the "kantönligeist"
lähettäjä Roger B in Sveitsi foorumi
Well, maybe to be a bit more precise, the "Kantönligeist" not only refers to the mocking of others but also to our sometimes extreme federalism. As you might know, our Cantons enjoy a farily high degree of autonomy, which most of them tend to guard quite strictly. Kantönligeist therefore can also mean that we stick to 26 diffferent laws of tax, police or whatever instead of centralizing, and all attempts to centralization are resisted quite fiercly.
Of course you are right with your example regarding identity. However, I really can observe, with myself and with others, that we really tend to shift between our "identities" (maybe that's even too big a word for this circumstance) while being together with different people. For instance, I work in a very international company with many expats, over lunch I kind of catch myself switching back and forth, being, to tease, the "Oberländer" vs. the "Stadtzürcher" when talking to my collegues from Zurich, but taking a more "national" attitude when I speak to the expats. It must be confusing for someone outside of Switzerland hearing us "bashing" each other, especially if you can't really distinguish whether it is meant to be taken seriously or not.
Well, and to be honest, there's no other way than confirming that it is quite hard to make friends in Switzerland. Otherwise there would just not be so many stories about it. But at that point, I just want to come back to the point in my first mail: It's not just like that for foreigners. A great many Swiss strugle with the exact same issue. So it's not really something that is geared against foreigners. I even think that sometimes it's easier for foreigners to make friends in Switzerland than it is for the Swiss themselves (you're different, making you interesting).
Why are we like that, well traditionally we have been rather reserved and cautious. Might actually be the same impuls that creates the "Kantönligeist", but in the end what is required to overcome this reservation is really not to be intimidated by it and try it nonetheless. It's not that we are unfriendly, it's just that we are really cautious and like to play it safe.
Muut vastaukset
- Making friends in Switzerland
- ...
- Switzerland
- ...
- Switzerland
- Its really hard to make friends
- You want to get to know Swiss? Learn German!
- Friends in der Schweiz
- Making friends in Switzerland
- Hi
- Du musst lerne Deutsch
- Your husband
- looking for new friends
- poor agostino! :)
- Expat's destiny
- about getting to know the swiss...
- hi
- friends in switzerland
- hey Viktoria
- Oh dear
- Agostino. Questo è relativo.
- Friends in Geneva
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- Sorry Steven.
- thanks juan
- EN la sierra de Guadarrama.
- Boring Switzerland
- guadarrama la conozco
- Find a place where you can learn German / French - in your case
- Sobre mi zona.
- Friends in Switzerland
- exactly the same
- Switzerland a land of racism, descrimination and stupidity
- About the Swiss
- About the Swiss
- lonesome
- It's most difficult in Zurich
- Bitte echli MITdenke!!!
- @ Benno de Vries
- Viktoria
- Just flicking through these posts
- how is berlin
- zurich
- Berlin is great!
- Thanks for your posts Steven and Dino
- About Switzerland
- Conformity
- It takes time
- I must be very lucky
- How long are you staying?
- now im really angry how swiss are and behave
- you are right jim
- Maybe Zurich is different to Bern?
- hola celia zurich es diferente hi celia zurich is diferent
- celia have you tried to meet people out of your laboral area
- People from work and not from work
- zuri is very diferent,but people are also closed
- Welcome to hell - welcome to Switzerland?
- nothing to add to claudios comment
- When in Switzerland...
- Switzerland is no Mexico
- Move to another country!
- What's the matter
- To Andy
- Come on...
- What?
- Miscegenation
- alright
- Your own theories are based on emotions and not on facts!
- reply
- if you arnt swiss, you arnt good enough
- i need help.
- To Mark
- canuck
- @ mark
- canuck
- Sorry
- The Swiss and their friends
- hi
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- to Faiz
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- @ Faiz
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- @ Faiz
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- ouch
- Schwiitzertüütsch
- @ Roger and Daniel
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- Swiss Friends
- @ Canuck
- Can't realy agree
- You're right
- the "kantönligeist"
- @ roger
- german speaker
- Can't agree
- thanks
- no problem
- thanks
- becose they dont want new people or diferent people
- attn. Brian Taylor
- Dear Brian Taylor
- Swiss people are....
- fellow canuck
- hoi!
- :
- good to hear your story
- new in switzerland!!
- hi
- hi back
- the Swiss are very racist . They hate everybody including themeselves
- Yeah..whatever
- Swiss people are boring
- About Switzerland
- @ Jim
- Na, can't do other than disagree
- about switzerland
- Goodevening Maria and Everyone,
- About Switzerland
- Life in Switzerland
- @ alexander, roger and just in general
- Fear of foreigners is one of the reasons...
- A piece of news from World Radio Switzerland
- Switzerland & Racism
- why ???
- To Roger B with respect
- back with respect
- Difficult to integrate with this kind of campains
- I understand but it's a free democracy
- Free democracy promoting racist and xenophobic campains aginst foreigners
- half the country?
- The authorities have to be blamed for their inaction
- of course part of the problem are the authorities
- @ Roger
- a question for roger
- Swiss racism is to blame for everything
- racism in Switzerland
- Mr. Jackson be careful...
- Switzerland explained
- STOP IT
- Mr. Switzerland you be very careful
- Stop it
- To Jim Jakson
- hi
- bout carefulnes
- Foreigners more than ever considered to be criminals!!!
- Na, if you think it's the way you describe, you have not understood the initiative
- This is an ugly racist and xenophobic agenda
- We pet a lost dog, so lets send a smile to the stranger...
- Racisim big time in Switzerland as usual..
- racism in Switzerland
- Here is a good one foe you again from a "foreign" friend in Switzearland
- let's stop about this racisme shit?!
- n
- Check what Human rights web site says about racism in Switzerland
- get the point guys
- hi
- thanks
- racism in Switzerland
- I understand you
- hi dear flo regina
- sorry to hear that
- Even for a swiss guy it's not easy to make friends in Switzerland
- re
- re
- the same
- Yes, it is VERY hard to find friends in this country!!!
- to live in Switzerland
- LOOKING FOR GOLD DEALERS URGENT
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- Dear Karim
- ok
- I need help
- my opinion
- Seriously?
- Open your heart
- :-O
- MSC STUDENT INQUIRY
- Its really easy to make friends
- Oh yeah?
- great, li lu
- Blaming Swiss
- Riiiight
- Hi
- hello
- Dear Nikko Z.
- O yes!
- Really?
- What to do with a problem named Mariaaaaaa?
- Lmao
- Hello
- Time
- Agrees
- Thanks
- Friends and other things
- PS, forgot to say one last thing...
- Looking for friends
- Reply
- Tonight ????
- Swiss people are haters
- @sonia
- Yeah, right.
- Seldom had such a good laugh...
- I am Spanish
- Not totally hard to find a friends...
- Y ppl not serious in friendhsip from switzerland
- do not agree
- not easy for us
- sei
- still existing the comunity college in Zurich
- The best thing about Switzerland is to leave it!!!
- oh
- For one who said "The best thing about Switzerland is to leave it!"
- Hie
- I don't understand....
- reply to Davor and others
- Its Right!!!
- you can't have one without the other?????
- sidenote
- so stupid jokes
- Get a grip.
- Seriously??
- swiss
- Friends
- Answers?
- Sorry
- you may try a course to make Swiss friends
- racism in Switzerland a concern?
- person who's good ,nice and simple, can find good friends everywhere...
- Swiss direct democracy leads the world
- Whaaat???
- Big time Racism in Switzerland
- Jim, are you OCD?
- .
- Switzerland vs US
- .
- .
- .
- .
- Friendliness Requirement
- agirlin..
- no obligation to be friendly
- Clin, are you a white south african?
- I think that ...
- Are Swiss racist?
- Very true...
- about CH
- MAN I SPENT MY LAST CENT TO BUY YOU A DRINK
- Friends
- Always hard to make new friends
- hmm
- not multicultural
- It is hard everywhere
- I agree but....!
- hey...
- We can meet
- Since 1 year
- Hi
- This one goes to canuck s
- Suche nette Leute weiblich und männlich um zusammen was zu unternehmen
- From the outside
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland?? (40)
- From the outside
- If this thread is so popular since 2008...
- Well they aren't that unfriendly
- Its just another peace of land
- "hosting in Egyptian Home" welcome to hosting in our Egyptian Home in Egypt ..f
- Swiss
- Making friends in switzerland
- Frendship
- Frendship
- Reply
- Hmmmmmm
- Traditional and Conservative
- Making friends in Switzerland