One of the lessons life gently imparts is that not everyone sees the world the way you do. This becomes particularly clear when you travel. During a season of my life spent living in Norway, I began to notice subtle but telling cultural differences. For example, in Stavanger, I found that the familiar British custom of holding a door open for someone—especially for women entering a shop—wasn’t always received in the spirit it was offered. At first, I found this puzzling.
It wasn’t until I saw a group of electricians in a large newly built centre taking instructions from a female supervisor that something clicked for me. I had rarely witnessed that kind of dynamic back home in the UK at the time. It was a quiet but striking symbol of a culture where gender equality was already deeply embedded in the workplace and I am happy for that because women have had a difficult pathway on life’s highway. Since then, the UK has made significant strides of its own in that area, though of course, there’s still a journey ahead. That said, it seems that many British women still warmly appreciate small courtesies from strangers, such as someone holding a door open. In fact, we all do.
Cultural differences extend beyond gender roles, of course. One peculiarity I’ve noticed back home is the British habit of making well-meaning but sometimes vague promises— “We must get together sometime,” or “Come by for a meal one evening,” or “Pop in anytime!” I once took someone up on that last one, only to find my visit wasn’t quite as welcome as I’d imagined. It only happened once, but the lesson stuck with me.
If you’re reading this, I’d be curious to know—have you come across these kinds of cultural quirks yourself, either at home or abroad?
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