Some cultures are very gregarious and lively. They like loud music, speak to each other loudly, etc.

Which cultures have you found to be more reserved? Not necessarily cold or rude, just not as loud in public?

  • linglinguistics@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    I think more reserved cultures can easily be seen as cold or rude by people who aren’t used to this. But that doesn’t mean it’s true. It’s just that the codes for social interactions are different and can be perceived as rude to those who don’t know the codes. This is my experience with Norway. I’ve heard a few people call Norwegians cold and rude, but I think politeness and friendship just works differently here that where I grew up. For example asking for something without saying please is extremelyrude where I grew up but fine in Norway. But there are other polite phrases I never think of saying because they weren’t part of what people say where I grew up. (Cold and rude people exist as well of course, but I wouldn’t call a culture cold and rude.)

    • Hour-Ladder-8330@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      I think more reserved cultures can easily be seen as cold or rude by people

      That’s not true and disingenuous.

      Canadians/Kiwis/Scandinavians/South koreans, Icelandic are reserved people but NOBODY calls them rude. Polite people will always be called as polite no matter how reserved/quiet they are,l. people are not mad to not be able to distinguish between politeness and rudeness.

      People call french, germans, polish, russian, chinese etc people rude NOT because they are reserved, but because they ARE rude as hell. Bad manners, not caring, lack empathy, unhelpful and just robotic rude.

      Ofcourse there would be exceptions but a LOT of people from those countries are just awfully rude and you cannot put it any other way. EVEN enlightened germans/French people call their fellow citizens rude.

      Hate these sugar coated answer which says “oh its just a way of interaction which people don’t understand” when in reality there is a reason why NOBODY calls french/germans/Russians/polish etc polite people, they are not for the most part.