As others have mentioned, tipping is not part of the culture, people don’t even think about tips, possibly because the waiters don’t have as bad salary, for example, and they are treated like anybody else.

Small talk is not part of the culture, that’s just how it is. Exceptions exists, always, but in general.

Racism is very low, there’s just slight reservedness toward exotic foreigners, but not much more than towards locals. North Europe in general, very polite and take others in consideration, to my experience. It’s just that the initial impression may seem cold and distant, and can be understood wrong, among locals too. We are straightforward and say things of value, rather than endlessly blabber. You can endlessly blabber though, I think most wouldn’t mind that at all, but you can reach the point when people wish you would shut your mouth already.

I live in Finland, but it’s similar here.

DON’T go to Stockholm or Helsinki, if you can choose. I really dislike going to Helsinki and I’ve been there quite a lot. Capitals give bad impressions of the countries as whole. Besides you want in the beautiful nature, rather than the concrete jungle.

Now obviously I’m not as extreme as the Japanese, if I received tip, I wouldn’t complain. But I won’t do it myself.

I do love how American general culture makes it easier to interact with people you don’t know very well. And I believe that there’s a sort of social insecurity in Sweden that goes deeper than in most countries.
It certainly doesn’t make most Swedes miserable or self loathing or contemptious of other humans – it just makes them socially insecure, and it’s annoying and contagious. But that’s all.

One thing I have mixed feelings about is the gender equality issue. I definitely feel my rights are much better protected in Sweden. I would much, much rather raise a child in Sweden than here, for instance.
On the other hand there’s much less chivalry, which would be just fine if there was true equality, but can be problematic when men still wield much more power.
I will admit that I grit my teeth whenever Americans and other people from more macho cultures go off on Swedish men for being rude and selfish. There is definitely something to be said for learning some self-reliance regardless of your gender!

In the end, any culture only goes so deep. I’ve also noticed how people who move to a new culture – any new culture – go through these periods of infatuation and backlash, and despising and idealizing the culture of their homeland. This has much more to do with selective awareness and memory and attitude than reality.

They say EXACTLY the same things about Chinese people.

Why do you think that is?

“Swedes (regardless of city/place/county, age, social class etc.) are brusque, rude, cold, arrogant and full of self-loathing.”