r/europe 2d ago

Picture Every country stressing about homeless people, meanwhile Poland with double side benches:

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27.1k Upvotes

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1.3k

u/opinionate_rooster Slovenia 2d ago

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u/nihir82 2d ago

When you said Finland, I thought you were talking of our one person benches

https://images.sanoma-sndp.fi/a8ee7979a2ed2fb6dcca14e6e149c94c.jpg/normal/658.avif

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u/NavyBoy03 2d ago

Why all the COLD countries are that antisocial?

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u/nihir82 2d ago

History of sitting in a log cabin for 4-5 months straight during the winter does that to a people

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/nihir82 2d ago

Suicides are now average numbers for europe. They were high in the 90's when we had a huge recession.

We stay home because of the -20c temperatures, possible 1m snow cover and during the winter 4h 'day light' in the sunniest part of the country.

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u/glitterdunk 2d ago

You don't think we have youth clubs and other social clubs?? šŸ˜‚ There are plenty of options for those who enjoy them lol. Maybe not take the whole "everyone are just home alone" that literally🤣

Can't forget that for 80-90% of the year it's cold, and for half of it it's really dark too. It does things to the body and brain which isn't good. More likely to get (more severe) auto immune illnesses among other things, and doesn't exactly help fight depression

Funny how extroverted people and cultures always believe they are the "right" way and everyone else must just be wrong, not narrow minded at all lol.

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u/ArtClassic8808 2d ago

i agree with you, but i think it makes sense - introversion is 'passive' and extroversion is 'active', so they will always be pushing their views on us.

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u/Maximumi-Awkward 1d ago

In Denmark, if three people share the same hobby, they’ll start a club. We’ve got a club for the Danish handshake (none of that hugging), clubs for hobbyhorses, football, badminton, handball, paddle – you name it. And we also have a strong tradition of hosting cultural events in our many libraries.

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u/Rupperrt 2d ago

Suicide rates are actually not that high comparably. Amd Finland topped the world’s happiness ranking. And people have almost too many activities these days in Scandinavian/Nordic countries, especially kids.

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u/Laslou Sweden 1d ago

I’m convinced that the only reason Finland is topping the happiness rankings are because they answer the question ā€œAre you happy?ā€ with ā€œSure, it could always be worse!ā€œ.

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u/Rupperrt 1d ago

Yeah, they have a laconic and relaxed view resulting in viewer highs and lows. If you dive deeper in those happiness rankings other, poorer countries residents often rank higher in ā€œhaving had happy moments in the last two weeksā€, while Finland is much higher in ā€œbeing relatively content and happy with own achievements and way of lifeā€

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u/Snoo-72988 2d ago

Why do you assume people here don’t enjoy a certain degree of introversion?

Also we have those things, and we have great infrastructure.

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u/PoetryAnnual74 Sweden 2d ago edited 2d ago

Nordic countries have all of those things. It’s so easy so be outside on the beach and socialize when you have summer round the year. Try being social when it’s minus 30, pitch black and a snow storm outside.

That’s why Nordic countries excel in music and gaming instead, the cold forces people to be inside and have creative hobbies instead. A lot of the time depression/suicide is higher in well of societies, because when your basic needs are all met you have more time to question your happiness. People who are too busy trying to put food on the table aren’t mulling over small problems. Of course couple that with periods of complete darkness and no vitamin D. That creates different cultures..

ā€œI don’t get why people are enclosed in their homeā€ is the most idiotic, American ā€œI’ve never been to any country outside my ownā€ perspective I’ve ever heard

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u/StonkBonk420 2d ago

Those things already exist in finland.

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u/Dedeurmetdebaard 2d ago

My hunch is that when people get together, they get drunk way too fast to have time to get to know each other and tie relationships.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

Downvotes just show how many lonely people are on Reddit.

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u/Ilpulitore 2d ago

The downvotes are there because the commenter is clearly talking out their ass but confidently gives advise like it makes sense and thinks that they know better.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago edited 2d ago

Somehow yes but also not.

Socializing is a big part of life in the Mediterranean countries and the guy probably knows from his own experience that most of motivation and happiness in his life come from it. He is just giving the most sincere and benign advice that anybody who understands or experienced the Mediterranean way of life would give, myself included.

I have the experience of living in Croatia and in Germany. Socializing saves liters of alcohol and kilograms of antidepressants in one's life.

Today, socializing doesn't have to be limited to good weather. The state could encourage it by building well lit, warm places where people meet. Communal living rooms could have to be mandatory in every floor or street. Not that I have answers but one could think about it. I do believe there are bars, but especially in Nordic countries they are often too expensive and too alcoholic.