Often some of the first words that come in mind when describing a Finn, are words like shy, quit and serious. To someone that comes from another country to visit or to live in Finland, those traits might even seem a little rude. For most parts that’s not the case though. Often it just takes a while for a Finnish person to warm up and get to know the person they’re talking to. Once they get through the initial shock of meeting and talking to new people, Finns are more often than not very trustworthy and, if nothing else, good listeners (because still not talking a lot :D). Also specially with the younger generations, nowadays even Finns are starting to be more talkative and outgoing.
Don’t be mistaken though, it’s really not common for a Finnish person to start chatting with random people they meet on a bus or train etc. Most of the time small talk is not something that comes naturally for a Finn. It’s funny to see the suprise and terror on a Finn’s face when you happen to open your mouth and try to start a conversation with an unknown person. That all of course changes when a Finn is drunk 😀
Illustration of a Finns face when a stranger talks to them.
In recap: Finns like their space (that’s why you won’t often see people waiting for a bus closer than 2 meter from each other or sitting next to eachother if there’s room in the bus). However after the initial shock most are pretty friendly and easy to get along with, when you don’t expect to hear a lot of small talk. Oh and it’s good to keep in mind that for many Finns, ice hockey is almost like a second religion. So be careful not to insult their favorite team or the Finnish national team 😀
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