One of the great things in Europe, is that when you are in a shop and see a prize. That prize is actually what you will pay. :) No false prizes what so ever. :)
I was in a shop that sold old toys and merchandise in Skien, Telemark, and the owner of that shop had put price-tags on his stuff but once you checked out, he instead went by online- and collector price. I've a mind to never visit that shop ever again.
Thanks for your video. I'm an American (East Coast) living in the Netherlands. Everyone says hi to each other on the street here, but I live in a country village. In the cities, not so much. But as you say, when you break through, their friendliness is real. In the US, we are very fake. I also TOTALLY agree with your idea of Americans needing to "make it" and be competitive. It is, of course, because we have no healthcare or social safety net that we have to run and run and run all the time until we pass out. We don't do it to be rich. We do it simply to survive, and it's barbaric. Sweden (and the Netherlands) have it right. People here live their lives.
-----No, Netherlands mass socialist system is destined for failure and economic collapse if its taking in massive numbers of immigrants from known hostile areas such as the Middle East. No nation can afford limitless socialist programs for an unlimited influx of foreign nationals, as we're already observing today in many EU Nations! -----Due to the European Union's massive importation of foreigners from known hostile areas countries are becoming increasingly dangerous police no go zones, which is increasingly endangering the people of our vastly superior Western Civilizations of Europe and America! And correcting these massive immigration imbalances which are slowly destroying our Western Civilizations will require an end to mass immigration and repatriation of those holding hostile ideologies back to their traditional homelands, as the only means of dealing with the European Union's failed polices of massive immigration whose wanton disregard for its own citizens safety and welfare is overtly criminal conduct.
I guess people who are saying this live in the coutryside or in villages and they know each other closely may be since birth, friends and family friends and everybody is mostly ethnically Swedish there. Personally I can tell, I have invited atleast 3 families over dinner n lunch . they came enjoyed and are in general very helpful, but never bothered to reciprocate. Here in a small town if you want to meet a family friend who are obviously swedish need to make prior appinotments......... This is a common experience shared by many non swedish european families when they talk about socialising with ethnically swedish families. Having said that I must mention swedish ppl are super kind and helpful when you seek help from. Be it the immigrants issue or helping a foreign student.
Mou Bhattacharyya yeah i can’t remember last time i saw a foreign person where i live. People can tell quickly that you are new in town here, here is a great story btw: when my parents moved out here from a bigger town my mom was pregnant and she met another woman in the grocery store that was also pregnant and they started talking randomly and now around 20 years later they have wine nights and our families have traveled the world together. I just can’t imagine something like that happening in a bigger town in sweden.
@@edvins8863 grt ppl are everywhere it seems. Thank you for giving some hope😁 Btw I am living here for almost 6yrs now. Yet to be invited by any Swede even over fika. I made many non swedish friends though whom I can hang out with. 😁
In my time in Western Europe my observations were the food was in smaller portions and better ingredients, the people well dressed and much more fit, franchises didn't dominate every main street , people weren't loud and obnoxious drawing attention to themselves with with loud obnoxious cars/trucks and motorcycles, they didn't put their political, military and religious views all over their cars, yards, and clothing, and speak in a very matter-of-fact and direct manner. Americans are clearly uncomfortable and squirmy when it comes to hearing direct honest opinions. It's hard to see what we look like to the outside world until you spend some time away. Everything here is extreme ... and that's normal to us.
One thing that is mindblowing in america is how tactless and shamelessly direct televison advertisements are. Like that alone describes the general 'Heaaa, in your face!' attitude of the nation. They are extremely simplistic, everybody likes to say something that makes them stand out, rather than having an actual conversation. Tends to be fun sometimes, but irritating as well.
I remember a few years ago when I was on holiday in the US, the food portions are way too big, it was like 2 or 3 meals in one which for me isn't healthy at all, I had to keep picking smaller portions of foods to get something that wasn't going to burst my chest open lol, you only really need to eat what your body needs and I felt even thought I was only in the US a short time, I had to watch my weight a lot more, that can't be healthy for Americans.
@@LittleV179 I know exactlly what you mean, I had to look out so other people didn't think I was poor or something, it's crazy really but thier portions are way too big and can't be healthy for them that I suspect a lot of vistor want smaller portions.
i'm from Sweden and if someone asked me "Hello how are you?" for example i will tell that guy. i had 15 centimeters of snow on my car this morning and it took 20 minutes to digg it out to goto work. and then we talk a little bit about that 4000 homes had a power blackout in the snowstorm and we laugh about that. that is what i call genuine. NOT just SAY im allright how are you? and if i would meet the King of sweden i would still have the same conversation.
Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, always at the top of the happiest people in the world ranking. I prefer to live here in Norway, I also prefer not to wave at random people I don't know.:P
Puro not random people but if they smile and look happy i do. And in shops i talk with people if they want to. I don't run away if someone says something.
I want to make one remark: Sweden being 'way more socialistic' may cause confusion for the politically illiterate. Our politics are more social democratic, which is not the same as socialistic. Don't ask me about the distinctions, though... Sorry. (Although, to be fair, Sweden *is* A LOT closer to socialism than USA is.)
Yeah. The "socialist" thing about us is that we pay a lot of taxes to have free school, healthcare and other stuff. (And that the government reglates stuff a bit more, and also *in rare cases* they are producing stuff and have companies) like Systembolet för alkoholics and Vattenfall for Electricity.
@@user-wq9mw2xz3j it also means that the government will penalize you if you start to become too successful, with increasingly higher taxes. This doesn't exactly inspire innovation or huge world achievements. Not exactly inspiring.
@@myjeeviehas anyone heard of swedish innovations like Skype, pacemakers, seatbelts anyone? I think if you studied which countries had more innovations per capita, I think the Nordic countries would be up there the best innovators. US has succesful businesses, but I bet most of their innovations have come from goverment funded research, like iPhone. Such is the power of socialism in America.
@@SorbusAucubaria Every country has some innovation, but the Nordic countries are not even close to the innovation that the United States has driven the last century. And please stop with the government funding, of course there are plenty of examples where Government funding has spurred innovation, but the free market has done far more historically.
@@dmannevada5981 You do realize the government funds the military and space programs? The computer was invented with government dollars by the military which all of tech has spun off of. Government funds exploration, innovation in medicine, robotics, etc. The free market would be a great idea for competition had it not turned into Big Monopolies where only a few are taking all the wealth and preventing success of small companies. One example is health insurance where there are basically 4 companies that own all the others to make it look like we have a multitude of choices. Another example is internet providers, cell phone, and cable companies. If Comcast is in your town, TimeWarner sure isn't going to compete. (yay cord cutting!) Now Amazon has taken so much, Bezos sees which small companies to buy up before they even start to grow.
@@__-bc4bs not really but for most people in america it is pretty fake. They say it out of normality but not becuse they actually except to help you. It is more or less just words with no meaning, that is what people dislike.
@@__-bc4bs really, the only requirement to be considered royalty is to either have ancestors with royal blood, or to marry someone with royal blood. As such, the fact that Sweden's royal family doesn't actually rule the country doesn't mean that they are not, indeed, royals: and so the king remains a king, and the queen a queen. In truth, if not in action.
I just realised why my American and perhaps English friends react a little like "huh?" when I say I want to go for coffee. For us a fika is a social thing that can go on for hours. A proper sit down to catch up with those we care about. Or actually a totally ligit first date! To ask someone out for a fika is our way of saying "I like you a lot and enjoy spending time with you!" Not just "I need coffee!" 😊
American living in Stockholm for 12 years. I noticed very similar things during my first couple of years and you are only scratching the surface! Diversity: I miss the diversity too and how different cultures can bring a piece of their own with them which gives us diversity in people, language, food, businesses and architecture. At the same time, I enjoyed in Stockholm how each neighborhood felt more welcoming because every neighborhood could include wealthy, average or poor and integrated with different people. Only recently, I noticed a couple of areas taking on the identities of the subculture and I have to say I don't like it. In the US, I took it for granted but here it makes the communities less inviting and overwhelming by one subculture. I think experiencing true integration makes me see it that way but you know, pros and cons of both. Last, being that I am a Black American woman, I experienced far less racism and sexism than in the US. Fika: Fika is far more serious than you can imagine! If you work in a typical Swedish company, it is almost expected for you to take fika 2x a day. If not, you can encounter problems with colleagues. Lagom: Like fika, this is very important especially in typical Swedish companies. Your colleagues do not like if you appear more hard working and smarter than them. You should be pretty much on the same level as them. This was a hard concept for me to learn as you said, Americans are very hard working. I completely agree with you regarding feeling satisfied and more laid back. I make less money in Sweden but I feel I have a more rewarding life and I have met many average income people who have homes in the city, summer houses in the country, boats etc. Having these luxuries seems far more attainable in Sweden for average income people and their system helps to mitigate people from falling into dire situations. In the US, not only do we have an attitude of "I have to make it" but we also have an attitude of "it's all about me" and "work if you want it" that we are very closed minded to alternatives. In Sweden, one can "make it" the start up scene is amazing here but you still feel you can have a good work life balance, safety nets and the comforts of life. Sorry for being long winded but great video and great observations. Good luck and enjoy!
As a Norwegian married to an American who has lived in the US, it is interesting to hear your experience. It is always interesting to see if people experience the same differences. I am a quite talkative and outgoing person, so I kind of like how you can easily talk with anybody in the US. I really miss that about living from living in the US. However what I found VERY difficult was getting close to people. Even the people I would call friends were so superficial most of the time. Like Americans have a really hard time opening up. They keep this happy and successful facade, which they are very afraid of letting go off it seems. Many Americans seem to struggle with talking about uncomfortable things, problems they have e.g. Life in America is good as long as you are just ripping on your friends, banter, joke around, play games etc. But when I was in a tough spot mentally, I found it really hard to live in the US. I don't really know how you get a close friend you can talk to about anything. It seems like the US is the opposite of Scandinavia: you make lots of friends really fast, but it is very time consuming to make deep friendships. I do tend to make friends with American in Norway though. It is kind of like Americans living in Scandinavia are the best to two worlds ;-)
Povel Vieregg this really depends upon what part of the USA you are in. The people in the west (Utah \ Idaho) are very open, friendly and make great life long friends. Jeg elsker Norge!!
@@torekristoffersen176 I am not talking about friendliness, but more about how close people let each other in. I am actually quite familiar with Utah and Idaho, because I've studied with people from Idaho, have distant relatives in Utah. I've actually lived in Utah for several months. People in Utah are very friendly towards strangers, but I still had the same problem there, which is that people are more superficial than what is normal in Scandinavia. Like we are far more direct and blunt in Scandinavia. We are more likely to say it as we see it, rather than sugar coating it or putting on a facade. That makes us often seem rude at first, but it also means, a Scandinavian friendship can often feel more genuine. If a Scandinavian friend tells you something positive, you know they mean it, and not merely said to be polite. But as I've said, I am not saying one thing is better than the other. It is a tradeoff. I often miss the openness and talkativeness of American society.
Povel Vieregg thank you for the clarification Povel. I believe I see the point(s) you are making. I do see that in many facets, Americans can be superficial. We do have many things we could become better at. We certainly don’t have all the answers. Thank you for your input and the opportunity to understand each other better.
Povel Vieregg - You can find that openness and talkativeness in your own continent in countries like Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and even in northern England.
5 лет назад
HAHA! Only americans themself are being treated friendly at the american airports...
I am from Portland, the same city that Stefan is from. In the Pacific Northwest, the tap water is very clean. But of course, this is not the case in much of America. For example, tap water in the Southwest is disgusting and basically undrinkable.
What you said about the open friendlynes on the airport in America doesn’t quite match the way visitors are greeted Edit: wow! This turned into a battlefield
It’s awful! When I went to New York the people who worked at the airport were really nice to the Americans but just yelled at us visitors even though we did just what they said
Kom till Norrland, här hälsar vi på varandra både i affären och grannar emellan. Beror helt på var du bor. Bor du i en mindre stad hälsar man på varandra mer än i en större stad.
Det är något jag faktiskt har märkt från att jag flyttat från Stockholm upp till Kiruna, dock så skulle jag anta att man hälsar på varandra mer när man bor i byarna och de mindre städerna? Eller så är jag så mycket stockholmare fortfarande att jag har svårt för att hälsa på alla hela tiden. 😅 Jag säger dock hej till personer i trapphuset och på gatan
@@SheikMMO var i småland kmmr du ifrån? från min experience så säger de flesta hej osv (ofc bor jag inte i någon av de större städerna utan minde tät ort eller vafan man ska kalla det)
Omg I literally walked passed you like right next to Rodeo Drive like 1,5 week ago and I couldn’t stop staring cause I was like what are the odds that I would see you, IN AMERICA. But my Swede inside of me was too afraid to say anything ahah
Funny thing was that I was just in Stockholm yesterday visiting. I was waiting at a bus stop and by habit (as an American), I smiled at one of the guys waiting. Shockingly, he smiled back! As I got closer and heard his accent, I realized he was a fellow American :) That is one thing I do admire about Americans (even tho it may be fake, a smile is a smile :D)
Great video! Really had me thinking... Five things i noticed about the US after living in Austria: 1. First thing I always notice after arriving at JFK is just how much wider the streets are. It seems everything in the US is bigger, taller and wider. Your typical 3 lane Austrian road is basically the equivalent of a 2 lane American road. 2. Everything's faster in the US. The minute I get home I immediately switch back to NY tempo - you walk faster, you get served more quickly, people drive faster, etc. 3. After living in Austria I was no longer able to eat or tolerate American cheese. I couldn't believe how bad it tastes, like oil and salt. Eew, can't believe I ate that crap my entire life! Cheese in Austria, even the cheapest cheese at the cheapest discount supermarket tastes soooo much better than anything we have in America. And it's made with REAL milk, NO preservatives, was naturally aged, etc. 4. Like you, I also noticed how much more friendly Americans are. I used to be that friendly when I first came to Austria - that was before I got severely criticized by my Austrian friends for "grinning like an idiot for no apparent reason on the subway". I've since adopted the severe, almost constipated look of a proper Austrian while riding their subway. Back in NY I was so surprised by how friendly people were on the subway, all smiling and talking to you, etc. I'd forgotten what that was like... 5. American streets are very boisterous and loud! There's so much happening, people coming and darting in every direction, people selling watches, fruits, card scammers, people in front of shops trying to talk you into going in, etc. Then there's the loud traffic, the car horns, the subway cars, etc. It's a very different scenario in Austria. Orderly citizens on orderly streets, no car horns (it's illegal to use your car horn unless absolutely necessary), no loiterers, no fruit sellers (also illegal), no one hawking watches on the street corner (very illegal), orderly car drivers, even the ambulances and police cars here in Austria aren't allowed to use sirens unless absolutely necessary. It always amuses me to see an ambulance speeding down some street in Vienna with only flashing blue lights and no siren. Same thing with a group of police cars racing to some emergency. All you feel is a rush of wind while the police cars whiz by with their flashing blue lights. You hear nothing but the soft sound of their car tires...
@@sirgore7677 It really depends. Life in NY is seriously convenient, you get what you want, when you want it. You always have the feeling that the world's your oyster, there's nothing you can't do or have done for you. That's what I miss most about America when living in Austria (I'm still here now). Austria's a super wealthy, seriously first world country, but sometimes you just can't find the variety of options we're used to in the states. Plus all the stores close early, so that sucks if you actually have to work for a living. Austrians seem to have a problem making things uncomplicated and convenient for the end-user. When I'm in NY however, I miss the orderliness of Austria and their attention to quality over quantity. It seems to me that Americans prefer things the other way around, the more you have, the better, quality be damned. I also think the Austrians (as well as Europeans) are light-years ahead of us in terms of social democracy. They really do put the health and welfare of their citizens before things like military expenditures, and the results speak for themselves. The average Austrian seems to me to be healthier and more financially independent than the average American. You see defiant little old Austrian grannies going for vigorous walks at 2 in the morning, or entire families just talking a stroll together after dinner. I also really admire the Austrian attitude to things like healthcare and social services - it's a fundamental right available to everyone, regardless of what you do or where you work. I sometimes think if we Americans defended these principles as zealously as we did the 1st and 2nd Amendments, the U.S. would be a far gentler and more equal society.
When someone greet me I always think "wait, do I know you, who is that, was that for me or is there someone behind me?" and at that point It's already too late to respond
hahaha snobbish little brats, aaah yea some of us might seems snobbish. I usually dont greet people, but i can give them a nod and or a smile if that counts.
Although in the EU you can go from the Svalbard or Lofoten islands to Malta, Athens or Marseille. Hawaii are so far from the US mainland, that you may also include Martinique, Guadaloupe as part of Europe (as they are integral part of France) in the European diversity. I live in the USA, in NYC the immigration officers are never welcoming, compared to when I go to Mexico or back to Italy. The issue is even if the USA is such a large country with vast territories, so much of the land is private property and closed off. You can not park on the side of the road and camp. Or you can not just walk in some woods / fields as there are "no trespassing" signs everywhere. So very little land is available. If you go to state / county / national parks there are so many rules, like no swimming, no swimming without lifeguards on duty, no beer / wine allowed, and so on. It feels really like a police state with ton of regulations that micromanage life compared to Europe. Although maybe starting a business and being an entrepreneur (not my case) is more facilitated.
Sweden actually have something called Freedom to roam. Or allemansrätten. You have the right to access nature as long as you don't cause lasting damage. You can even camp one night at someone else's property (not their lawn) without needing permission. Again, as long as you don't cause lasting damage. You are allowed to pick berries, mushrooms and flowers. Take walks, go hiking and roam. Be respectful of nature, don't disturb wildlife and act with responsibility.
@@Ikajo Yes - and in Italy you park in a town on the Alps and you can walk up in the forest. In the USA this is for the most part lacking (at least in the North East). Private property and "No Trespassing" signs all over. Or you can not park anywhere. You can stay only on trails in state parks where drinking a beer or swimming in a lake is forbidden. I drove around lake George in upstate NY, I could not find any water access open to the public. Only private homes and hotels had access to the water.
I'm an American living in the UK, and so much of what you mentioned is relevant here too! I used to get soo many weird looks because I'd smile or say hi or whatever when walking around my uni town. Now when I go to the States my mom hs to remind me that I'm 'being cold' and it takes a couple days to get used to being really friendly again. Meanwhile, in England my coworkers always comment on how happy and open I am!
@Fredrik Larsson Quit being triggered by honesty and gtfo. Nah you don´t know what #stockholmsyndrome is, look it up. It´s the mental disorder you get from living in a semidictatorial monarchy for too long.
@@_stephanie I don´t know the exact details in the UK, but here in sweden they are not, even though they try very hard to fake that image of innocence. Here in sweden the monarchy run the largest liberal fascist media propaganda and brainwash institution to ideologically divide and control the swedish people. #Hjernevask They cannot be convicted in court, the swedish people of course can, no matter any fraud the monarchy cook up. They steal money (apanaget) from the people to finance this while manipulating the government.
In small towns and villages it's common to greet or wave at strangers in Sweden too. Though it's usually a generational thing, it's dying out even there. I moved into the city life a couple years back, then had a job in a semi-large town which is still very remote and when walking around there people would greet me and it startled me because I was no longer used to that.
You should come to the country side in Sweden. Here we do say hello to each other 😄 a woman I know moved from Stockholm to the place I live, and when her sister was visiting she was so surprised "Do you know so many people here already?" "No, that's just the way it is. People say hello when you meet them on the street"
1. We are friendly, depends where you are, my villages everyone says hi and talk to each others. You should do a road trip in Sweden from north to south. From renklämma to Spettekaka.
@@StefanThyron The North is different from the South, North has less people and you have to know your neighbor , you might need them when the snow comes or something else.
Hanna Young interesting. I just met a girl from Siberia the other day and she was saying the same thing how community was really important where she grew up. I think in a dark and cold environment people tend to rely on one another more
@@StefanThyron : Well think of this, there is a very small police force up north, it far to hospital and in some cases the store, you need to help each other just get a normal day working, so yes you need to help each other. It very common to offer a cup of coffee to even strangers , if you are asking for help.
@@StefanThyron It's hugely different even within a region. In Skåne you can experience rather cold people in e.g Eslöv, but if you would visit us down in Vellinge/Höllviken and Skanör it's completely different.
America seems great as long as you have a skill that the market is looking for. If you dont come from money or dont have a talent or are sick for that matter, it does seem like a very destructive lifestyle. As a Swede I would love the more open social aspect of America, Sweden does feel a little cold sometimes. If I ever get rich I would consider moving to America!
wow that's a very different mindset from the immigrants America gets right now where its mostly people who think they can get rich just by moving to America or something and sadly the US immigration system is still broken and lets this continue
I think the american people would benefit a lot if you started talking about democratic socialism and how it differs from socialism. Because, Sweden are not socialistic in the sense many in america may believe. Socialism has a bad reputation since so many associate with communism. In Sweden, we just believe that people should be taken care of and that, for example, health care should be free. To have free health care, free schools and higher taxes does not turn your society into the Soviet Union, rather it just makes thing better for the people.
I wish americans would understand how much more free they would feel without the constant worry of losing health care if you lose your job, or being able to work for yourself because you don't have to buy health insurance. They don't understand that a well educated country is a better country, or tech training if university is not for you. The load of having a student debt for over a decade after graduation will keep many people from entering the medical field, and teachers/professors get paid so poorly, as if it's not an important job. Many of the people in this country are so disgusted by the idea of helping someone else who was born into deep poverty, they don't realize how much it would benefit them and their own family if they lost their job and healthcare and everything they own - because it happens all the time. A "friend" recently said - he didn't like trump, the person, but he liked everything trump has done. All the democrats were socialists and wanted to make education and healthcare free, so he would continue to support trump. - It made me feel sick to my stomach.
I live in Sweden and have been for my entire life. After 30+ years in this place i can tell you as a 100% Swede that you are COMPLETELY wrong about my country. "To have free health care, free schools and higher taxes does not turn your society into Soviet Union, rather it just makes things better for the people." 1. We already have free schools, for EVERYONE. Free healthcare is just a stupid idea and i dont know how you could think otherwize and higher taxes WOULD be a good idea if the money actually went to the things the swedish people wants. Our taxes doesnt go to our swedish communities as you might think. Our police is underpayed and understaffed. Our hospitals have so much to do that pregnant women has been giving birth in their cars. All of our jails are crowded with immigrants and the police litterally went out yesterday saying that the police now fear that ISIS-recruitments will be higher as most of our immigrants are from muslims countries. Taxes in this country is a fraud and people in my country are starting to wake up which is why KD and SD are on the rise. Its sad to se really.. my sisters cant even go out at night like they used to when they were younger because of all of the immigrant-gangs everywhere. ALL of our money has gone to immigrants... nothing to hospitals, police or our older folks. Please dont talk for swedes when you dont know about our country.
For Americans, free health care, free schools does amount to socialism. America is a capitalist country run riot. The middle class in America is no longer the majority as it once was. In other words, the middle class is becoming poorer whilst the rich elite are getting richer. Well, that is no surprise since the militaty security complex is making more money bombing the fuck out of everyone in the world. Amerincas do not even have a government- they have an oligarchy.
It is a mans responsibility to take care of himself. Socialism is socialism. I do not wish to be taxed for other people’s health care, college or anything else. I will pay my own way as my life is my own responsibility. Nobody owes me or anyone else a thing. That is the great lie of socialism. That people are owed something. We are not. We have the right to make our own clothes, hunt and grow our own food, and build our own shelters. Nobody has the right to interfere with the pursuit of these things, but we must achieve them for ourselves. The government is not our parent. And I say that as someone who lives paycheck to paycheck. I am not owed- I must strive.
I use to go to Finland and Sweden and stay there for 3 months every year, I finally moved here 2 years ago and all the stuff I use to praise I now lowkey hate. I don't know if officially living here caused that shift in my point of view. People are cold. After dealing with this for so long it gets to you. I miss home so much. I also miss the diversity of people. I now hang out more with other foreigners cause they are friendlier, more outgoing, more positive and just genuinely nicer to be around. There are a couple of friends I've made here but then again the Finns and Swedes I've become good friends with are those who have traveled outside of EU or lived abroad at some point. I'm married to a Finn so we've talked about this a lot together. I'm trying to adapt to the way of life here but it's nice to go back home to my latino family, walk down the street and hear a bunch of different languages being mixed up with english and be able to find every single cuisine in one city. The US is beautiful that way.
All Americans who have been in Sweden love the word “fika” and specially the high quality coffee. Apparently the coffee that Americans drink back home is car oil. I know Americans who live here in Sweden who got settled down and had kids with Swedish women. And they all say that “fika” is like religion to Swedish people. But it’s another way of connecting for them
I always get depressed after watching Sweden videos because it makes me realize how much life sucks in America. America needs to become more like Sweden. Tax the rich so we can have nice things and take care of people. Nobody should be living in a tent on the side of the road. America is like a 3rd world country with it's lack of social services and terrible public infrastructure.
I just got back from Sweden a few months ago and I found your channel while I was over there :) I'm also from outside Portland, OR and I'd lived in Sweden for a year as an exchange student and went back over there for 5 months this summer to network, travel and look for work. So jealous you have a job there. Ha ha. But yeah what I love the most about Sweden vs. US is definitely the public transportation. I was traveling all over Scandinavia and the trains are so efficient and go all the time. The bus I was taking in Stockholm came every 4 minutes. So convenient. Having to come back and drive in traffic all the time is definitely annoying especially after being spoiled in Sweden :) keep up the cool videos!
I agree with you on how people outside of the the US tend to be more happy with their lives bc they’re happy with what they have. I noticed that when I left the states for a while to go to Europe and I really like it
Thanks for a very nice video. I guess your observations are just like mine. I have lived in sweden my whole life but Ive spend some time in St Louis, Huntsville Alabama and in L. A. Studying an short course at UCKA. Ive been in the US about ten times as a part of my job. My conclusion is that both nations have some things to learn the other so perhaps a mix of both ways to live would be even better! Hope you have a really good time here in sweden. Nice listen to you! Thanks for this video!
In America many things are great, but the one thing I really hate is the greed aspect. People never satisfied and will step on others just to make that extra few dollars. I love competitiveness, but America takes it to another level and many people suffer as a result for the gain of few, which most people attribute that to success unfortunately.
Draco Malfoy no Stockholm is not chill. I grow up there and it was a good place. Now i would never want to live there. Every time i even have to come there to take a bus to another place for courses it makes me want to leave at once. Stockholm now is not what it was.
Welcome to the land of lagom :) just tell me If you want to rent a place cheap at the bigest lake of sweden "Vänern" on the bigest Island the Island of Thor "Torsö" You could also just pop by to see the nature, Viking graves and stuff thats in the whole region here :) Just go. I can bacilcly teach you how to get around for free in sweden between may - september :) Or abit Moe comes and very cheap :)
not to be THAT guy, but when you speak of america as being diverse and bring up things like Korea-town, isn't that just america being segregated? Yeah sure it's a nice experience with people from all over the globe and what that brings, but isn't it better if it's a generall mix and not just certain areas with heavily condensed population of one ethnicity?
Didrik Lundh I don’t think I articulated it the best in the video. Although there are parts of town like ‘Korea town’ as I described, it still seems like all ethnicities are very well integrated from what I saw in LA. In fact Caucasians are in the minority (less than 50 percent) however I saw people of all different races and cultures hanging out and mingling with one another pretty seamlessly
@Didrik Lundh People don´t want to live like that, they naturally bond and are happier with likeminded and with same cultural interests, which is just fine. as long as it´s not islam. So just drop your fake ideological vocabulary "segregated", fake ideologic themes...
I watched this video and was pretty much just nodding my head to everything being said. It's all so true, for better and worse. Both cultures have things the other can learn from and that's desirable in different circumstances. But man am I glad to live in a nordic country (in my case Norway).
@@__-bc4bs Constitutional monarchy. And quite frankly we have more freedoms then Americans do for the most part. As for "the american dream" it's more true here then in the US. We have way higher social mobility then the US does.
It is so nasty and notorious BA and Aer Lingus set up flights which pre- check passengers in Eire to avoid the downright rude and endless delays of the NY, USA 'welcome'.
It’s impossible to make small talk or even eye contact with Swedes. So frustrating! Americans are sweethearts, so friendly and open! But the social situation and the obvious huge class distinction between white and black Americans is heartbreaking. I was visiting Washington DC and stayed in a huge posh apartments building. All the residents were white and all the doormen were black! I stayed for 2 weeks, not one white doorman or black resident 😕Beautiful city though and very kind, friendly people.
When I was a kid, I lived a little more rural, we always waved or said hi to neighbours. If I was on my way somewhere and met strangers I always said hi and/or smiled. I feel the climate has gotten colder as the years have gone by. If that´s because I live in the city or something else Idk. I would love for it not to be awkward to greet ppl. Thanks for good video, again! =)
Stefan. I lived inVastergotland (sorry no swedish keyboard for vowels) almost 50 years ago- as an exchange student. So much of what you say hits home. I’m traveling toStockholm in a few weeks and enjoying refreshing my swedish. Have you touched on the dental care there? I had 6 children and taught them to brush after eating- every time. Sweden has the most amazingly low incidence of cavities. All 6 had no cavities whatsoever, until they were in their 20s and out of my influence. Every day I realize that I had been influenced by Swedish culture. Ours is the only US home with a basket for shoes at the door. Are you in Stockholm this July? We’re with a “road scholar “ program in July. I’m hoping to try a lunch beat , but expect we are considered too old.
I experience Americans as very superficial and un authentic when they ask about how you are, but do not expect an answer and smile at everything and everyone, but as a Scandinavian I heard the same thing when I went to Russia, that I appear stupid when I smile so much. There they never really smile without having a really good reason. It is a cultural thing and one must just accept that cultures are different and that is not a bad thing.
The geography situation isn't really that much different, considering Sweden is geographically speaking part of the EU, and has freedom of movement throughout it. So you can actually travel from e.g. Stockholm to Athens easier than you can from LA to Anchorage (simply because it's a much shorter distance). There is no real difference between travelling within Europe and travelling within the US (except the US is slightly larger and much more scarcely populated), so to limit a European country's geographical reach (in terms of where you can can travel easily and unrestricted) to its borders really makes as much sense as limiting a US state to its borders. Vacationing within your own country is fairly rare in Europe, while vacationing in other European countries is very common, much like Americans often vacation in other US states. In terms of geography/diversity in travelling options, the US is more comparable to the EU, than a EU member state, in my opinion.
We have a lot of billionaires in Sweden too and the inequality is growing. But...we dont have places like Skid row in LA. And we all have a basic standard of living.
En av paradoxerna i den Skandinaviska modellen. Hög jämlikhet på inkomstsidan men bland de högsta skillnaderna i världen på förmögenhetssidan (Sverige, Norge speciellt).
So you are more or less saying billonaires should not excist in Sweden? The only thing high taxes does to them is to move away. That more or less countes the increased income we get.
Just a little correction, just over 100 were killed last year. Fewer one half of these were shot. But murders and manslaughter have increased in the last 6-7 years. However, Finland, for example, has slightly more murders than Sweden (per capita) and Denmark about as many. However, these countries have fewer people who were shot. Facts
@@__-bc4bs Don't be daft. He corrected you on unsupported claims you made and you lash out and claims he's trying to twist and/or censor truth? How can anyone be honest according to your standards when you're actively avoiding honesty yourself? Grab a book about facts and fact checking. You're a bit too comfy in your echo chamber. We get it: you have strong feelings against socialism. Move on.
Hi Stefan. This video is very engaging and I like the way you compare and contrast Sweden and America by highlighting both, pros and cons. Also, I really appreciate that you refer to yourself as an immigrant from Europe.
When I was in Sweden, I became super close to a fellow Canadian. I remember being told that us being friendly was seen as being fake. People wouldn't understand why we would smile at random people in the bus. I thought it was interesting. There's nothing fake about it, it's just being polite... and Canadian. When I came back, I really missed people being more outgoing, as you said. Still, I can't wait to go back to Sweden next fall. I hope you'll do more vlogs while living in Stockholm !
Yep, but here in socialist sweden the people have been primed to be suspicious about friendliness though exploitation. Poor social and mental climate here.
Samme J I agree that many Swedes would view the American way of greating and smiling at random ppl for no reason as fake, some times even rude, some might also think you are scary... and they would be frightened by you. In Sweden its polite to give ppl you dont know space, and not be too forward with overbearing friendliness. Since I dont know you and you dont know me I dont know if you want to be in your own bubble and have lots of things to think about, I dont wanna be rude and interrupt you with light Conversations that maybe neither one of us will remember. That is more or less the rule in the bigger towns. But the life style in the city is different from a small town in a small town an American might be big news so our curiosity. Frankly most swedes think of americans as being loud in most things you do, you seem to want to make it big, you like to supersize everything in your life, your job, your meals, your relationships, you are being friendly with everyone, you like to make a big deal out of everything too. Yet you have lost touch with whats really important many times and sometimes you cant even see it yourself. You might say hello to everyone but you might not have those deeper Bonds/conections with ppl anymore, its just an outside. Swedes dont really care about your outside as americans seem to do , we care more about the few ppl who opens up to us and makes real conections. But you cant get that if you treat everyone the same. You need to learn to relax your daily life, work good enough sometimes, take a breather, try to feel fullfilled if you make enough money, or you have just 2-3 friends comming over. Try to see that you dont need to have a babyshower, the baby wont remember it, you CAN actually just tell your friends over the phone. And Many Swedes travel away from friends and family during the holidays or birthdays. Try it. Many swedes also dont go out on the town or meet their friends that often. Or thats at least what I think .
Jayamila Persson it is not that americans smile. More like ttey smile when they should not. Then i know they are not the same everywhere. I have a lot of american fb-friends and they would fit in perfectly where i live. As long as they don't behave crazy on the street or the road.
This is a big city issue. We only really have 3 "major cities" and theres a reason for it... they attract stupid shallow people. (before anyone get their panties in a bunch; no not all big city people are shallow morons... but the stupid shallow moron per capita is *way* higher in the bigger cities... Ive lived in all of them an 8 smaller cities and Ive actially counted.)
And YESS I really wish public transportation was bigger here in America!! I abosilutelt loved it bc you just get more exercise for yourself when walking to cities or going to bus stops
I am from Russia living in the states now. This extraversion freaks me out. If I don't constantly smile ppl think I'm mean)) It's tiring to smile and talk all the time for no reason! Also I find it very hard to form any meaningful connections here.
@@caryn9561 Vikings hailed from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, however, the vikings commonly depicted in films, stories, and those historically known to invade England are basically largely Norweigian and Danish vikings, with a few being random and/or Swedish ones. Most Swedish vikings actually went east instead of west, using rivers and such to travel to quite exotic places, and were more about trading and protecting whatever goods they sold/bought.
Being a swede who has visitied US quite a lot I agree with your view about the differences. When it comes to say hello to strangers it differs a bit when you come to smaller cities where it is common to say hello and chit chat.
You are pretty right on with your observations , I lived in sweden for many years and visit regularly . One think you forgot and that is that the climate is generally better in US.
As a Canadian who’s spent time in Sweden, I appreciate your insightful videos, Stefan. A comment on your use of “America” as a nation. It’s the the US or USA, not America. America refers to the continent.
Timmy Brolin yes they do. But Starbucks is not a place where you should sit and take a fika. So few seats in their places. Different from Espresso House or Wayne's Coffee where they want you to stay.
Biggest thing you notice as a Scandinavian in America is that the attitude about Capitalism is so strong and they don't understand that their capitalism wouldn't work without socialism so they are in the foundation socialists but denies it
Love the Magic Johnson and James Worthy statues at the Staples Center. Magic is an amazing person who went on to do so many great things after he retired from playing.
About twelve years ago I visited the US. I flound that I liked the same things as you about America. People greeting eachother in the street is very un-Swedish (so of course I found it weird :) ). Riding public transportation i LA wasn’t very good by Swedish standards, but walking seemed to be something only homless people did (our motel manager seemed completely aghast when we asked if you could walk the 3km to the beach). The poverty and large numbers of homeless people was unfortunately also evident to us. We almost never see this in Sweden. Good and interesting video!
Förlåt nu att jag tar tråden här. Men jag har en fråga. När man får notis om att någon har svarat på ens kommentar och man klickar sig in till videon genom den notisen. Varför kommer man inte direkt till sin kommentar då? Alltså hur gör man för att slippa gå igenom alla kommentarer och leta upp sin egen kommentar? Är det bara jag ? 😂
Ingen som vet? Tappar ju lusten att kommentera om det ska ta 20 minuters letande för att hitta responsen man fått på sin kommentar. Och det värsta efter 20 min letande är att hitta att någon har svarat med endast en emoj 😅 Tidsslöseri deluxe. Jag kan inte maila YT och har googlat som fan efter svar.
@@miltonholm2914 Behöver och behöver.. Det kanske var dumt men nu blev det så för att det var på den här videon jag letade som en galning efter kommentaren. Och YT kan jag inte skriva till. Men nu vet jag att det är så det är, så Jag behöver inte fråga den frågan mer 🙂
I think this is one of the best explanation of differences. I really hate it when people try to generalize our entire population. It’s impossible . You pretty much nailed it with this. Thank you! I love all of your videos .
Yeh the relaxing bit is sure swedish.. we had a huge problem in IT that we noticed withing 10 minutes we wouldn´t fix within an hour so the team leader said "ok lets go get a coffee and discuss how we are going forth in the most efficient way" :P that stuff means a lot, to know u don´t have to pound ur head towards walls an entire day all year :)
Yes, Swedes are introverts. It's really crazy. Yes, the Swedish society is much more in harmony. Economical equality is actually good for the the national economy. The geographic diversity of USA is amazing. In Sweden the public transportation is great. In the U.S. you work to much.
This was so interesting, thank you! I am from Norway, and I lived a year in Alabama. Really cool to have an American talking about these perspectives, I have come to the same conclusions as you haha
@@Paganbeliever Hur svårt svenska är beror på vilket modersmål man har. För engelsktalande är svenska det näst lättaste språket att lära sig, näst efter norska. www.babbel.com/en/magazine/easiest-languages-for-english-speakers-to-learn
As a Scandinavian (Swedish) American, I can relate to many of the differences that you mentioned. I have traveled extensively and lived abroad, including in Sweden. From my travel and living-abroad experiences, I have found that in countries where there are long, cold winters the people tend to generally be more reserved, aloof and less friendly. In countries where it is sunnier and warmer, the people tend to generally be more friendly and outgoing. Of course, there are always exceptions.
In my opinion the exceptions are Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and northern England (not to be confused with all of England bc Southern England is reserved, aloof, distant, and private in mannerisms). I think it’s bc their weather is so downcast and dull there almost everyday, the people resort to being cheery to get by.
You know that you can't really compare maps like that since graphic maps are not geographical acurate. USA and Europe have almost the exact same area of 10.000.000 square km.
I always found it weird that the majority of americans dn't have a passport but when I realized what you also just mentioned. That you can get any type of holiday within the country it makes sense. And also, I think Norrköping is a fairly mellow and typcially swedish town it "looks" a lot different in the rest. Come to Helsingborg.
hemprivat mejl that’s a good question. America is one of the most religious developed countries in the world where as Sweden is one of the least. I’m not quite sure why that is, but in bigger cities like here in LA religion seems to be less prevalent.
@@StefanThyron Im from sweden myself and i would say its because here in sweden just beliving in a god for luck wouldn't keep anybody alive, as the crops would die in the winter and freezing to death would be more common, so by time people learned to do things by themselves instead of hoping some god would come down and make everything ok
hemprivat mejl during this season of Allt för Sverige they explained it! It's because of the great emigration of swedes (utvandringen) in the 1700-1800s. The main group were farmers cursed with bad soil, unable to make a living for themselves. Yet another group were the free-religious (frikyrkliga) who were outcasts due to the Christian convertion of Sweden back in the 1500s(?) (during Gustav Vasa's reign); non-christians were looked down on. And so many of the emigrants were very religious due to them being bullied by their beliefs. I think this was the case in other European countries as well, considering that most of Europe was converted into christianity back in the medievals. (Jag misstänker att du också är svensk pga ditt användarnamn, men drog historien på engelska så att alla förstår :))
@@StefanThyron It´s because the monarchy has forced and brainwashed the swedish people to believe in political ideologies instead so that the government can strip them from freedom and success and control the people.
Great video! Have a wonderful time in Stockholm! We live in the Swedish ski resort of Sälen, which is full of people enjoying their winter holidays just now! :)
I’d say some of the things you mention are regional characteristics. The comment about coffee is true in NY (or CT where I’m from) but if you go to Seattle, you’ll get a nice peaceful coffee time. Same for public transit. I have a friend in DC who also got used to great public transportation and was shell shocked to come back and see how reliant we are on cars. I love the comment about the fast-paced culture and “making it” though. It’s so true, and I think it does lead to dissatisfaction. Many people don’t ever really “make it.” Learning to find happiness with your current state rather than trying to find the next best thing seems like it would make a lot of people much happier (myself included!).
I noticed this too when I can back home from Sweden. I live in LA and it’s totally sucks how much we need our cars. I hate dealing with cars and I was so much happier in Stockholm using public transportation. Also my closest friends are Swedish and it’s so true they’re cold at first but once they get to know you they become the realist friends. ♥️ Keep the videos coming Stefan!
