Finland ISTP, Sweden INTJ
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pedro-the-Lion
This ethnosocionics stuff reminds me of a song called "Arizona" where Arizona finds out New Mexico has been cheating on him with California so he gets drunk and ends up in a fist fight with California. Also, I saw a video clip that mocked Finland that I always meant to share with you CS. Maybe I should go have meaningful sex with France.
Do you know Monty Python?
http://www.t-shirtking.com/graphics/117-00730.jpg
Finland
Chorus: Finland, Finland, Finland.
The country where I want to be,
Pony trekking or camping,
Or just watching TV.
Finland, Finland, Finland,
It's the country for me.
Verse: You're so near to Russia,
So far from Japan.
Quite a long way from Cairo,
Lots of miles from Vietnam.
Chorus: Finland, Finland, Finland.
The country where I want to be,
Eating breakfast or dinner,
Or snack lunch in the hall.
Finland, Finland, Finland,
Finland has it all.
Verse: You're so sadly neglected,
And often ignored,
A poor second to Belgium,
When going abroad.
Chorus: Finland, Finland, Finland.
The country where I quite want to be,
Your mountains so lofty,
Your treetops so tall.
Finland, Finland, Finland,
Finland has it all.
Repeat: Finland, Finland, Finland.
The country where I quite want to be,
Your mountains so lofty,
Your treetops so tall.
Finland, Finland, Finland,
Finland has it all.
Fade: Finland has it all...
http://www.metrolyrics.com/lyrics/62...Python/Finland
(See if you can download it for free somewhere, I am too lazy now)
http://www.mp3.com/tracks/1141467/dl_streams.html
(Possibly here)
I think there is actually something to this ethnosocionics stuff, but it has nothing to do with how common different types are, but rather about the general social norms and values. Like how do you approach strangers, what kind of topics are expected and what are sure ways to kill off a conversation. How do you organize a meeting, what are relations at workplace like, how is work organized, etc... What things are valued in society, how the values are expressed. What are the normal styles of approaching the opposite sex, dating, intimacy...
Think if everybody was an INTJ, what would a country look like? In America these ethnosocionics things may sound rather exaggerated, but in Europe we have such a patchwork of small and often surprisingly different countries each with their own set of peculiarities. Finland and Sweden are both predominantly Lutheran Scandinavian countries, and Finland was even a part of Sweden for some 700 years, yet when Finnish and Swedish companies have had corporate mergers, it has become abundantly obvious that many customs and practises are completely different. One example that has often been mentioned was that in Sweden you always first organize meetings between management and employees to explain the need to reforms and set up a committee where the management and worker's representatives discuss the issues, and because of the legislation and strong trade unions businesses have to pay close attention to employee's opinions. Then when "the best practise" has been established you should follow it quite closely. In Finland again this has not been customary, and generally workers expect that the boss knows best, and too much discussion is just confusing. Then you just ignore the instructions that do not seem sensible or practical to get the job done.
Socionics says that Finland is an ISTP culture and Sweden an INTJ culture, it could be the case, Swedes tend to be very open to all new intellectual fads, whereas Finns tend to be far more skeptical and practical - and as INTJ is Benefactor to ISTP, Finns have traditionally been rather envious of prosperous Sweden, a nation that has not even been at war since 1809, whereas Swedes in the past used to rather look down on poorer and rather uncultured Finns. There have been quite detailed studies on all kinds of cultural differences, now I am just quoting some rough patterns out of memory. I cannot remember that much now, but keep your eyes open, you will notice the ethnosocionics differences better when you know what to look for.
The country where I quite want to be
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pedro-the-Lion
Anyway, I do like Monty Pyton and I'd never seen that before :) Go to
this website and hit "Video Moments" then scroll down to the bottom hit the little # 9 and watch the clip "Conan Hates My Homeland" to see a funny little segment about the "greatness" of Finland.
"Conan, I hate my homeland too."
I remember that episode. It was quite an event in Finland, we are not used to such a publicity. I think there was originally a sort of student prank competition that to get Conan to mention Finland people should send postcards to Conan O'Brien, and Finns knew we had made it when Conan showed that big sign saying: "Sweden Sucks!"
This site has a pretty good comparison of cross-cultural differences, written by natives so all the prejudices are exceptionally accurate:
http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/1906/cultr09.html
Rudolph the Reindeer is Food
-And let no one tell me otherwise. He tastes good. :P
http://www.helsinki.fi/~jolaakso/finntest.html