I came across this site from another blog about Sweden. This guy (I presume it is a guy), is livid with the Swedes. Hates them. He thinks Swedes are rude, self centered, boring, etc etc. When I read the blog, I couldn’t help but wonder if he’s ever visited other major metro cities (he claims to have). Last I checked, Parisians are rude, Upper East Side New Yorkers are extremely snobby, Beverly Hills folks are bitchy. So why are you getting your panties in a knot with Swedes? Especially Stockholm Swedes. And especially Stockholm Swedes in Stureplan. That’s like bitching that people from Monaco are snobby; of course they are!
Anyway his blog is called
Some quotes:
What heartless fucking assholes have you Swedes become?
Ouch.
Face it, Swedes are the rudest, lowest class folks on the planet.
Swedes are slime now?
But swedish people does not understand very simple things, because that would require some kind of self-reflection and critical thinking. Swedish people lack self.
That’s pretty funny.
Yes, quite a bit of Swedes are rude, cold and callous! You only need to come and visit and see what kind of service you will get, as a tourist in this town. I mean they do not even greet you when you walk into the shops, its like you are dong them a big favour!
I think we all know customer service is not big here. But it’s not big in France either. And according to many Swedes, they find American customer service intrusive. So when did Americans get the right to push our values onto culture?
Sweden is the only country in the world where I have seen more public spitting than in China.
Fail, go to India idiot. You will get spit on there.
The question is, Do you hate Swedes? Is Stockholm a tourist friendly city or do they all suck?
I don’t really have much to say to that. That much hostility and venom is hardly even worth acknowledging. I give him about as much credibility as the http://www.godhatessweden.com/ web site (=Sweden is a nest of sin and homosexuality, yada yada yada). I prefer not to waste too much energy on spiteful assholes like that.
And like you said, he complains about shallow, rude people and yet he goes to Sturecompagniet to party!!!! Plus he goes to Handelshögskolan which isn’t exactly known as a bastion of self-reflection and humility. And some things are just cultural differences, just like you say. Like the fact that you have to ask to get customer service in Sweden. Conversely, like you mentioned, I can actually get a little annoyed if the customer service is too intrusive. I’m simply used to being able to take my time in a store without someone hassling me. Again, cultural differences. However, I did live in New York for a short while and if you went into one of the big stores there you got customer service comparable to that of Stockholm. No big difference.
I *do* hate the spitting, though. Even though it’s nowhere near the chinese. :-)
My experience in Sweden was similar to that of other European cities. And yes, much like in New York, the service was slow and less-than-attentive. Shopkeepers and waiters were not overly eager to please the customer, but I was in no way offended. As an American, I saw it as a breath of fresh air. Service can’t be taken personally, and Americans are entirely too bent on the perfection of every tiny detail. Personally, I feel like the Swedes in my own country: suffocated by store attendants and wait staff who won’t leave me alone to do my shopping or eating. I appreciate that you can sit at a cafe in Sweden for a long, leisurely meal without getting dirty looks from a tip-hungry waiter. And people-watching in a land of beautiful people isn’t bad either!
I agree with Sapphire – there are shallow, conceited people all around the globe. There are also good people all over. Fixating on a few bad apples will blind a visitor to the real gem, the society’s culture. It seems to me that Swedes aren’t shallow, they just worry about the little things. It’s always good to get another perspective.
i’ve got to say what the guy had said is totally bullshit, i live with a swede , he’s so nice,kind,sometimes crazy though which i think coz wanna be so nice!
I was living in Sweden for almost 6 months and I think is a very nice place to live, in the beginnig you can think that people is too cold, that their customer service is not good, but we have to remember that we are the “aliens” in their country and we have to get used to their way of life.
I was in Linköping and after a couple of weeks I was “accepted” in a group and actually I have excellent swedish friends.
@Pontus – Yes, this guy reminds of the God Hates Sweden people. Although I doubt he is a fanatic or psychotic, just a very snobby person from the US who expects everything to be as he wishes.
@Eli- For sure, sometimes a break from over-friendly waiters and customer service people is all I want. Now that I have it in Sweden, I wouldn’t mind a little extra friendliness, but it is not the end of my world.
@Mike – Good for you Mike! Are you living in Stockholm and here for long in Sweden?
@Jesica – Well put. We are the aliens in their country; we should learn to be a little more open.
Haha,
I guess he got drunk in Solidaritet, got kicked out after trying to hit on a Swedish girl and was pissed!!
I’m French and I can tell you Parisians are not the nicest persons on Earth and being a foreigner in Paris can be a nightmare!
Anyway, I agree with Pontus, it’s not really necessary to give him any credit.
Puss och Kram
–
Rob
As Robinson pointed out, most likely he tried to pick up a girl at Sturecompaniet and got blown off…Must have been a big hit to his American Ego….
I have been living in Stockholm for a few months now (been visiting for almost 8 years) and Yes, Swedes have a different personality but by no means are they rude. You really need to get to know them better and once you take that effort, they are your best friends.
Anyways, if he hates it so much…why ain’t he packing his bag and heading back to where he belongs?
Everytime I have been to Paris the Parisians have been so kind and lovely to me. I do not understand the notion that they are rude.
Sweden has the world fooled with it’s peace, love and harmony image. The people are BORING lack any motivation to work or get to know people outside their circle. Immigrants don’t get much of a chance to better themselves in Sweden given they are segregated to undesirable places to live, thanks to the first hand contract nonsense which is a cesspool of Swedes only helping people they know. Customer service is a JOKE, the weather is grey and rainy, to the point you may just grow web feet. Swedes drink too get drunk and don’t understand the concept of moderation. School age children call teachers by their first name, and it’s very difficult for teachers to get any respect from their pupils- heaven forbid a teacher actually take a bullish child and gives him/her the third degree. Work hours- what is that? They sure love their coffee break and employees know it is nearly impossible to get fired,therefore lack any incentive to excel. Rather funny- they even have a saying for this “lagom” meaning not too much and just enough. Note: this rule does not apply to alcohol consumption, but applies to anybody trying to get ahead in life- why would you want that? Now you are just showing off and we are all equal in Sweden- except the immigrants. Shhh don’t tell the world that we like for them to believe we care. Really we do. We accept asylum seekers quite readily- then after a few years when they have assimilated into our country we kick them out. Let’s face it, yes their are alot of perks in Sweden, but there are no checks and balances. Corruption among the people and politicians is rampant. C’mon when was the last time you met a Swede who had not cheated the system. I am not talking about the stuff everyday people do in a civilized country. I am talking about a good majority of Swedes who out right plan how they are going to cheat the system, so much thought goes into this. From getting friends to say you were employed with them so you can get enough points to collect maternity, to hiring under the table , to lacking the desire to conduct job interviews and throwing half a stack of applications away without opening them, so your work time is now reduced to half. Ah this list is truly endless. We may have it backwards in the West- but we DO HAVE accountability for the people. In Sweden the people walk around with blinders on. Politicians can get away with the worst of scandals, it’s reported in the media once, maybe twice and then the blinders come on. As long as my security net is not taken away, I will remain, anti-social and pretend all is good in this great country of mine. I will not protest and see the injustice for so many and I will walk by the old lady who clearly needs help, or the mother struggling with her baby stroller to get on the bus. I don’t see you. Really I don’t. It’s not my problem. Lastly, in an era of globalization, Sweden will undoubtedly be left behind-they may have the technology down but their people skills are that of a pack of wolves. When places like china and India take over and the world becomes a blend of brown- these blonde, blue eyed socialist idiots will wonder “where did it all go wrong”. Look within Sweden, reflect on your socialization skills and your inability to think outside your own pre-packaged world. Take a page from Canada, now there is a country worth it’s weight in gold!
@ Sapphire.
Have you ever been to India mate. Please feel welcome to visit so, I will be your host and protect you from getting spit on! Mind you, we are a very diverse set of people. You will find all sorts of people and those too in a large number considering we are 1.2 billion in all. I agree spitting happens in India, but is centered to some places (esp the northern regions) and guess what…history has it that those people migrated from Europe, maybe after getting tired of the whether or each other (do a google on the subject – aryan invasion theory). Maybe it runs in your genes!
I have no hate against the swedes, i am part of a family that has been host to a swede for the past year and all of us have had a very good time, ignoring the minor quirks :-)
so i hate sweden. the people there are boring and the girls and the SUUUUUCK!!!!! i bet you like my grammer too.. hehe :) the swedish people have nothing to do and that what makes then suck.
the country is cold…
the men their have small penis…
they are all so pale and they look like fetal alcohol sydrome…
the girls lose their virginity at 14 yrs old and have the high alcholism and aonorexia rates in the world.
i hate sweden and everything about it. i live there and i hope the place blows up and everything there just dies. KABOOM! lol.
beenaround-myself living in Canada is nice but I think alot of countries have alot of learning to do from eachother, I’m sure Canada could be self sufficent and extreame green power wise and could be a excellent example to others but Canada lacks the balls to take hold of what it’s capable and of what all of its natural resources could provide and get hung up on silly things like tar sands and alberta oil, so stupid
Samantha- Country of course can be cold and it being winter and look how far North Sweden is! As for small penis I’m doubtful I’m sure its relative to stature but its not fair throwing the baby out with the bath water saying all Swedish men are lacking in that department and as for being pale i think its very nice to see people of all variations of colour but i think pale is alot better then having skin cancer and looking like a leather bag or being pumpkin coloured from fake & bake or other fake tanners, people should be proud of the skin they were born into and not feel like they should be some tanned copper colour to be beautiful.
Ha ha, hes just another reject, I bet some really hot girl slapped him down a notch. Most people may think Swedish girls are easy, thats a no no, (Swedish girls not saying all of them) are not sluts, I can admit there are Sluts everywhere, but thats not the case in sweden.
People might think swedish people are cold and boring, but thats not the case, swedes are not as much into drama as other people, and they have a hard time showing feeling compared to other countries, but the people closest to them gets to see the real person behind the mask.
Remember theres hate everywhere, never belive anything you read, people that have hate against swedes might have been unlucky to meet the worst pieces of shit in the whole country, there are bad and good people everywhere, just be sure to find the crowd that fits you.