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Hello, sweeties. Long time, no see. Anyhow, I have a story to share (again) and it involves a few people of the same Nordic origin as a lot of our TL membership: the Swedes.
Before I begin, let me make my love and admiration for the Scandinavians and their governments and societies very clear: I admire their achievements of being placed top 5 on the United Nations Human Development Index year after year, their universal healthcare, low levels of government corruption, strong labor unions, generous public pensions, free education, and a strong social safety net. You guys know how to build a good society.
But there's something that bothers me: their sense of humor.
Two days ago, I was attending a graduation (or something?) party at the invitation of a good friend of mine. Usually, I avoid these "friend-of-a-friend" types of gatherings, but I sincerely had nothing else to do, so I tagged along. There was a lot of alcohol, a lot of people I did not know, and no real way to avoid talking with them, so I had to get a few drinks and get comfortable and just try to mingle and chit-chat with everyone.
After drinking a bit, I felt more loose and confident and I overheard two guys speaking a foreign language. It sounded vaguely Scandinavian, so I walked up to them and I said "Hey, are you guys speaking Norwegian? Or something?" in a very friendly, warm tone of voice and one of them looks at me and says
"Maybe."
and I said "What?"
and he said "It could be!"
and I just stood there with a stupid look on my face because his tone of voice, along with what he was actually saying, was so weird to me that I didn't know what to say. Then he puts his finger up to my face in the shape of a gun and says "BANG!" and then he and the other Swede walk away.
Okay, that was weird. Whatever. I feel slightly embarrassed, but I move on.
Some other people were playing dominoes at a table together and they invited me to play, so I sat down for a game and I notice there's a girl speaking that language to ANOTHER girl and they're chit-chatting and discussing the game with each other and I was already drunk and had forgotten the previous embarrassment and blurted out "Where are you two from?"
One of the girls (I believe her name was Elva) said they were from Sweden and I said "And those other guys? Are they Swedish, too?" and she said yes and explained they weren't students, they just had friends here in Texas and were here to have fun for a few days, so I talk with them for a little bit and then I mentioned the incident about how the other two Swedes had reacted when I asked what language they were speaking and she says this:
"Americans, they can't take a joke and they can't stop eating."
Again, her tone of voice, along with what she actually said, left me again speechless with a stupid look on my face and then she looked at me and stuck her tongue out and made these weird, silly noises and then her and the other Swedish girl both get up and walk away.
Now, I'm embarrassed AGAIN and I make a decision to stay away from them for the rest of the night, but while I was getting another drink in the kitchen (which was EMPTY, by the way) another guy walks in, who I had been chatting with, and he asked how things were going and I said "Is it just those particular Swedes or is everyone from Sweden a sarcastic cunt?"
He laughs, I laugh, I go back out the door, no one heard what I said, the place was empty, it was a joke between him and me.
The SECOND I step out the door, ALL FOUR OF THEM are standing there and looking at me and just started BERATING me about what I had said and I was too drunk to mount a defense, so I just kept apologizing and tried to explain it was a joke and let me tell you, it was a goddamn NIGHTMARE.
Eventually, they all settle down and they explained that there's differences in humor between our two cultures and Americans don't "get it" and they weren't trying to be offensive or rude to me.
Anyhow, I wish I could say it ended with something more exciting, but it didn't. Happy Mother's Day and please don't be mean to me, Swedish people. 
 
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It can all be attributed to the alcohol, and that they are probably young. People over here do things I can't understand, the humour, the gestures, the language. The posturing, the preening. But it seems to breed out of them when they get older and less drunk.
stuck her tongue out and made these weird, silly noises and then her and the other Swedish girl both get up and walk away.
sounds like the beginning of a weird porno
all in all still sounds like a night to remember
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well that was anticlimactic
but it was also very funny and well-written XD
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Sounds like very childish Swedes, but Swedish people generally dislike american people, sadly :/ Still... very odd behaviour. How old were they? Like 14?
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REALLY odd behaviour, I'm guessing they were really young and shouldn't be drinking in the first place, who the hell are yo hanging out with?
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Well, by the sound of it, you actually can't take a joke. There's a difference between calling someone fat and calling someone a cunt, you know.
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ALLEYCAT BLUES50218 Posts
oh wow its pubbanana, I know you!
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Nah, Swedes are cool. You just met some weird ones.
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This sounds like a scene from Monty Python. A type of humor us Germans don't get. Weird.
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I read this, then I re-read it. Still don't get if you had bad luck finding strange Swedes or if you're socially awkard yourself. I've been travelling a lot and never had problems with any culture, except drunk football hooligans från England(when they are in another country).
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On May 14 2012 15:54 surfinbird1 wrote:
This sounds like a scene from Monty Python. A type of humor us Germans don't get. Weird.
This is hilarious, I've met lots of Germans who have problems understanding irony/sarcasm. Quite funny! : )
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Sounds to me like they were being idiots, the Swedish and USA culture over here is so mixed with each other that there's practically no difference between Swedish and USA sense of humor. You were most likely talking with very strange people....
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I'm with Integra on this. We work so hard to adapt the American way over here it's starting to get annoying. Either way, we watch the same comedy shows, listen to the same music and are influenced by the same things (except maybe out view on society and "freedom") and the people you met just sounded...fucking weird. There was no comedy in that, in any country...
And that gun in your face, "BANG" shit, would've earned him a trip to the hospital with a snapped finger if he'd pulled it off in northern Sweden. Fuck that shit.
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Those guys were obviously retarded, doesn't sound like Swedish sarcasm at all. Why would you do the gun and "bang" thing because someone mistakes Swedish for Norwegian? Any swedish person with any sense would actually be impressed by an American being able to recognize a language as scandinavian, so those guys were obviously idiots.
As for the girls, I can see joking about americans only being good at eating, but I don't think most people would do it in front of an American they don't know, especially not when in America. And even if they did, they should make it pretty obvious that they are joking, and not walk away which makes it seem like a direct insult.
Overall, I wouldn't worry about it. You didn't meet swedes, you meet assholes who happened to be swedish 
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Sweden33719 Posts
They sound like retards, but deadpan absurd humor is pretty swedish imo.
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I'm sorry Swedes but you can be condescending cunts. Both abroad and in my home town (Oslo - which seems to be under occupation by the swedes) Ive met people that I just wanna slap. When i hit the town last monday there were a shitload of em'. For some reason it always either/or. Some Swedes are just totally awesome - outgoing, polite, fun to be with - and some are total jackasses.
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On May 14 2012 18:25 Aphasie wrote:
I'm sorry Swedes but you can be condescending cunts. Both abroad and in my home town (Oslo - which seems to be under occupation by the swedes) Ive met people that I just wanna slap. When i hit the town last monday there were a shitload of em'. For some reason it always either/or. Some Swedes are just totally awesome - outgoing, polite, fun to be with - and some are total jackasses.
The same can be said for any nationality, it's just personal analogies. There's nothing inherent about Swedish culture/humor which makes Swedes more likely than any other to be condescending.
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On May 14 2012 18:21 Liquid`Jinro wrote:
They sound like retards, but deadpan absurd humor is pretty swedish imo.
(Everyone, please ignore this, it's personal)
FrozenArbiter, I still remember to this day how I had that documentary in my possession (the one about Elky walking through the streets of Seoul) and I even had the same series featuring ChRh, and I promised to upload it to YouSendIt, but I had deleted it by accident. To this day, I feel bad about making you wait for something that I never delivered.
And I'm glad you've realized your dream and even though I do not keep up with pro-gaming at all anymore, I remember the Korean interview you gave in which you said "ta-ning pon-teu" (turning point) in Korean and it made me so happy. 
You were the one who everyone quoted about Garimto when he said this about the Bamboo Rush "Even though you know it's coming, you can't stop it."
And my favorite team, the HanBit Stars, you wrote about how [Oops]Reach only sleeps four hours a day, even though he was a Starleague champion.
And by the way, FrozenArbiter, you are a really handsome guy.
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Okay, I've read all of the responses and most of you seem to agree that it was either because of the alcohol or the fact that they were strange Swedes ... but it could it be a combination of both? Obviously Aphasie has had the same experience, but those Swedes were not nearly within the same context as my experience. Now, I'm kinda of torn between two worlds ... their behavior was so fucking weird that I did not know how to react to it. But, every Swede who posted here said that wasn't Swedish humor, and then a Norwegian pipes up about Swedish behavior in his country (which, unfortunately, I understood).
This is a blog in which I am really torn. I still love all of you, but I'm torn 
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On May 14 2012 18:55 pubbanana wrote:Okay, I've read all of the responses and most of you seem to agree that it was either because of the alcohol or the fact that they were strange Swedes ... but it could it be a combination of both? Obviously Aphasie has had the same experience, but those Swedes were not nearly within the same context as my experience. Now, I'm kinda of torn between two worlds ... their behavior was so fucking weird that I did not know how to react to it. But, every Swede who posted here said that wasn't Swedish humor, and then a Norwegian pipes up about Swedish behavior in his country (which, unfortunately, I understood). This is a blog in which I am really torn. I still love all of you, but I'm torn
It's more that their behavior would be met by the same response in Sweden. Of course, we weren't there and can't tell how the situation felt, we can't hear their tone of voice and see their expressions, but if someone acted the way you explained, I would probably tell them to their face immediately that they were being dicks. From what I can tell from your post, they weren't joking at all, they were flat out insulting you and tried to play it off as a joke.
The same is true with the Norway remark. Danish people often whine about Swedes acting like idiots in Denmark, but that's because young swedes go there to drink since they aren't allowed to do so in Sweden, and they wouldn't act that way here. It's not because they are swedes, it because they are young drunk idiots. It's true for all nations, go to some nice summer resort in southern Europe and enjoy the shit-eating english hooligans, the dumbass germans and the annoying french. It's not humor, nor cultural, just young people being dumb.
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To me it just appears as if they didn't like you all that much and wanted to act weird to creep you out or confuse you. Either that or they were just strange people. Can't imagine anyone else from around here acting that way when trying to be polite or funny in a friendly way, just like you I am only confused 
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they probably just had heatstrokes because the temperature was above 10°C
that's why they acted weird
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I dont get it either, they were just weird "jokes". I understand if they wanted to tease you with the "maybe" but everything after it was just... no idea wtf it was. Wasn't sarcasm atleast.
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On May 14 2012 15:59 JollYRoGeR wrote:Show nested quote +On May 14 2012 15:54 surfinbird1 wrote:
This sounds like a scene from Monty Python. A type of humor us Germans don't get. Weird. This is hilarious, I've met lots of Germans who have problems understanding irony/sarcasm. Quite funny! : )
The funny thing about this is the one guy I know "straight off the boat" from Germany, who's like 60 now, is the most ironic/sarcastic guy I know. What kills me about him is he is able to be 100% deadpan about it, constantly.
I think my position in the party would be the exact same given the same circumstance. I love most people from other countries (except Brits. I have had considerably fewer good interractions with them than bad for some reason. I try, they just don't like me :< ) but the culture shock is huge at times.
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It sounds like they just "trolled" you irl. Sweden is the nerdiest country on earth, among todays youngsters there are groups of people who behave and talk irl like they do on the internet. I don't think that it is funny but I know several who behave like that.
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This is why Swedes can be assholes; They are perhaps the most arrogant among the Scandinavians (and thats saying alot), because of the high UN ranking, hockey, etc, (i could name a hundred reasons). They are mostly fit, metrosexual and out going and by some strech of the imagination this entitles them to be experts on any matter in society (i.e. politically correct). By spending every dime they make in the "public sphere" (albeit in the most parsimonious way possible) they think they assert themselves as successful.
They can be particularly condescending to Norwegians because of the union etc. (and the "norwegians just have oil"-mantra)
Or in this case; to Americans, of whom, most of them know nothing about. Lets face it - the leftist Scandinavians favorite way to pass the time is/was bashing on Bush/republicans/"the stupid Americans"
Im not saying every Swede is like that, because thats not the case. However Ive met shitload of people that fit that description. Those who arent like that are usually awesome. It is what it is...
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Okay, purely personal experience talking here:
Swedes (and other Scandinavians) on holidays/trips are always really, really drunk.
Alcohol is pretty expensive there, and they don't have a "drinking culture" like pretty much all of Middle Europe. Not that it's a good thing to have one, mind you.
But when they get to another country where they see cheap alcohol thrown at them, they just take everything they can get.
Next problem is that they can't hold their liquor for shit and are drunk as hell after 3 beers.
I might sound like I'm stereotyping them unfairly, but I've met enough Scandinavians over the course of my life, from young Students to 30+ y.o.'s on business trips to say this.
The only Scandinavins you will meet OUTSIDE of Scandinavia that are not absolutely plastered all the time are either families (because of their kids) or they've lived abroad for a while already.
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On May 14 2012 21:49 Dandel Ion wrote:
Okay, purely personal experience talking here:
Swedes (and other Scandinavians) on holidays/trips are always really, really drunk.
Alcohol is pretty expensive there, and they don't have a "drinking culture" like pretty much all of Middle Europe. Not that it's a good thing to have one, mind you.
But when they get to another country where they see cheap alcohol thrown at them, they just take everything they can get.
Next problem is that they can't hold their liquor for shit and are drunk as hell after 3 beers.
I might sound like I'm stereotyping them unfairly, but I've met enough Scandinavians over the course of my life, from young Students to 30+ y.o.'s on business trips to say this.
The only Scandinavins you will meet OUTSIDE of Scandinavia that are not absolutely plastered all the time are either families (because of their kids) or they've lived abroad for a while already.
A lot of truth in your post, but your idea about holding liquor is completely incorrect. Scandinavian countries have a drinking culture, but it's very different from the rest of Europe: Over here, we drink seldomly, but when we drink, we drink a TON, which is why we are usually very strong when it comes to alcohol, we don't drink a glass of wine to dinner, we drink a bottle of vodka for the weekend instead.
This is also why we drink a lot when on vacation in other countries: It's a party, the alcohol is cheap, so we drink a fuckload and, obviously, get really drunk.
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On May 14 2012 21:39 Aphasie wrote:
This is why Swedes can be assholes; They are perhaps the most arrogant among the Scandinavians (and thats saying alot), because of the high UN ranking, hockey, etc, (i could name a hundred reasons). They are mostly fit, metrosexual and out going and by some strech of the imagination this entitles them to be experts on any matter in society (i.e. politically correct). By spending every dime they make in the "public sphere" (albeit in the most parsimonious way possible) they think they assert themselves as successful.
They can be particularly condescending to Norwegians because of the union etc. (and the "norwegians just have oil"-mantra)
Or in this case; to Americans, of whom, most of them know nothing about. Lets face it - the leftist Scandinavians favorite way to pass the time is/was bashing on Bush/republicans/"the stupid Americans"
Im not saying every Swede is like that, because thats not the case. However Ive met shitload of people that fit that description. Those who arent like that are usually awesome. It is what it is...
And Norwegians are born with a shining silver spoon in their mouth, have no work morals and are in general extremely spoiled and sensitive when it comes to matters regarding political correctness. Like how norwegian employers bitch and moan that Norwegians cannot work for shit, are lazy and incompetent. Norwegians also have this twisted look of themselves thinking they are more iportant then they are, which is everytime they interview anyone not norwegian they have to ask the person "What do you think of Norway? Dont you love it? Isnt our country the best?" See i can make generalizations too? Your post says it does not generealize but uh, it does. It's like the "Im not racist but..." expression, when someone says that you know they are about to pop something racist.
And Swedes are arrogant because of the high UN ranking? What? Norway is above Sweden in it afaik, Finland aswell.
Because we are fit, metrosexual and outgoing we think we are experts on any matter of society? You base this on what?
Again your post is completely pointless and has no real basis in anything, its just broad generalisation based on "your experience" which for all i know could be clubbing in Oslo and coming in contact with so called "party swedes". Yes those are mostly drunken idiots who spend their money on clothes and partying. But do you seriously think the norwegians that come to Svinesund and other border towns behave themselves any better?
The company you keep reflects back on you, you say you've met tons of these persons. WHat does that then say about you if you are so often in contact with this element of society?
Again, stupid post.
User was warned for this post
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You just met some weirdos. Swedes are in general very nice people, and I don't agree with Aphasie. If anything the swedes are the nicest of the scandinavians.
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On May 14 2012 23:04 unkkz wrote:Show nested quote +On May 14 2012 21:39 Aphasie wrote:
This is why Swedes can be assholes; They are perhaps the most arrogant among the Scandinavians (and thats saying alot), because of the high UN ranking, hockey, etc, (i could name a hundred reasons). They are mostly fit, metrosexual and out going and by some strech of the imagination this entitles them to be experts on any matter in society (i.e. politically correct). By spending every dime they make in the "public sphere" (albeit in the most parsimonious way possible) they think they assert themselves as successful.
They can be particularly condescending to Norwegians because of the union etc. (and the "norwegians just have oil"-mantra)
Or in this case; to Americans, of whom, most of them know nothing about. Lets face it - the leftist Scandinavians favorite way to pass the time is/was bashing on Bush/republicans/"the stupid Americans"
Im not saying every Swede is like that, because thats not the case. However Ive met shitload of people that fit that description. Those who arent like that are usually awesome. It is what it is... And Norwegians are born with a shining silver spoon in their mouth, have no work morals and are in general extremely spoiled and sensitive when it comes to matters regarding political correctness. Like how norwegian employers bitch and moan that Norwegians cannot work for shit, are lazy and incompetent. Norwegians also have this twisted look of themselves thinking they are more iportant then they are, which is everytime they interview anyone not norwegian they have to ask the person "What do you think of Norway? Dont you love it? Isnt our country the best?" See i can make generalizations too? Your post says it does not generealize but uh, it does. It's like the "Im not racist but..." expression, when someone says that you know they are about to pop something racist. And Swedes are arrogant because of the high UN ranking? What? Norway is above Sweden in it afaik, Finland aswell. Because we are fit, metrosexual and outgoing we think we are experts on any matter of society? You base this on what? Again your post is completely pointless and has no real basis in anything, its just broad generalisation based on "your experience" which for all i know could be clubbing in Oslo and coming in contact with so called "party swedes". Yes those are mostly drunken idiots who spend their money on clothes and partying. But do you seriously think the norwegians that come to Svinesund and other border towns behave themselves any better? The company you keep reflects back on you, you say you've met tons of these persons. WHat does that then say about you if you are so often in contact with this element of society? Again, stupid post.
Generalizations is the only way to break down the experiences you've accumulated over the years. What I said is how Swedes that fit a loosely defined psychological profile are generally those that act like assholes. And furthermore, I actually agree with what you say about Norway. I wouldnt deny it for anything in the world. As I said, it is what it is. I was criticizing Swedes, because the topic is about Swedes and how they appear to the rest of the world. I shouldnt have to berate Norwegians, just to berate Swedes. I can do that some other time.
Fuck you and your righteous indignation.
Sincerely,
Aphasie
User was warned for this post
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On May 14 2012 23:32 Aphasie wrote:Generalizations is the only way to break down the experiences you've accumulated over the years.
Sounds more like the excuse of a dumb person than a fact. Source?
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On May 14 2012 23:32 Aphasie wrote:Show nested quote +On May 14 2012 23:04 unkkz wrote:On May 14 2012 21:39 Aphasie wrote:
This is why Swedes can be assholes; They are perhaps the most arrogant among the Scandinavians (and thats saying alot), because of the high UN ranking, hockey, etc, (i could name a hundred reasons). They are mostly fit, metrosexual and out going and by some strech of the imagination this entitles them to be experts on any matter in society (i.e. politically correct). By spending every dime they make in the "public sphere" (albeit in the most parsimonious way possible) they think they assert themselves as successful.
They can be particularly condescending to Norwegians because of the union etc. (and the "norwegians just have oil"-mantra)
Or in this case; to Americans, of whom, most of them know nothing about. Lets face it - the leftist Scandinavians favorite way to pass the time is/was bashing on Bush/republicans/"the stupid Americans"
Im not saying every Swede is like that, because thats not the case. However Ive met shitload of people that fit that description. Those who arent like that are usually awesome. It is what it is... And Norwegians are born with a shining silver spoon in their mouth, have no work morals and are in general extremely spoiled and sensitive when it comes to matters regarding political correctness. Like how norwegian employers bitch and moan that Norwegians cannot work for shit, are lazy and incompetent. Norwegians also have this twisted look of themselves thinking they are more iportant then they are, which is everytime they interview anyone not norwegian they have to ask the person "What do you think of Norway? Dont you love it? Isnt our country the best?" See i can make generalizations too? Your post says it does not generealize but uh, it does. It's like the "Im not racist but..." expression, when someone says that you know they are about to pop something racist. And Swedes are arrogant because of the high UN ranking? What? Norway is above Sweden in it afaik, Finland aswell. Because we are fit, metrosexual and outgoing we think we are experts on any matter of society? You base this on what? Again your post is completely pointless and has no real basis in anything, its just broad generalisation based on "your experience" which for all i know could be clubbing in Oslo and coming in contact with so called "party swedes". Yes those are mostly drunken idiots who spend their money on clothes and partying. But do you seriously think the norwegians that come to Svinesund and other border towns behave themselves any better? The company you keep reflects back on you, you say you've met tons of these persons. WHat does that then say about you if you are so often in contact with this element of society? Again, stupid post. Generalizations is the only way to break down the experiences you've accumulated over the years. What I said is how Swedes that fit a loosely defined psychological profile are generally those that act like assholes. And furthermore, I actually agree with what you say about Norway. I wouldnt deny it for anything in the world. As I said, it is what it is. I was criticizing Swedes, because the topic is about Swedes and how they appear to the rest of the world. I shouldnt have to berate Norwegians, just to berate Swedes. I can do that some other time. Fuck you and your righteous indignation. Sincerely, Aphasie
You're just making up things to be an ass if you think "generalizations is(sic) the only way to break down experiences..."
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It seems like the people you met were huge twats. That said, we Swedes have kind of our own brand of humour, that will seem very odd to other people, often coming off as very condescending.
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Lol, I don't see how pointing at someone's face and then going bang is any kind of humor at all let alone swedish. ( I'm no swede but I've been there alot, that counts for a little I guess). He was either very drunk or just didn't really know how to respond I think.
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On May 15 2012 00:09 Alpino wrote:Show nested quote +On May 14 2012 23:32 Aphasie wrote:On May 14 2012 23:04 unkkz wrote:On May 14 2012 21:39 Aphasie wrote:
This is why Swedes can be assholes; They are perhaps the most arrogant among the Scandinavians (and thats saying alot), because of the high UN ranking, hockey, etc, (i could name a hundred reasons). They are mostly fit, metrosexual and out going and by some strech of the imagination this entitles them to be experts on any matter in society (i.e. politically correct). By spending every dime they make in the "public sphere" (albeit in the most parsimonious way possible) they think they assert themselves as successful.
They can be particularly condescending to Norwegians because of the union etc. (and the "norwegians just have oil"-mantra)
Or in this case; to Americans, of whom, most of them know nothing about. Lets face it - the leftist Scandinavians favorite way to pass the time is/was bashing on Bush/republicans/"the stupid Americans"
Im not saying every Swede is like that, because thats not the case. However Ive met shitload of people that fit that description. Those who arent like that are usually awesome. It is what it is... And Norwegians are born with a shining silver spoon in their mouth, have no work morals and are in general extremely spoiled and sensitive when it comes to matters regarding political correctness. Like how norwegian employers bitch and moan that Norwegians cannot work for shit, are lazy and incompetent. Norwegians also have this twisted look of themselves thinking they are more iportant then they are, which is everytime they interview anyone not norwegian they have to ask the person "What do you think of Norway? Dont you love it? Isnt our country the best?" See i can make generalizations too? Your post says it does not generealize but uh, it does. It's like the "Im not racist but..." expression, when someone says that you know they are about to pop something racist. And Swedes are arrogant because of the high UN ranking? What? Norway is above Sweden in it afaik, Finland aswell. Because we are fit, metrosexual and outgoing we think we are experts on any matter of society? You base this on what? Again your post is completely pointless and has no real basis in anything, its just broad generalisation based on "your experience" which for all i know could be clubbing in Oslo and coming in contact with so called "party swedes". Yes those are mostly drunken idiots who spend their money on clothes and partying. But do you seriously think the norwegians that come to Svinesund and other border towns behave themselves any better? The company you keep reflects back on you, you say you've met tons of these persons. WHat does that then say about you if you are so often in contact with this element of society? Again, stupid post. Generalizations is the only way to break down the experiences you've accumulated over the years. What I said is how Swedes that fit a loosely defined psychological profile are generally those that act like assholes. And furthermore, I actually agree with what you say about Norway. I wouldnt deny it for anything in the world. As I said, it is what it is. I was criticizing Swedes, because the topic is about Swedes and how they appear to the rest of the world. I shouldnt have to berate Norwegians, just to berate Swedes. I can do that some other time. Fuck you and your righteous indignation. Sincerely, Aphasie You're just making up things to be an ass if you think "generalizations is(sic) the only way to break down experiences..."
To be precise I also said "... over the years". This implies a form of associative memory from which you extract meta-data which almost by definition is generalizations. Unless you have photographic memory, which very few people have, youre destined to make generalizations in describing a phenomena. You may have episodic memories (memories about a certain events you have experienced) but they are by definition singular. If you are to compare it (breaking it down) you are measuring it against other set data of which the abstraction of common denominators (or differences) are the result. Generalizations dont necessitate certainty or truth, they are neat ways of coding information that seems the most plausible/easiest to recollect.
On May 14 2012 23:44 Tobberoth wrote:Show nested quote +On May 14 2012 23:32 Aphasie wrote:Generalizations is the only way to break down the experiences you've accumulated over the years. Sounds more like the excuse of a dumb person than a fact. Source?
Unfortunately i dont have any sources at hand. I could dig in my psychology books when i move home again, but thats a couple of weeks from now. And im probably not going to anyway...
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On May 15 2012 01:35 Aphasie wrote:Show nested quote +On May 15 2012 00:09 Alpino wrote:On May 14 2012 23:32 Aphasie wrote:On May 14 2012 23:04 unkkz wrote:On May 14 2012 21:39 Aphasie wrote:
This is why Swedes can be assholes; They are perhaps the most arrogant among the Scandinavians (and thats saying alot), because of the high UN ranking, hockey, etc, (i could name a hundred reasons). They are mostly fit, metrosexual and out going and by some strech of the imagination this entitles them to be experts on any matter in society (i.e. politically correct). By spending every dime they make in the "public sphere" (albeit in the most parsimonious way possible) they think they assert themselves as successful.
They can be particularly condescending to Norwegians because of the union etc. (and the "norwegians just have oil"-mantra)
Or in this case; to Americans, of whom, most of them know nothing about. Lets face it - the leftist Scandinavians favorite way to pass the time is/was bashing on Bush/republicans/"the stupid Americans"
Im not saying every Swede is like that, because thats not the case. However Ive met shitload of people that fit that description. Those who arent like that are usually awesome. It is what it is... And Norwegians are born with a shining silver spoon in their mouth, have no work morals and are in general extremely spoiled and sensitive when it comes to matters regarding political correctness. Like how norwegian employers bitch and moan that Norwegians cannot work for shit, are lazy and incompetent. Norwegians also have this twisted look of themselves thinking they are more iportant then they are, which is everytime they interview anyone not norwegian they have to ask the person "What do you think of Norway? Dont you love it? Isnt our country the best?" See i can make generalizations too? Your post says it does not generealize but uh, it does. It's like the "Im not racist but..." expression, when someone says that you know they are about to pop something racist. And Swedes are arrogant because of the high UN ranking? What? Norway is above Sweden in it afaik, Finland aswell. Because we are fit, metrosexual and outgoing we think we are experts on any matter of society? You base this on what? Again your post is completely pointless and has no real basis in anything, its just broad generalisation based on "your experience" which for all i know could be clubbing in Oslo and coming in contact with so called "party swedes". Yes those are mostly drunken idiots who spend their money on clothes and partying. But do you seriously think the norwegians that come to Svinesund and other border towns behave themselves any better? The company you keep reflects back on you, you say you've met tons of these persons. WHat does that then say about you if you are so often in contact with this element of society? Again, stupid post. Generalizations is the only way to break down the experiences you've accumulated over the years. What I said is how Swedes that fit a loosely defined psychological profile are generally those that act like assholes. And furthermore, I actually agree with what you say about Norway. I wouldnt deny it for anything in the world. As I said, it is what it is. I was criticizing Swedes, because the topic is about Swedes and how they appear to the rest of the world. I shouldnt have to berate Norwegians, just to berate Swedes. I can do that some other time. Fuck you and your righteous indignation. Sincerely, Aphasie You're just making up things to be an ass if you think "generalizations is(sic) the only way to break down experiences..." To be precise I also said "... over the years". This implies a form of associative memory from which you extract meta-data which almost by definition is generalizations. Unless you have photographic memory, which very few people have, youre destined to make generalizations in describing a phenomena. You may have episodic memories (memories about a certain events you have experienced) but they are by definition singular. If you are to compare it (breaking it down) you are measuring it against other set data of which the abstraction of common denominators (or differences) are the result. Generalizations dont necessitate certainty or truth, they are neat ways of coding information that seems the most plausible/easiest to recollect. Show nested quote +On May 14 2012 23:44 Tobberoth wrote:On May 14 2012 23:32 Aphasie wrote:Generalizations is the only way to break down the experiences you've accumulated over the years. Sounds more like the excuse of a dumb person than a fact. Source? Unfortunately i dont have any sources at hand. I could dig in my psychology books when i move home again, but thats a couple of weeks from now. And im probably not going to anyway...
Since you're obviously well read enough to understand the concept, it baffles me how you can use it as a defense for your arguments. Any intelligent person who is making claims about a group would take their time in making sure their generalizations aren't incorrect. Let's say I want to describe Norwegians, and I happened to meet one Norwegian who was a real dick. Now unless I'm a troll, I would realize that this experience has colored my image of Norwegians, and I would make sure not to let it affect my arguments. The opposite of that would be saying all Norwegians are assholes, and going as far as DEFENDING that perspective by letting everyone know I'm generalizing from one bad experience I had.
Instead of claiming swedes are condescending cunts because of your limited experience, it would make more sense to chime in that young people partying in different countries have a tendency to not be overly nice and polite, because that is something your experience actually supports.
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We swedes are mostly sarcastic cunts, alas I consider myself one, and frankly I believe this behavior comes from our belief that we are superior to everyone else. But in reality we aren't better than anyone else, we just act like cunts and believe we are.
But it depends on who you socialize with, some of us are actually nice, but try to avoid us when we are drinking. Because for some reason getting absolutely shitfaced-wasted is the norm for how you drink in Sweden, and no one is truly nice beyond superfical drunk I-luv-u-so-much-man banter.
But yeah man just keeping on rolling and hopefully Sweden will treat you better. =)
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Sweden33719 Posts
On May 14 2012 18:36 pubbanana wrote:Show nested quote +On May 14 2012 18:21 Liquid`Jinro wrote:
They sound like retards, but deadpan absurd humor is pretty swedish imo. (Everyone, please ignore this, it's personal) FrozenArbiter, I still remember to this day how I had that documentary in my possession (the one about Elky walking through the streets of Seoul) and I even had the same series featuring ChRh, and I promised to upload it to YouSendIt, but I had deleted it by accident. To this day, I feel bad about making you wait for something that I never delivered. And I'm glad you've realized your dream and even though I do not keep up with pro-gaming at all anymore, I remember the Korean interview you gave in which you said "ta-ning pon-teu" (turning point) in Korean and it made me so happy. You were the one who everyone quoted about Garimto when he said this about the Bamboo Rush "Even though you know it's coming, you can't stop it." And my favorite team, the HanBit Stars, you wrote about how [Oops]Reach only sleeps four hours a day, even though he was a Starleague champion. And by the way, FrozenArbiter, you are a really handsome guy.
Awww man, so much love in this post =)
It's good to see you posting again!
@A whomever wrote this:
"What do you think of Norway? Dont you love it? Isnt our country the best?"
I think it's kinda funny how every smaller country does this... Funny, and super annoying when it is your own (obv swedish interviews have this wonderful feature as well and it makes me want to stab myself every time).
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On May 15 2012 02:02 Tobberoth wrote:Show nested quote +On May 15 2012 01:35 Aphasie wrote:On May 15 2012 00:09 Alpino wrote:On May 14 2012 23:32 Aphasie wrote:On May 14 2012 23:04 unkkz wrote:On May 14 2012 21:39 Aphasie wrote:
This is why Swedes can be assholes; They are perhaps the most arrogant among the Scandinavians (and thats saying alot), because of the high UN ranking, hockey, etc, (i could name a hundred reasons). They are mostly fit, metrosexual and out going and by some strech of the imagination this entitles them to be experts on any matter in society (i.e. politically correct). By spending every dime they make in the "public sphere" (albeit in the most parsimonious way possible) they think they assert themselves as successful.
They can be particularly condescending to Norwegians because of the union etc. (and the "norwegians just have oil"-mantra)
Or in this case; to Americans, of whom, most of them know nothing about. Lets face it - the leftist Scandinavians favorite way to pass the time is/was bashing on Bush/republicans/"the stupid Americans"
Im not saying every Swede is like that, because thats not the case. However Ive met shitload of people that fit that description. Those who arent like that are usually awesome. It is what it is... And Norwegians are born with a shining silver spoon in their mouth, have no work morals and are in general extremely spoiled and sensitive when it comes to matters regarding political correctness. Like how norwegian employers bitch and moan that Norwegians cannot work for shit, are lazy and incompetent. Norwegians also have this twisted look of themselves thinking they are more iportant then they are, which is everytime they interview anyone not norwegian they have to ask the person "What do you think of Norway? Dont you love it? Isnt our country the best?" See i can make generalizations too? Your post says it does not generealize but uh, it does. It's like the "Im not racist but..." expression, when someone says that you know they are about to pop something racist. And Swedes are arrogant because of the high UN ranking? What? Norway is above Sweden in it afaik, Finland aswell. Because we are fit, metrosexual and outgoing we think we are experts on any matter of society? You base this on what? Again your post is completely pointless and has no real basis in anything, its just broad generalisation based on "your experience" which for all i know could be clubbing in Oslo and coming in contact with so called "party swedes". Yes those are mostly drunken idiots who spend their money on clothes and partying. But do you seriously think the norwegians that come to Svinesund and other border towns behave themselves any better? The company you keep reflects back on you, you say you've met tons of these persons. WHat does that then say about you if you are so often in contact with this element of society? Again, stupid post. Generalizations is the only way to break down the experiences you've accumulated over the years. What I said is how Swedes that fit a loosely defined psychological profile are generally those that act like assholes. And furthermore, I actually agree with what you say about Norway. I wouldnt deny it for anything in the world. As I said, it is what it is. I was criticizing Swedes, because the topic is about Swedes and how they appear to the rest of the world. I shouldnt have to berate Norwegians, just to berate Swedes. I can do that some other time. Fuck you and your righteous indignation. Sincerely, Aphasie You're just making up things to be an ass if you think "generalizations is(sic) the only way to break down experiences..." To be precise I also said "... over the years". This implies a form of associative memory from which you extract meta-data which almost by definition is generalizations. Unless you have photographic memory, which very few people have, youre destined to make generalizations in describing a phenomena. You may have episodic memories (memories about a certain events you have experienced) but they are by definition singular. If you are to compare it (breaking it down) you are measuring it against other set data of which the abstraction of common denominators (or differences) are the result. Generalizations dont necessitate certainty or truth, they are neat ways of coding information that seems the most plausible/easiest to recollect. On May 14 2012 23:44 Tobberoth wrote:On May 14 2012 23:32 Aphasie wrote:Generalizations is the only way to break down the experiences you've accumulated over the years. Sounds more like the excuse of a dumb person than a fact. Source? Unfortunately i dont have any sources at hand. I could dig in my psychology books when i move home again, but thats a couple of weeks from now. And im probably not going to anyway... Since you're obviously well read enough to understand the concept, it baffles me how you can use it as a defense for your arguments. Any intelligent person who is making claims about a group would take their time in making sure their generalizations aren't incorrect. Let's say I want to describe Norwegians, and I happened to meet one Norwegian who was a real dick. Now unless I'm a troll, I would realize that this experience has colored my image of Norwegians, and I would make sure not to let it affect my arguments. The opposite of that would be saying all Norwegians are assholes, and going as far as DEFENDING that perspective by letting everyone know I'm generalizing from one bad experience I had. Instead of claiming swedes are condescending cunts because of your limited experience, it would make more sense to chime in that young people partying in different countries have a tendency to not be overly nice and polite, because that is something your experience actually supports.
I think you misread me. What it said why Swedes can be cunts, and not why "all Swedes are cunts". After that a listed factors that contribute to that, but it denotes to the category "Swedish cunts" and not "Swedes". Maybe i should have put the "can" in the initial post in italics or bold.
And furthermore I would restate that generalizations dont hold claims to be unequivocally true, and that they are in fact approximations to any subject.
However, I feel like we're derailing this subject with semantics and arent really contributing to the thread. I will take my leave now...
Peace
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I listened to your podcast and you seem to have the hugest chip on your shoulder. You're on about "some gorgeous faggot swede" in that as well.
Granted, you're correct in most of your observations. The sarcastic humor is definitely a trademark. This, however, is typical behavior for all drunken youths on party trips i've ever encountered in the given situation. They prefer to stick to their language and treat everyone like an outsider. They're not there to enjoy culture, they're not there to intermingle, they're only going to approach the local populace if they're looking for 'sex with a stranger' to be part of the trip itinerary.
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You're welcome xd
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Did she really stuck her tongue out?! LOL
Sounds like idiots, brats probably.
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I stayed on a kibbutz with a bunch of Scandinavians and they were all nice, friendly people. One of the Danish guys I shared a room with could be a bit sarcastic and blunt but I could tell straight away that was just his shtick and he was still a good guy (and hell I've met plenty of Americans who are like that).
OK, come to think of it, there was one older Swedish guy who was a bit weird but I think he was just a bit on the autistic side. He kind of stuck to himself and I think ended up leaving early after getting into an argument with one Kibbutz manager.
And the girls... well it's a cliche but they were hot! (Although not the one who liked me T.T)
Damn, now I think I'll have to write a blog about that Kibbutz experience.
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Looks like you hooked up with some cunty swedes.
Kinda weird how you call out swedish people being dickish in general after talking to a few rotten eggs.
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Doesnt sound like swedes, sounds like retards.
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Sounds like kids and not like swedes.
Imho.
Edit: Though it's true that alot of swedes become assholes whilst drunk, but this sounds like typical fjortisbeteende and not like the average drunken swede.
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Tbh we swedes can be a bit condescending, and we do use sarcastic humour very often. But it's hard not to when you're a pretty swede! We also have very pretty girls.
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Sounds like dickheads.
Generally scandinavians are really nice, especially swedes.
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EPT
