Why We Don't Want To Live In Sweden🚫🇸🇪

Summary

Oscar and Dan, a couple who have lived a nomadic lifestyle for the past decade, explain why they no longer want to settle in Sweden despite their deep roots there. They appreciate many aspects of Swedish society, such as its emphasis on equality, work-life balance, and the quality of life, but feel stifled by the culture of conformity and the harsh weather. They discuss the challenges of making friends, the limited social circles, and the emotional impact of the country's weather. Despite these factors, they remain proud of Sweden's values and legacy but seek a life elsewhere that better aligns with their needs.

Takeaways

• 😀 Oscar and Dan, who are Swedish expats, are looking for a new place to settle after living a nomadic lifestyle for the past decade.
• 😀 Despite having strong ties to Sweden, including family and friends, they do not want to settle there permanently.
• 😀 One of the reasons they love Sweden is its strong values of equality and trust in politicians, with very low corruption rates.
• 😀 They also value Sweden's work-life balance, which includes generous maternity/paternity leave and good support for families, like affordable childcare.
• 😀 The clean and healthy environment in Sweden, with fresh air, clean water, and healthy food, is another aspect they deeply appreciate.
• 😀 Sweden provides many benefits for families, such as child allowances and free education, which are less common in other parts of the world.
• 😀 Despite their appreciation for Sweden, they are troubled by 'Jante Law' (or the 'tall poppy syndrome'), where people can be resentful of others' success and discourage individuality.
• 😀 The harsh Swedish weather, with long periods of darkness and overcast, makes it less appealing for them, especially after experiencing better weather abroad.
• 😀 Sweden's strong focus on equality sometimes leads to a conformist culture, making it challenging for people to stand out or fully express their uniqueness, even in LGBTQ+ communities.
• 😀 Making friends in Sweden is difficult, especially after school age, as most people stick to their childhood friends and do not typically form new connections later in life.
• 😀 Oscar and Dan feel that, after living abroad and experiencing different cultures, they can no longer fit comfortably back into Swedish society, even though they love what Sweden represents globally.

Q & A

Why don't Oscar and Dan want to live in Sweden despite their positive views?

Oscar and Dan love many aspects of Sweden, such as its values of equality, trust in politicians, work-life balance, and clean environment. However, they feel out of place due to cultural aspects like tall poppy syndrome, harsh weather, and difficulty making new friends. These personal preferences, combined with their nomadic lifestyle, have led them to seek a different place to settle.

What is the tall poppy syndrome, and why does it bother Oscar and Dan?

Tall poppy syndrome is a cultural tendency to resent and undermine those who are successful or stand out from the crowd. Oscar and Dan find this particularly frustrating in Sweden, as they believe it discourages celebration of others' achievements and leads to a general attitude of envy and bitterness toward success.

How do Oscar and Dan feel about Sweden's weather?

Oscar and Dan find Sweden's weather challenging, especially the long, dark winters with minimal sunlight. They describe the weather as miserable, with months of overcast skies and indecisive rain, which they find emotionally taxing and hard to cope with after living in sunnier climates.

What aspect of Swedish culture makes it difficult for people to express individuality?

The strong cultural emphasis on conformity in Sweden can make it hard for people to stand out or express their individuality. Despite Sweden's outwardly accepting stance on issues like LGBTQ+ rights, the societal pressure to fit in and not be different can stifle personal expression and uniqueness.

Why do Oscar and Dan think making new friends in Sweden is difficult?

Oscar and Dan feel that making new friends in Sweden is almost impossible once you're past school age. Swedish society tends to maintain friendships formed in early childhood or school, and people rarely make new connections through social settings or at work. This cultural tendency leaves little room for integrating into new social circles as adults.

What role does the distance from family play in Oscar and Dan's decision to leave Sweden?

Oscar and Dan feel that living far from family members, especially in Sweden where even a small distance feels like a major gap, would significantly reduce their quality of life. They believe that being more than an hour's drive away from family would limit their ability to see them frequently, making living abroad feel like a more viable option.

How do Oscar and Dan's past experiences living abroad influence their decision?

Having lived a nomadic lifestyle for the past decade, Oscar and Dan have become shaped by other cultures. They feel that their experiences living abroad have made it difficult to reintegrate into Swedish society, as they no longer fit into the norms and expectations of Swedish culture.

What do Oscar and Dan love most about Sweden?

Oscar and Dan deeply appreciate Sweden’s commitment to equality, trust in public officials, healthy work-life balance, and clean, healthy living conditions. They also value the country’s approach to childcare, healthcare, and education, which they feel makes it easier to raise children compared to many other countries.

How does Oscar and Dan's perception of Sweden compare to the reality of living there?

While Oscar and Dan admire many aspects of Sweden, including its culture and welfare system, they feel that the reality of living there no longer aligns with their personal needs and lifestyle. The combination of cultural conformity, harsh weather, and difficulty making new connections makes it challenging for them to settle in Sweden.

What are the cultural factors that contribute to Oscar and Dan feeling out of place in Sweden?

Oscar and Dan feel out of place in Sweden due to cultural factors like tall poppy syndrome, societal pressures to conform, and the lack of social fluidity that prevents new friendships from forming. They also struggle with the weather, which affects their mood and energy levels, and the difficulty of integrating back into Swedish society after living abroad.