How to be friends in Finland
Finland - one of the few countries in lifewhich did not affect the influence of American, European or Eastern culture. Most of them live conservative, in a sense, even old-fashioned people who honor their traditions and customs.
Finnish temperament
Finns are calm and sedate, they never go anywherethey hurry. Their speech is slow, they do not like talking on high tones and loud laughter. Disputes and disagreements are resolved exclusively at the negotiating table. If the interlocutor will look around or turn his eyes away, the Finn will consider him crafty and insincere, and if he speaks loudly or bursts into laughter - an ill-mannered commoner. In addition, it is not customary to cross your arms on your chest or keep them in your pockets, so you can demonstrate your arrogance and disrespectful attitude towards the proud Finn. Familiarity here, too, is not accepted, each person's personal space is very valuable and, for example, patting on the shoulder when speaking - a gesture is not desirable. When meeting or greeting, men restrainedly shake hands. Women do the same. Getting acquainted at once with several people, it is accepted to shake hands first to women, then to men. In other respects, the modern culture of Finns is imbued with the spirit of gender equality. Representatives of this people are very responsible and weighed about their words and actions. "The bull is taken for horns, man - for words" - an old Finnish proverb. And if in Russia interruption of the interlocutor though and it is not decent, but already for a long time is ordinary, in Finland such antics can seriously spoil reputation. Finnish Friendship
Based on the distinctive characteristicstemperament of this people, we can say that they also start a friendly friendship. Here, personal space is very much appreciated, Finns do not hurry to write down everyone and everyone in friends. Finnish friends are very tactful, even somewhat detached. In their opinion, the request for help is a sign of weakness. Therefore, they very rarely offer help to a friend and, even more so, ask for it. Its problems and experiences the Finn is more likely to share with a psychologist than with a close friend. Accordingly, giving advice or climbing with questions is a bad tone. In communicating with the Finns, it is best to avoid direct calls. If you often call a Finn by name, he can regard it as a hint of intimacy. It is not customary to discuss personal matters here. At a meeting they talk, basically, about any positive things of a general nature. In Finland, they do not tolerate gossip. Even with a friend the Finn will not discuss a stranger. And it does not matter about the censure or praise in question. This may seem strange, but complement about the appearance of the Finn can be regarded as an insult. That is why the Finns do not know how and never say compliments. It is also not customary to go to a friend's house just for fun, because we passed nearby. To warn about a visit is necessary in advance, preparation for reception of visitors for Finns is akin to a ritual and can take more than 2 weeks. They think over the details of the menu, the evening program and gifts to the guests. But, no matter how paradoxical it may sound, do not talk about the coldness and indifference of the Finns to each other. These are the features of temperament. Yes, it is not easy to make friends with a Finn, but true Finnish friendship is very strong and durable. They value loyalty and constancy. By the way, even when the whole world celebrates Valentine's Day on February 14, in Finland they celebrate the Day of Friends, congratulating each other with toy hearts, cards and sweets.
