How do I do what?
What makes you a Swede? Certainly not the occasional visit to IKEA as Super Swede pointed out last week. Neither is it being blond, eating meatballs every day or filling your home with Dala horses. Inasfar as the giant theme park is concerned, we’re still working on that here in Connecticut. As for the Nordstjernan Academy, you’re reading, or at least holding, it.
To get as many points of view as possible on the subject of what constitutes being a certified Swede we asked our many friends in social media. The results were staggering—with close to a thousand responses. Most people in the U.S. will for reason refer to bloodline or love of a person in their lives or a symbol, be it Dag Hammarkjold, Henke, Björn Borg or Greta Garbo, parents, grandparents or great grandparents who came from Öland, Gotland, Småland, Dalarna, Göteborg or Mora and any and every other part of Sweden. Some do shop at IKEA, eat lingonberries or Kalles Kaviar. They drive SAABs or Volvos and have an instinctive affinity for pepparkakor (spicy gingersnaps) and strong coffee. Super Swede may be giving the right (lagom) description by saying it’s how you do things that will show who you are. Prefer using an osthyvel? –check. Enjoy strong coffee? –check. Feel drawn to the often understated design of Swedish furniture? –check.
Lagom as a national trait?
Sweden is a country of understated beauty—whether it's the gentle, unspoiled landscape, architecture and design or the nature of the Swede himself. Swedes are direct. Or they’re not, depending on the situation. Truth be told, the traditional Swede probably has to have a reason to both ask a question and to answer it. With no reason, he may well remain quiet. You don’t ask questions trivially, there has to be a reason for everything.
These days most Swedes are so influenced by American television shows and the omnipresent American movies that they may no longer react as they did 20 years ago when the visiting American greeted them with “How do you do?” and they would most likely have replied, “How do I do what?”
The Swedish language is not known for having too many synonyms while the English language is considered “richer” with upwards of 200,000 words in common use. There are exceptions in Swedish, however. When it comes to conversation there’s a long list of varied ways of identifying levels of something. For example, “kallprat” is most likely small talk in English, but it isn't among a Swede’s favorite things to do: The word “kall” (cold) in combination with “prat” (talk) suggests subjects and a conversation many aren't willing to warm up to. “Småprat” (literally small talk) has a bit more content but not a lot and is usually used as a warm up to get to the actual subject for a meeting. A “diskussion” (discussion) is usually a quite civilized exchange of different opinions while a “meningsutbyte” (literally meaning exchange of opinions) clearly addresses that there’s a difference of opinion.
You’ll find the Swede has a way of cutting to the chase both in his way of answering and posing questions; you rarely ask questions out of politeness, but to receive an answer. Questions will be answered in the same manner—the Swede will instantly get to the point. So don’t expect people to ask you questions for no particular reason. Next time you’re in Sweden and greet someone with ”How are you?” don’t be surprised if the answer is “Well, I broke my left leg last winter and it still hurts when it rains. Other than that and aside from the usual autumn cold, life goes on.…” You ask questions for a reason and expect other people to be genuinely interested in what you have to say if they ask a question. Conversation is supposed to lead somewhere, to offer knowledge, answer questions or clear the way for a subsequent agreement on something under dispute.
Lagom no longer lagom
Then again, as mentioned earlier, Sweden is changing. Swedes are getting more and more tuned into American idioms, they’re exposed to other ways of life and are themselves in many ways changing.
These days, not even my favorite explanation of the word lagom (Vikings passing around mead, making sure everyone gets an equal sip) stands up to the scrutinizing eye of linguists. No, the expression Super Swede picks up from his mother, “lagom är bäst” (just enough is enough) is probably a step closer to the traditional truth … lagom ÄR bäst.
* “Everything in moderation, including moderation.” — Oscar Wilde (Agreed to by Julia Child, who not likely ever encountered Swedish meatballs with lingonberries the IKEA way.)
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The Editor & Publisher
Inte som andra bloggar.... this entry will be sometimes in Swedish, sometimes 'på svenska' - Just så händelsrikt är livet som utgivare av Amerikas äldsta och numera enda Svenska tidskrift.
Här ovan poserar jag “on location” kl 6 på morgonen i Minneapolis St. Paul för två år sedan. Henrik Olund tog bilden som förberedelse för en porträttbild av Vice President Walter Mondale. (Det var en bra intervju med en bra person) Jag skriver sällan med byline i Nordstjernan men jag är alltid ansvarig för innehållet, även om jag inte alltid håller med om allt.
(PS. Intervjun med Mondale hittar ni på nordicreach.com DS.) |