Culture of Sweden

The egalitarian attitude of Swedes, together with their humility and abhorrence of boasting, is one of their fundamental cultural traits. In many ways, Swedes value listening to others more than advocating for themselves. Swedes are known for their quiet, collected speech. A Swede expressing anger or other strong emotions in public is uncommon.

The Swedish rarely take courtesy or goodwill for granted, and as a result, they frequently express gratitude. It's considered rude in Sweden to forget to express gratitude. In Sweden, behavior is strongly geared toward "lagom," or "everything in moderation." Sweden abhors excess, flashiness, and boasting, and people work to find the middle ground.

Work hard and play hard, for instance, are not prevalent ideas in Sweden. People put in a lot of effort, but not excessively, and they go out and have fun, but without going overboard. Sweden has a strong egalitarian inclination, therefore competition is discouraged and kids are not taught that they are any more remarkable than other kids.