Norwegians also don’t understand the polite greeting of “how are you?”
It’s just a polite thing you say and you really don’t care how they are and everybody says “I’m fine and yourself”. But a Norwegian will take it literally and tell you that they just got a divorce., that their cat is missing, and that their toaster is broken. I was raised in Norway until I was 16 then we went to the states.. I find it hilarious to compare the two cultures. But you know what I’m gonna just say it, come on Norwegians, learn how to socialize- and without the national social lubricant of alcohol.

Wow, so many people complaining about Norwegians. Maybe you should just not come to Norway then. Or move out of Norway. No one is saying you have to come here or have to stay. When you move to another country, it is in fact your job to learn about customs and culture and act accordingly. If you hate it so much just leave. Norwegians aren’t supposed to conform to you when you come to our country. I am betting that for the same people complaining the role would be very much reversed if it was your country and foreigners acting the way about your nationality or your ways. In fact, the UK had a whole thing about it and literally left the EU.

Scotland and Northern England are famously friendly. Wales too.

Maybe if you had some curiosity you might feel differently. I like people and enjoy hearing their stories. You seem to see them as threats and disruptions. To each their own, I guess.

You’re confusing the word “angst” with “anger”. Angst is anxiety, nervousness.

Wow! I needed to hear someone say this! I had a difficult conversation with a man I met from Norway who I have been corresponding with who claimed he wanted to get to know me, but his actions were on the contrary. He would send me pictures of his daily life in Karasjok and would for the most part answer my questions about himself and his life there, but would never really engage me or ask me about my life. One time I shared with him that I had to trouble shoot how to fix my dishwasher and I fixed it on my own and didn’t have to hire a plumber, all he says in response is, “Okay?” Im like to myself, really?! So I said never mind, then I said I was hoping you would think I was capable and admire my self-sufficiency, so he explains its the law of Janteloven. I said Ok thank you for explaining this to me. Anyway this thinking seems to permeated everything to the point that when I try to ask more intimate questions like why he wont ask about me or my life, and how it made me feel confused about him and if he was actually interested in me and that I was feeling a bit hurt by it and that I cared about him and wanted to feel that from him as well…etc..he just shut down, stopped speaking to me and then a few days later he said, “Now there was a lot here. I have never experienced this kind of drama with any human being before.” His response just floored me. I felt humiliated. It made me really question myself and whether I am just too intense and too forward.

What i felt they dont like people from other country visiting them and ofcourse dont like seeing strangers.