The Sound of Finnish Silence (and Why I Love It)
Foreigners, upon arriving in Finland, will be pretty quick to declare that Finnish people are “unusually silent”.
Why?
Because it is very evident that Finns do not engage in long conversations that are unnecessary; and it is very rare that they will take the first step to get to know strangers.
Certainly, Finns are not as talkative as people from certain cultures, especially the Anglo-Saxon and Latin countries.
It is not unusual for the English people to talk about weather with neighbours or even strangers. Weather is a good conversation starter in the English culture. It is a very neutral topic to talk about, and should be fine if you want to talk to that stranger at the bus stop.
In his book Finland, Cultural Lone Wolf, British writer Richard D Lewis writes:
This sociable discourse is even more evident in the US, Canada, and Australia, where speech is a vital tool for getting to know people and establishing a quick relationship.
In Finland, however, it is a completely different story.
You do not establish a quick relationship with Finns by talking about weather. No way.
