Dipping into a book about Swedish culture, the opening paragraph starts this way…
‘In the world at large, especially in the English-speaking world, the Swedes seem to be universally popular. Their clean-cut profile as honest, caring, well-informed, efficient plodders who produce quality goods delivered on time sits well with their frequently well-groomed appearance, good sense of dress and (forgive the stereotyping) blond hair and blue eyes. Their English, grammatically proficient, is clean and crisp, like that of Scots who went to Oxford. They have impeccable manners and say all the right things – for the first 15 minutes. It is somewhat surprising, therefore, to discover that they are unpopular inside the Nordic area. The fact that none of the Swedes’ neighbors – Denmark, Norway, Finland – have any undue reputation for aggressiveness makes their antipathy all the more unexpected. What is wrong with the Swedes?
This is a question which the Swedes themselves have been trying to answer over the last few decades.”
So I am handing the question over to you, my dear readers.
Now’s your chance! What is wrong with the Swedes?
Please post your answers in the comments below, or on my Facebook page. Feel free to also share this blog and spread the question to a wider audience.
Swedes, and non-Swedes, are all welcome to comment! But please keep a respectful tone!
Watching the Swedes 