og Svensk har vel ca 70 % likt språk mens Islandsk ligner mer vårt Nynorsk (10%, kanskje,,)men det er svært vanskelig å forstå Islandsk dersom de prater fort..
@@gautearefjord Nej isländska är mer likt men en del finska ord finns i svenska och vice versa (låneord).
I think Icelandic culture is different to Scandinavian culture. is Janteloven practiced in Iceland?
It's frustrating when people misunderstand Janteloven as some kind of mantra or philosophy that people consciously follow. That's not what it is at all. Originally, it was a sarcastic critique-an exaggerated commentary on how communities suppress individuality and ambition in favor of conformity. Ironically, over time, it's been embraced by the other Nordics as a positive reflection of their cultural values, emphasizing modesty and equality. In Iceland, though, the influence of Janteloven is much weaker as the book it comes from was never popular there, and people tend to celebrate personal success more openly. Iceland is also importing American culture and mindset more than the other Nordics, for better or worse, which brings a greater focus on individualism and ambition.
icelanders are definitely not as organized as swedes, thats for sure.
Finally a good content after long long time. This was really helpful and good
However Americans are open ?😆 They are so narrow minded and so prudish that it is unbelievable . And they think it is only correct way to view life.
@@decollector95 What ? you are able to lock anybody who just let pee small child on front of other people ... Just for this ...
and you telling you are not insane ?