Transcription
Social life in Norway doesn't work the way you think it does, especially if you're American. And for context, I'm an American who's been living in Norway for almost a year. And over that past year, I've gone to experience how different the social culture is compared to the US.
In the US, you can just text someone and hang out the same day. It's normal, it's easy, it's spontaneous. But here, that's not really how it works. So, the first thing that completely threw me off here is plans are made way more in advance here than in the US. In the US, you could basically text somebody the same day and say, "Hey, you want to get coffee? You want to hang out?" And they'll most likely say, "Yes." But here, it's the opposite. People like to plan days in advance. They want to make sure their schedule's free. They don't like to be so spontaneous as in the US. And the first time I was here, I remember I met somebody and I texted them the same day and said, "Hey, would you like to meet up tomorrow for coffee?" And I remember them saying, "No, you know, I can do it in a few days." And I was so confused because I thought, "Is this person avoiding me?" But then I learned that here, it's about planning the time and making schedule. It's not just spontaneous like in the US.
Okay, and now the next thing I'm going to talk about is how in the US, there is surface-level friendliness. And I've experienced this a lot. Even in Norway and other countries, people from the US, they will just talk to you out of nowhere, for no reason. They'll compliment you about what you're wearing. They'll ask you a question. They're very friendly in terms of that. They'll just talk with you for no reason. But in Norway, that does not happen. People are a lot more reserved, and I've never had that happen here. People will not come up and talk to me. They'll usually mind their own business. And maybe if they need help, they'll ask me, but that's still even rare. And I thought that was a really big difference because I was so used to just striking up a random conversation with somebody in the elevator or at the grocery store. But here, I haven't experienced that at all. And that's a really big difference, right? Because when you when you come from a country where people will ask you anything and just talk to you to not doing that, it's a big change. And in the US, I feel like even though they do that, it's a lot more surface-level. And it's not necessarily there to build a relationship or to have a meaningful conversation. It's just because it could be awkward or maybe they just want to say something to you, which is which is nice, of course. And in Norway, um what I've seen is people will not have as many small-talk conversations, basically none, but they'll have a lot more meaningful and deep relationships because they've gotten to know each other over a period of time and haven't just jumped into a friendship or relationship that quickly, right? It's takes time to get that respect, to feel each other out, to understand each other. And that was a really big difference and really strange for me coming to Norway.
Now, the next thing I want to talk about is how it already feels like people have their social circles. So, in the US, people have social circles, but they're a lot more open. You can kind of step in, conversate with people, talk with them, and it's not as awkward. Now, in Norway, when I've been out to cafes or restaurants, people are very into their groups. They're talking with each other, and they're not very open as open as in the US, right? And in Norway, this is because people are a lot more reserved, and it takes time to get to know Norwegians. You can't just get into their friend groups right away. You got to take time. You got to build it up. You got to show them that you trust them, you care for them. In the US, I feel like in the US, it's a lot easier because people don't have, I feel like, as meaningful relationships. And it's kind of easy to just join in the friend group and talk to them. Now, that's not all people, but I in my experience, that was what I saw. And as an American coming to Norway, it felt very strange because you felt like you were an outcast if you didn't know anyone. And you couldn't really talk to people as easily as in the US because again of that reserved culture. So, I thought that was really weird to me as an American.
Now, the next thing I want to talk about is the only two times that I have heard Norwegians be actually very social. And the first is when they are drinking or going out. So, I've heard from many Norwegians that the most time they're social is when they're out partying, drinking, having a good time. They'll talk to everyone. They'll be extremely social. I found that so interesting cuz in the US, you can basically be social at any time. Doesn't have to be anything specific, the gym, a mall, a shopping store, grocery store, whatever scenario it is, you can be extremely social. And it's just funny how Norwegians will be in their own kind of circle, their own personal space. And then when it's when they're drinking and they get drunk, it's just go crazy, talk to everyone. And then the second time is when they're out in nature because as if you guys didn't know, Norwegians love being out in their nature. And if you go on a hike or go in the woods, they'll always say hi to you. I've been on multiple hikes here. And every time I go out on the hike, everybody always says, "Hi, how are you?" It's like feels like a whole different world because they love being out in nature. It makes them happy. It makes them feel good. And that's the two times that you will see Norwegians really go out of their comfort zone and and acknowledge you or speak to you in a way that they wouldn't in normal life. So, those really changed me, and I remember one time I was going on a hike, and you know, this is my first hike in Norway. And I've been used to people not really saying too much to me and minding their own business. And then I remember everyone was saying hi to me on the hike. And I just I got really awkward. I was really confused because I was used to people minding their own business. And then when people started doing that, it felt like a whole different world. It was honestly really, really interesting to experience that. So, that one is is really, really, really different.
Now, the last thing I want to talk about is no emotional reassurance. Because in the US, people would always check on you, call you, text you, ask you, "How are you?" many times. Always make sure that you are okay. They'd reassure you. But in Norway, it doesn't work like that. People don't get reassured as much. People won't ask you how you are, check in on you, make sure you're okay. I mean, of course, if you're hurt or injured, they'll make sure you're okay. But in general, they're not going to constantly check in on you. And I felt that was a really big difference because I was constantly used to getting that approval and getting that reassurance. And coming to Norway, I never really felt any of that. And that's not a bad thing at all. It's just different cultures. And it's because Norwegians want to keep to themselves. They want to keep in their little bubble, and they don't want to infringe on your personal space. And that really got me thinking how how different these cultures are in terms of social norms, societal norms. It's a very different world, you know. Norway is reserved, quiet, and the US is loud, very different. So, I think these are really important and really interesting as an American.
All right, guys. So, that's going to do it for the video. If you guys enjoyed, make sure you leave a comment. Make sure you subscribe. Let me know down below what you think about this. Is this true? How it compares to what you've experienced. And with that being said, guys, thank you so much for watching. It's Nick with signing off, and I'll see you guys in the next one. Have a great one. Peace.