Switzerland is a land of paradoxes: Valuing freedom but calling the cops on your neighboour for the smallest disturbance, having one of the most elaborate democracies but not letting women vote until 1971. Where have you encoutered such paradoxes in Swiss culture?
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It is mostly accepted that I go 4-7 weeks a year to military specialistic training courses and WK, but I will single-handedly tank the national economy and bankrupt my company if I were to take 2 weeks of parental leave.
Our country is so precise, clean, and our workers so productive at the sweetspot of 40-45 hr workweeks. That’s the gold standard for this exact equilibrium. Wanting to work 80%, get 1-3 weeks more holidays, or just reduce workweeks to 37 hours would wipe us off the map.
^/s ^clearly
We’re neutral but somehow ISIS used swiss hand grenades and rifles sold to Saudi Arabia for training and self defense are found in Yemen in an open conflict.
TIL the swiss national museum has a reddit account. And mostly participates via posts, not comments.
Were real live hobbits, deal with it!
Switzerland has some of the world’s most idyllic mountains and outdoor scenery. Highly recommend for everyone to enjoy.
But have you seen the price for enjoying such activities? Last I checked, a day trip to Jungfraujoch including rail tickets and a modest lunch was well over 500.- for 2 people.
A land of four official languages yet if you don’t speak the „right“ dialect, you can be ostracized by proud locals. Not always the case of course, but where I am at least I have seen it.
We always have some “Ausnahmen” in our laws
Politics are weird. Maybe it’s not unique to Switzerland, but hard line SVP ideas for immigration get a lot of support from migrants and naturalized citizens. I know a whole bunch of people, part of my family and girlfriend’s family included, who do this. Considering the number of citizens with migration background, this support must be significant.
Geneva is one of the richest cities in the world, but also one of the ugliest in the west.
One of the worst articles I’ve read about Switzerland recently. Everybody values freedom but dislikes disturbance late at night. That’s not a swiss phenomenon. France, Germany and Italy are exactly the same just to mention a few examples. That is common decency not swiss tradition.
Also swiss people “stare” because we are combat ready? What kind of made up bullshit is that. I’ve never met a single person in my life who mentioned this to me. If anything people in Asia stare if you have particularly blonde hair or are especially tall for example. Even that is not considered rude though, it’s just because you have an abnormal look compared to what their used to. Meaning if you look strange and abnormal you will be stared at in any country or culture.
In Vaud certainly
Removing almost all covid restrictions for the public but the military is increasing them for the soldiers.
Many Swiss claim to live really healthy and exercise regularly. Yet there is no other country where I have seen that many smokers.
Daycare costs almost majority of your salary yet you are expected to go back to work to pay tax after 3 months and god forbid you use any of those RAV contributions to stay home a little longer.. traditional Switzerland that values family but only gave fathers 2 days off until not long ago. Lowest maternity leave as someone else mentioned previously, creating more sexism towards women, but oh well, we just got the right to vote recently so gotta be happy w what you have
I don‘t know if anyone commented that, but there‘s literally a book called „Paradox Schweiz“. 🙂
The Swiss’ environmental awareness — i.e trash segregation, recycling accuracy, and elite waste management system versus the Swiss administrative need to print every unnecessary document on paper.
“Let’s recycle and save the environment but let’s print lots of paper so we don’t save the trees!”
Having a reputation for sticking straight to the rules… until you find out everyone will totally bend the rules for you. They just have to want to.
I’m sure I’m going to get a lot of hate for this, but the following has been my experience living here for the past several years. I’ve also spoken to other ex-pats from all over the world, who also live here, and they tell me their experience is the same.
For whatever reason, it feels like Swiss people really dislike foreigners. Let me explain before you take out the pitchforks:
When I speak English, I get side-eyed (yes, I speak German fluently). I’ve also been told I don’t belong here, or simply judged for not being Swiss. Getting my visa renewed or anything bureaucratic is a nightmare. None of my friends are Swiss despite *many* attempts at making some. I’ve gone to all kinds of events, asked people to hang out both in and outside of work, go for a drink, etc., and nothing ever sticks. People talk about me right in front of me (doubly so when I speak English, and they think I don’t speak German). I won’t get into the differences in job offerings/pay as a non-Swiss resident.
What makes this a paradox is your country is an amalgamation of several countries (France, Italy, Germany). You have several official languages, yet the anti-foreigner sentiment is absolutely apparent, especially in government.
This was not meant to be a bashing post, or a complaint post, but I find it really surprising (read: paradoxical) that a country made up of several other nationalities is so anti-foreigner.
Again, just my experience having lived here for several years. I’m sure there are others with different experiences, but this is the sentiment I get from other ex-pats as well.
Personal freedom is valued a lot, often with the excuse that personal responsibility comes with that (if only…), but you cannot do some jobs on a Sunday. You NEED to enjoy Sunday the way other people feel is most appropriate. Please REST! REST! Does not matter if you are unemployed or under-employed and the thing you want most in your life is actually a job, you need to rest (from what?)
Putting a very high value on efficiency… yet doing soooo many things (especially people’s interactions with the government) by paper and post and waiting in lines at various offices. Almost all of these things could be done digitally, of course, resulting in higher effiency – both on the side of the government (less need for physical space to interact with people) and on the side of the people (less time wasted waiting in lines).
Lamenting about native swiss people are dying out because of low birth rate and fear over outlanders taking over the country but nevermind to improve life for familys like affordable childcare, family healtcare, maternity leave and the lost goes on and on.
No children are a “private” matter. Cool but don’t get mad when someday 3/4 of the population is secondos, outlanders or dual citizens
Well Swiss claim to value highly skilled migrants yet they make the visa system incomprehensibly difficult..
well organized throughout the country. embarrassingly bad covid test infrastructure (like seriously, it’s horrendous)
International affairs department with not a single person speaking English, only French. More than once, so guess it counts as a cultural thing
One of the richest countries in the world yet the food and Gastronomie level is horrible. Hey I’m willing to pay some money for good food but in the Swiss German part of the country apparently that’s a big luxury. I already quit eating out long time ago and gave up
Calling on Selbstbestimmung und Eigenverantwortung not to enforce the maskmandate in public transport by Bund only to see so so many people not giving a flying whatever. To silently, after one year of pandemy, admit and apologise that they, Bund, should have been strickter in Massnahmen and enforcing those rules to have less avoidable death’s…
Oh and if you as a member of society dare to ask for a mask where needed (to protect other members of our society) you ALWAYS get the answer: “bisch Politsist?” Also nei, aber du brüchs eis oder…