How to lose Swedish friends in just 10 days
Tired of navigating the minefield of unspoken rules and social codes required to be accepted in Sweden? Then check out The Local's guide on how to rub Swedes the wrong way.
When arriving in a foreign country or meeting people from abroad, most of us worry about doing the right thing, not overstepping invisible lines, or inadvertently irritating the locals.
Visitors to Sweden often talk about the unspoken rules, the social codes and the little idiosyncrasies of Swedes that they find incomprehensible.
It takes years, we're told, for these little kinks to be ironed out and the social interplay to run smoothly.
Click here for the list of ways to lose all your Swedish friends in 10 days
However, it could be argued that despite spending all this time trying to fit in – one hasn't properly arrived in a country until aware of the best ways of doing just the opposite.
And that it's impossible to know a Swede until seeing him or her gets emotional – or, dare we say it - gets hopping mad.
So for anyone looking to see what happens when you rub a Swede the wrong way, The Local has put together a guide to doing just that.
Whether you want to use the list to irritate your significant (Swedish) other or just annoy the Swede in the cubicle next to you – here's how to go about it.
Article written by Rebecca Martin in 2012.
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When arriving in a foreign country or meeting people from abroad, most of us worry about doing the right thing, not overstepping invisible lines, or inadvertently irritating the locals.
Visitors to Sweden often talk about the unspoken rules, the social codes and the little idiosyncrasies of Swedes that they find incomprehensible.
It takes years, we're told, for these little kinks to be ironed out and the social interplay to run smoothly.
Click here for the list of ways to lose all your Swedish friends in 10 days
However, it could be argued that despite spending all this time trying to fit in – one hasn't properly arrived in a country until aware of the best ways of doing just the opposite.
And that it's impossible to know a Swede until seeing him or her gets emotional – or, dare we say it - gets hopping mad.
So for anyone looking to see what happens when you rub a Swede the wrong way, The Local has put together a guide to doing just that.
Whether you want to use the list to irritate your significant (Swedish) other or just annoy the Swede in the cubicle next to you – here's how to go about it.
Article written by Rebecca Martin in 2012.
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