Who are the nicest people on Earth?
September 6th, 2007Heh. This probably isn’t even politically correct to talk about. Who are the nicest people on Earth? Well, generally, the more spread out people are, the nicer. Countries that are crowded generally are full of assholes. It’s kind of like putting a bunch of rats together in a small place. We all know what will happen.
Japan is a huge exception. They’re aware of this, so they actually consciously engraved it into their culture to be polite to each other. Yes, bullying happens, but it happens everywhere.
So, here are my top five nicest people on Earth. No, I haven’t been to every country and have no desire to go to certain countries, but am planning on hitting most when time and money allows.
In no order - tier 1 nice people:
The Dutch, the Thais, the Japanese, Kiwis (New Zealanders), and Canadians.
There you go. One thing I must bring up, the French get an unfair bad rep. It’s because of Parisians. Let’s put it this way - if Sally comes from the Netherlands and gets off the plane in New York City, spends a week in only New York City, Sally will have the impression that Americans are assholes. That’s the problem Americans have when they only go to Paris. Leave Paris and the French are alright.
Another thing - Americans are definitely on the Tier 2 Nice list. Americans don’t realize how nice other Americans are until they spend a lot of time in other countries (besides the Tier 1 list, where they’ll realize they’re not the nicest people on Earth). The funny thing is, I hear from foreigners all the time how nice Americans are. It really is refreshing to hear. But any of those top five put us to shame.
Japan is nice with a footnote - if you’re a guy. Women do not get the benefits men do. Sorry ladies. That’s how it is there. With exceptions. One of my friends was a former stripper, and a natural blonde. They treated her like royalty. Not so with most women. Japanese have a thing for blondes. That was last decade though, so that may have changed. I sincerely doubt it though.
With the Thais, being polite is part of their culture, and if I’m not mistaken, their religion too. I love the Thais. One word of caution, do NOT touch a Thai on the head. If you get your ass kicked, I told you so. And Thais can fight. Boxing is their national sport, and it’s not the same boxing we have. Pretty much anything goes in their boxing.
I love the Dutch. I can’t say enough good stuff about the Dutch. Of all the people on Earth, I’d rather work with the Dutch than anyone else. They have a German work ethic with the politeness of the Japanese. Gotta love that.
New Zealand is gorgeous. Open space for miles and miles. Rivers and lakes full of fish. I’m hoping for their sake they keep immigration limited or else they’ll be crowded and suck just like everywhere else. Kiwis are so nice that if you stop on the side of the road to take pictures, half the cars will stop to see if you’re ok. I’m not kidding either. They are that nice.
Canadians are like a slightly nicer version of Americans. They’re what’s keeping us from being in Tier 1. Imagine Americans without the crime paranoia and sexual hang-ups and you have Canadians. Americans make more money, but I won’t kid you, there are times I wish I was Canadian, even with a Canadian salary.
I wouldn’t leave out the USA-ians. You guys (and my birthland) ROCK! You’re right, Zomb, you have no idea how nice other US-ians are until you leave home. You guys are altruistic boy scouts, God love you all, and the world so very much needs you. Seriously, seriously. Agree re bad rap on France…I was in Paris and everyone was fantastic. Didn’t run into one rude person in two weeks.
Bridget - Do you speak French? If so, you will be treated head and shoulders over someone who doesn’t speak French in Paris. My French sucks. I speak probably under 100 words, and have a horrible accent.
And thanks for the kind word on Americans. I guess we see eye to eye on this one.
Yeah Canadians! Though I’m only a transplant, and really shouldn’t count myself in just yet.
Quebec has a bit of an undeserved rep, too, I think. But again, if you speak French well you’re more likely to be accepted there.
Lithuanians! What about the Lithuanians? Definitely nicer than the Estonians but not as nice as the Latvians.
SME - Never been to Quebec, so I’ll take your word for it. You notice Canadians being nicer than Americans? Although, you’re from a state where the people are generally nicer than the average Americans.
JJ - Posting drunk again?
Just kidding. Glad to see you posting here. You should do it more often. hint hint.
Never been outside of the US for more than a few hours. My home town is right on the Canadian border so I used to go walk around there for a bit. I have encountered some rude Canandians in my life but I have to admit not to many. LOL.. Other countries I have never been to but would like to go to England and Finland some day.
The thing you have to remember is that assholes reside everywhere. I don’t think that if politeness is part of a culture that it is the same as actual, genuine niceness. It’s an act in Japan to be nice, it’s a series of intricate, choreographed moves. Is it genuine? Sometimes maybe.
RE: France. I think a lot of people also don’t pay attention to French custom (this goes for traveling anywhere). If you’re mindful of customs, you’ll be treated nicely. If you expect everyone to bend to what YOU think everything should be like, they’ll treat you poorly. Thing is, most Americans I think, are in the latter group. For instance, apparently in France, but Paris especially, the reason everyone always looks “unhappy” is because walking around with a constant smile on your face is a sign that you are a dumbass. Hence, why they think many Americans who visit Paris are stupid. Just like talking loudly in a restaurant is considered rude in France.
Politeness and manners are all relative to culture. What’s polite to one person might be completely rude to the next.
Tweety - I need to go to Finland because several of my favorite musical bands are from there.
Laura - Is smiling considered dumb in France? If so, that’s a serious knock against the French. I smile all the time and I qualify for Mensa and am not too far from a Masters in Computer Science, something that’s not too easy to do. That shows some serious insecurities on their part.
Interesting point with the Japanese. Is it genuine? I never asked. They do laugh and smile a lot, and party harder than we do. I’ve found the Japanese to be a blast, but then again, there’s definitely a sadness inside. They believe life is something you have to go through.
And you are right, there are assholes everywhere. It’s just different percentages in different countries.
No. Smiling isn’t considered dumb in France. But smiling for no apparent reason - like walking down the street with a shit-eating grin all the time - is considered a sign of dumbness. They believe that you should have a reason to smile and laugh. I was reading a book called Culture Shock that detailed all the common mistakes Americans make in France regarding not understanding culture and one French person was quoted as being surprised to see the French President (then Chirac) smiling on TV in a picture with Bush because on French TV he always looks serious and never smiles.
There’s also other things like talking loud, being too fast-paced (you have to ASK for your check in a restaurant because they don’t want to rush you), touching strangers, and asking “so what do you do” are all things that are no-nos.
Here’s a couple of excerpts from the book (I just found it)…
“The tendency of Americans is to smile all the time, to appear friendly and reasonable. The French do not trust a smile. If they can see no apparent reason for it, it smacks of hypocrisy… English and Asian readers will understand this French reticence about smiling… You can smile a lot while in France, but not until you break that public shield and get involved with someone specific for a specific reason”
And another about Eye contact: “Making eye contact is a serious statement of equality in France. It is a recognition of the other person’s identity and is considered too personal for use with strangers… If you do look directly into a stranger’s eyes on the street or in a cafe, that will be construed as a request for intimacy, a “pick up”….
Again, I don’t think there’s necessarily even different percentatages of assholes in different countries, because what is considered rude to one person may be completely reasonable to the next. It’s all about perceptions and understanding different norms of interaction and the meanings placed on them.
My great great grandparents are from there. Or were I should say. My great grand mother told me stories of her mother all the time when I was a kid. I dont remember them all now as an adult but I wish I did. I would have some great blog posts if I remembered them all.
Laura - One thing about a lot of European countries, you order the food from the bar. You don’t get service like you do in America. It’s what we’d call bad service, but like you said, it’s a cultural difference.
However, I strongly disagree on the asshole comment. Some countries are full of assholes. Assholes are norm, and bitching is their way of communicating. I’d much rather deal with any of the Tier 1 or Tier 2 “nice” countries, if I had the choice, of course.
I do not believe in cultural relativity. I could do a whole post on that. Some cultures are better than others. For example, female circumcision is disgusting. I don’t care if you’re supposed to respect another culture. It’s disgusting, and I’m not going to respect that aspect of the culture.
But yes, there are times we get culture shock when it was a simple cultural misunderstanding. Believe me, that happens all the time here when foreigners come here and do faux pas. We aren’t the only ones who do it. A French guy screaming at the top of his lungs at his wife in the middle of the volleyball game almost got his ass kicked by me or my buddy until he figured out you can’t do that shit in America and toned it down.
The smiling thing I didn’t know about. I’ll try to tone it down when I’m in France. Thanks.
I’ll have to look for that book. I worked for a company once that used to have print outs for cultural differences for each country we dealt with, so we won’t make cultural faux pas.
Good points, as always.
Tweety - I’ve never been to Finland. I should go to all the Scandinavian countries over one of these summers. I’d like to go there just for their music, because I’m a huge fan of their type of Heavy Metal.
Other than that, I’m pretty ignorant about Scandinavian countries. We were more in the city when we lived in the Mid-West, so really didn’t get that Scandinavian-American experience.
I would love to get to the Scandinavian countries, but sadly, I’ve been limited to Egypt, Mexico and Canada. Living right next door to Canada and having a very good friend who is Canadian I know they’re not as nice as they appear. Hell, she loves Bush and we all know I’m not so enamoured.
I speak no French, but will the French be nice to me if I speak Spanish?
Time out Zombie: I’m talking about ideas of politeness, not cultural relativism. Granted they’re related in some ways, but to say that this set of behaviors and mannerisms is, and always should be considered more polite than some other set is nowhere near the realm of female circumcision. What I’m saying is there is no set of universal rules to determine what body language, words, and mannerisms constitute politeness. In Japan, flamboyant hand movements like those of Americans are considered rude and offensive, here, it’s just a sign of enthusiasm. When we’re talking about who the “nicest” people are, what I’m saying is it’s all relative. It all depends on what both parties consider to be “nice” and how behavior is both intended, produced, and perceived.
Kathleen - I don’t know. I assume they’d prefer you’d speak French. The thing is, French and Spanish are somewhat close and you can probably learn French fast if your Spanish is good.
Laura - Well, do you agree or disagree that the Dutch are nicer than we are? Or the Kiwis? Or the Thais?
Like I said, I can’t make generalizations like that. I’ve met two Dutch people, never been to NZ, and the only Thais I know have been students. I can’t rightly say that my experiences with those particular people can be generalized to an entire population.
Laura - I think it’s ok to judge other cultures. That way, we can compare and contrast. And learn.
I’ve always believed that if someone is better than you at something, find out why.
Jamaicans, Thais, and the Swiss.
Hi Kate! I just sent you a joke via instant message. You’re online.
I love Jamaicans. I’ll have to take Mrs. Z to Jamaica one of these days. The Swiss? I heard mixed things. My experiences have been all good, but I heard some are cold.
Zombie: You’re missing my point. I’m not saying you can’t say that certain cultural practices are ok, bad, better than others. I’m saying you have to be careful that you don’t project your individual perceptions and experiences with a limited number of people onto an entire population. I could say that the Dutch are the greatest people on Earth, but to do so is assuming that ALL Dutch people are the same or essentially similar to the two dudes I’ve met. I can’t make that assumption. Niceness is something that should be judged on an individual basis. If you have only experienced rudeness from a limited number of people from a particular country, you might make the assumption that that culture is therefore rude - but that could very well be an incorrect assumption based on 1) one’s limited experience with particular individuals 2) the circumstances surrounding those experiences and 3) one’s own cultural assumptions about the meanings of behavior and mannerisms (one person can see asking “what do you do?” as a polite introduction, while another can see it as extremely rude).
Laura - No, I did see where you’re coming from. But then nobody will be able to generalize about anything. We all have limited experiences. The difference between me and a sociologist is a sociologist has bigger numbers to work with. That’s it. And even their experiences are limited.
You are right about being careful about judging because of cultural differences. For example, in some cultures, pointing your feet at someone is considered rude and you might piss someone off without knowing it, then you think it’s them who’s the asshole when it’s really you. Or in Japan, you’re not supposed to interrupt someone talking, nor are you supposed to fold your arms, which is a sign of being bored and it’s an insult if someone’s talking and you fold your arms. In a few Arabic cultures, it’s a good thing to let out a rip-roaring belch after a good meal. It’s a sign that the meal was good. All these things are cultural differences that could get us in trouble if we’re ignorant about them.
your world wide comparisons made me bring it down to my little world and the formula still fits. my neighbors have been much nicer when there was a larger amount of land between our homes. this explains why my current cramped, everyone lives right on the other’s @$$ is full of rude idiots. take this morning: my neighbor was hanging a bug catcher and threw some of his overgrown vines over our shared wall, breaking one of my terra cotta pots. he’s getting his backyard ready for a kid’s party to which my son was not invited. i doubt he’ll apologize for breaking the pot. yeah, he knew he did it, too. grrr..
on a multi-national level, i’ve traveled to approximately 14 countries and i thought the italians were the friendliest.
I find canadians to be the friendliest people, although sometimes do seem a bit naive. The Aussies are boisteous but oh-so-fun
the NY/paris analogy makes a lot of sense. i’ve known enough west coast folks who think the whole of the east coast is like NYC, which saddens me as a PA native. since we are being unPC i say that ain indian friend of mine who has travelled much more than me and who worked as a cabbie in NYC has said hong kong chinese and native NYC (not the rest of the state) are the rudest people he has ever met anywhere.
i also have to say trinis are bold and can be a bit brash but they are tremendously neighborly and always very inclined to offer very practical help.
Hmm… my first thought is that polite does not equal being nice. People can be polite to you to your face, then turn around and backstab you like nobody’s business. I’ve had it happen firsthand. As far as the Dutch, no arguments. I work with two Dutch families and I have to say I’ve never seen anyone more laid back. Neither of the mothers have the sense of entitlement that my other parents have. It’s quite refreshing.
McKay - I love Italians. Very passionate. The funny thing is there’s that joke - what do you call an Italian with no hands? A mute.
Funny thing is, it’s true.
Palm - Yes. Never met a Canadian I didn’t like, except for that one who sat next to me on a plane. I think he had a stick up his butt or something though.
Lime - I was hoping you’d share your Caribbean insights. I need to hit Trinidad one of these days.
Hong Kong also has the world’s worst drivers. They single-handedly give Asian drivers a bad name. Not that other Asian countries have good drivers, but Hong Kong drivers are extremely rude as well as being bad drivers.
Notta - Ah yes. We get a lot of that in California.
And agree with you on the Dutch. So laid back, and you know I hate that entitlement mentality. The Dutch definitely do not have it. I love the Dutch.
I would say the top 1 most nice people in the world would be the Georgians.
You can seriously walk around, talk to random people, and some will invite you home to have dinner.
I’ve never laughed so much.
It could be the wine.
But that makes them even more nice.
I think I’d be nice if I were in their position too.
My list would be
1. Georgians
2. Mexicans
3. Morocoans(sp?)
4. Canadians
5. Filipinos
It’s a little odd maybe,
But I’d base my list off of personal experiences.
Clay - I’ve only been to Atlanta, but never met someone from Georgia I didn’t like.
Great list.