Lives in Sweden · Upvoted by , lives in Sweden (1980-present) and , lives in Sweden (1979-present) · Author has 61.6K answers and 305.2M answer views · Updated 7y ·
- Stand too close to other people.
- Bring food to “help out” if you are invited to someone's house for dinner. They will think that you think they don't know how to cook. Bring flowers or wine instead.
- Break small rules that you think are trivial. The Swedes are not allowed to tell you that you are breaking a rule, they will just seethe in silent anger. Don't contribute to their ulcer.
- Track snowy, muddy shoes around their house. Take them off just inside the door. In fact take off perfectly clean footware if they have ever been outdoors unless the host/hostess insists (several times) you keep them on.
- Brag, boast, or otherwise promote yourself. Swedes never claim to be the best at anything even when they are. It's bad manners.
- Be late. They're not obsessive about it, but Swedes are prompt. (A few minutes late to dinner is OK but not a few minutes late to a meeting).
- Litter, or fail to recycle things that can be recycled.
- Evangelize. Most Swedes do not have a religion, don't want to talk about it, and definitely don't want to hear about yours.
- Mention the War. They weren't in it.
- (For men) Try to be “chivalrous.” Common courtesy is fine, but if you run around the car to open the lady's door to let her out, you're probably going to get said door in the crotch just as you arrive, and she will wonder what in the hell you're doing. Equality is the order of the day.
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