Post: #26

From what I hear, Colombia.

According to Anthony Bourdain (RIP) its the most welcoming country he's ever been too.

I take his word for it.

Post: #27

I've read that Iran (Persian culture) is quite sociable. Yes they have the Islamic aspect of separating the sexes and covering up the women but to strangers are quite social.

Sociable to strangers is what I am referring to. When you visit poorer countries like Cuba etx you don't know if they are being social so they can get something out of you or it's a normal behaviour. Amongst themselves, Cubans in Cuba seem quite sociable. I remember seeing employees greet coworkers and their boss with a kiss on the cheek.

In Colombia, I spent most of my time in Medellin. I did venture out to bogota and ibague. Due to proximity in distance ibague and bogota share a similar mentality in that they seem less sociable to strangers. Amongst themselves it's a different story. I cannot comment on other areas as I haven't spent a lot of time in them. The paisas imho are sociable in various forms. Amongst themselves, you may see a little bit of classism. They may see strangers as sex tourists or dumb and naive. The positive is that once you break into the social circle you will get invites to fincas and become apart of their circle.

Post: #28

It is not a question of people socializing among their own kind. Middle Eastern people are very sociable among their own family, friends and tribe. Free food, kissing, weeping in joy over milestones in somebody's life etc ... But they are also very cunning, suspicious and dishonest.

Almost all cultures have an attitude of I will not trust you until you prove yourself otherwise or at best " Prove yourself and I'll be kind to you" Only in North America do people believe in the goodness of man until he messes up.

Try getting a Latin guy open up about himself 15 minutes after meeting him at a bar. Granted, you might think he's sociable because he is hyperactive and fun. But you're still a stranger and he will not trust you enough to divulge personal info. An American guy will tell you his almameter, salary and problems with his wife within 30 minutes.

The prime reasons people love Anglo countries is not even related to wealth. It is a matter of mental relaxation. I am an African guy living in China. I have family stateside and every time I visit it is amazingly refreshing to witness the goodwill harbored in most people.

No one distrust you. No one tries to rip you off. No social chess. Even when people lie it is usually just to prop up their own egos. Not to mislead you or take advantage of you. It frees up so much mental energy that I find my creativity and life vigor triple whenever I'm there.

I can safely assert that North America and Australia are the only places on the globe where human life has value both on paper and in practice.

As for Koreans, lol. At least in China you get fantastic people and monsters. Honorable saints and devils. Rude animals and people so polite they make you feel bad for being in their presence. Koreans are universally a bunch of selfish, racist, autistic maniacs. I don't think I have ever met a Korean I would classify as a good person.

Post: #29

(06-12-2018 05:11 AM)thebassist Wrote:  

(06-12-2018 02:57 AM)Montrose Wrote:  Ten most sociable countries according to the Legatum Prosperity Index / Social Capital sub-index

1. New Zealand
2. Australia
3. Canada
4. USA
5. Iceland
6. Norway
7. Denmark
8. Malta
9. Germany
10. Ireland

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/maps-a...countries/

Not going to comment on the Anglo countries on there, but you know that list is bullshit as an indication for actual sociability when you see Germany and no less than three Scandinavian countries on there. All four of those countries are characterized by introverted, stiff, relatively socially awkward northern European temperaments wherein people generally require copious amounts of alcohol before they begin opening up to others, especially foreigners.

I've been to all these countries, save for Malta, many times, and have found in time, these societies have become more insular and obtuse. (Mind you, maybe it's me and my different issues).

It almost seems though, collectively, our brains have been re-wired and desensitized to some of the stimuli that once got our attention.

Post: #30

Colombia.

Post: #31

(06-12-2018 02:15 PM)Dragan Wrote:  Serbia and Balkan countries are pretty social.

This. When in the Balkans, I've been approached by guys and girls, sometimes even in groups, who really just wanted to say hello and know where I was from and shake my hand.

Similar experience in southern Italy though definitely not quite the same.

Post: #32

(06-13-2018 04:55 PM)droughtmeat Wrote:  

(06-12-2018 02:15 PM)Dragan Wrote:  Serbia and Balkan countries are pretty social.

This. When in the Balkans, I've been approached by guys and girls, sometimes even in groups, who really just wanted to say hello and know where I was from and shake my hand.

Similar experience in southern Italy though definitely not quite the same.

People are really friendly and not always talking about business, that's what I like a lot. Also, if you go over to their house for food, to visit, they are super chill and hospitable about it.

Post: #33

Cuba, Colombia, or Mexico were the most welcoming.
Ireland was super friendly as well.

The anglo countries are welcoming but I think the lack of language barrier really helps their rating.

Post: #34

(06-12-2018 07:53 AM)Not a Second Hander Wrote:  USA and Canada by far. There is a culture of assuming people are decent until they prove otherwise. I honestly don't get the hate America gets on this board.

If you can't make friends in the US you might as well give up.

Sorry I would disagree with Canada, I live here and that is one of the biggest problems.

For my money, UK is easily on the top 5 list.

Post: #35

(06-13-2018 08:53 PM)rudebwoy Wrote:  

(06-12-2018 07:53 AM)Not a Second Hander Wrote:  USA and Canada by far. There is a culture of assuming people are decent until they prove otherwise. I honestly don't get the hate America gets on this board.

If you can't make friends in the US you might as well give up.

Sorry I would disagree with Canada, I live here and that is one of the biggest problems.

For my money, UK is easily on the top 5 list.

What about Canada do you feel is not very sociable?

Post: #36

Definitely USA. It's one of the few places where people will random start talking to you on a bus and ask how your day is. Sure it's fake, but "sociable" doesn't not necessarily mean genuine. Not many other places I can think about where random people in the street will start talking to you.

Post: #37

(06-15-2018 08:04 AM)pargan Wrote:  

(06-13-2018 08:53 PM)rudebwoy Wrote:  

(06-12-2018 07:53 AM)Not a Second Hander Wrote:  USA and Canada by far. There is a culture of assuming people are decent until they prove otherwise. I honestly don't get the hate America gets on this board.

If you can't make friends in the US you might as well give up.

Sorry I would disagree with Canada, I live here and that is one of the biggest problems.

For my money, UK is easily on the top 5 list.

What about Canada do you feel is not very sociable?

I live in Toronto, do I have to explain it to you?

USA isn't on the list, sorry but I find that laughable.

Post: #38

This whole thread doesn't make sense as long as there isn't a common understanding what is meant by "sociable culture".

Is it:
1.) A place where it's easy to chat up people and make buddys to hang out? -> USA

2.) A group oriented place where everyone thinks about the next one and how his action would impact the community? -> Japan

3.) A place where it's common to make deep friendships? -> Germany (argued this already here /thread-57969.html)

4.) A place where family comes first and people spend most of their free time with their relatives? -> Maybe somewhere in the Middle East or LatAm

Without a common understanding of what we are actually discussing, we only compare apples to oranges.

Post: #39

Where do you think the USA ranked? This year, the annual survey has put it in 36th place out of 65, meaning it is less welcoming than countries such as Uganda (16th), Romania (19th), Indonesia (21st), Israel (24th) and Kazakhstan (28th). In 2016 the US was ranked 19th, meaning it has become less friendly. (The top ten friendliest countries are revealed below.)


Although about three in five expats in the US would describe the locals as welcoming (59%) and outgoing (64%), over one third (35%) struggle with making local friends. Just one-fifth (20%) say that their friends are mostly local residents.

the article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennysoutha...dc2f0354ea


But - I would take theses lists generally with a fair significant dose of scepticism, or just dismiss them.
Keep in mind on thing. YMMV! One's experience of 'friendliness / sociable-ness" will depend on the country and the cultural disposition towards you - as an individual.
So your personal characteristics come into play: that is - your age, ethnicity, apparent socioeconomic status, etc.
And if you can speak the language with some facility.
Obviously if one stands out as a foreigner, he/she is judged firstly as a matter of what the prevailing stereotype allows for.
For example: take 2 latin american countries I visited: Guatemala and Colombia - very different vibe, and friendliness - by a huge factor.
I think it's probably better to identify some countries (cultures) that one has an interest - then try to find information or videos about the place. And see if you might be able to integrate with the locals. Colombia scores big on that scale. Canada - meh, it's not doing so well.

Post: #40

(06-16-2018 07:02 AM)scarb71 Wrote:  Where do you think the USA ranked? This year, the annual survey has put it in 36th place out of 65, meaning it is less welcoming than countries such as Uganda (16th), Romania (19th), Indonesia (21st), Israel (24th) and Kazakhstan (28th). In 2016 the US was ranked 19th, meaning it has become less friendly. (The top ten friendliest countries are revealed below.)


Although about three in five expats in the US would describe the locals as welcoming (59%) and outgoing (64%), over one third (35%) struggle with making local friends. Just one-fifth (20%) say that their friends are mostly local residents.

the article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennysoutha...dc2f0354ea

http://mb.cision.com/Public/11208/247663...86f56d.pdf

But - I would take theses lists generally with a fair significant dose of scepticism, or just dismiss them.
Keep in mind on thing. YMMV! One's experience of 'friendliness / sociable-ness" will depend on the country and the cultural disposition towards you - as an individual.
So your personal characteristics come into play: that is - your age, ethnicity, apparent socioeconomic status, etc.
And if you can speak the language with some facility.
Obviously if one stands out as a foreigner, he/she is judged firstly as a matter of what the prevailing stereotype allows for.
For example: take 2 latin american countries I visited: Guatemala and Colombia - very different vibe, and friendliness - by a huge factor.
I think it's probably better to identify some countries (cultures) that one has an interest - then try to find information or videos about the place. And see if you might be able to integrate with the locals. Colombia scores big on that scale. Canada - meh, it's not doing so well.

Post: #41

I've come across with various of americans who I thought were overly social compared to what I'm used to. Then I've heard about the stereotype that exists in Europe which pretty much says they are 'social and friendly' but not genuine. As far as being both, social, friendly and genuine, the brazilians. There have been dozens of Brazilians I met who were overwhelmingly social towards me to the point I considered Colombians were cold and bitter motherfuckers. Now if you say colombians are friendly and social, that's only true with foreigners. Between one another, we are a bunch of back-stabbing, cold and bitter assholes.

Post: #42

(06-12-2018 02:24 PM)Beirut Wrote:  US is very comfortable no matter your background. But in terms of friendliness I find American friendliness to be very businesslike. They're more networking than making actual friendship bonds. It makes sense since the culture there encourages breaking family bonds early and going on your own, etc....

Still the fact that it's so welcoming as a country puts in somewhere high on the list.

I'll throw in a vote for Lebanon and Arab countries in general. If you avoid the scammers and isis terrorists the rest are very friendly and genuinely want you to enjoy their city. Even the religious ones can be quite friendly and respectful. Also in Lebanon you can be on joking terms with anyone instantly. And once you do for example exchange info theyll hit you up to hang out and stuff. Bonds that should be businesslike there turn into friendships. I had a bouncer lose his job for my sake once and I only knew him from the club.

Also Mediterranean in general are social imo but my experiences with most were short term.

Some like Slavic ones are difficult but once u do make friends they're your friend for life.

Seconded the Middle East, the people there are easily most friendly and welcoming on the planet. I chose to travel and work there partially for that reason. There's very little of the fake bullshit and cliquishness that you see in the states.

Mexicans are also very sociable and have a down-to-earth vibe to them. Haven't met many Mexicans from Mexico, but the Mexican-Americans I've met were not pretentious or standoffish at all.

Post: #43

phils?

Post: #44

I'm going to suggest an unusual one.

Cuba.

Now you are going to see thats ridiciulous. Well hear me out. People know all their neighbours blocks away. Their is a huge sense of community.

Throw in the fact that you have food and basic living provided by the state and ridiculous salaries to the point where people don't work because frankly you legitimately lose money working at a lot of jobs when you factor in transportation. You now have a country where most people are unemployed and spend all day socializing.

I suspect other latin countries will also have a similar community type feel.

The statistics suggesting US, Canada etc are ridiculous. Sure you won't have an issue asking a random person on the street the time. But peoples friendships and time spend with friends deteriorate with age here. People get too busy and trapped in a world where all they know is their job, wife, kids and family dinners at Easter and Christmas.

As I age my friends each year become increasingly isolated.

Post: #45

^Agree with this, the American social structure is productive but it's incredibly isolating and unhealthy. It makes people very self-absorbed. I've noticed bonds with very close friends decaying once I left college and started working.

Post: #46

Lonewolf my personal experience spending six weeks in Colombia as a tourist is that friendliness of locals varied hugely by city. I felt people in Bogota were very friendly and had much more curiosity towards foreigners (perhaps due to the lack of tourists in Bogota plus a higher % of English speaking locals), whereas for example I felt that people in Cartagena and Santa Marta treated me like a walking ATM.

I think in a way this thread is a little meaningless to some extent because you have to look at sociability by city because even within the same country there can be huge variances in different cities.

Post: #47

(06-16-2018 03:01 PM)lavidaloca Wrote:  The statistics suggesting US, Canada etc are ridiculous. Sure you won't have an issue asking a random person on the street the time. But peoples friendships and time spend with friends deteriorate with age here. People get too busy and trapped in a world where all they know is their job, wife, kids and family dinners at Easter and Christmas.

As I age my friends each year become increasingly isolated.

This, this, this. It starts even as early as high school. People may be more open to conversation in the US (in general since appearances and status do matter as another poster said), but rarely will you run into someone who takes a "genuine interest" in other people. The relationships are mainly superficial and transactional, but I think this is a common trait in all the anglo countries and not just the US. Cliquishness is also a common trait in anglo countries, so I'm not surprised that expatriates would have trouble making friends here.

Post: #48

(06-16-2018 02:55 AM)semibaron Wrote:  This whole thread doesn't make sense as long as there isn't a common understanding what is meant by "sociable culture".

Exactly. I think people in the thread seem to be consistently conflating "politeness" with "friendliness". Sure, you can chat up any number of people at bars etc with light, fluffy convos, but how many of those bonds are likely to convert into actual, lasting friendships?

(06-16-2018 07:02 AM)scarb71 Wrote:  Where do you think the USA ranked? This year, the annual survey has put it in 36th place out of 65, meaning it is less welcoming than countries such as Uganda (16th), Romania (19th), Indonesia (21st), Israel (24th) and Kazakhstan (28th). In 2016 the US was ranked 19th, meaning it has become less friendly. (The top ten friendliest countries are revealed below.)

A common complaint I've heard from people all over the world about the US is that it's easy to have casual conversations everywhere, but very hard to make meaninful friendships here. There's a bit of the whole "coconut" vs "beach" culture thing goin on - everyone maintains a sunny disposition as much as possible, but try to dig beneath the surface or reveal anything remotely personal, and the walls will immediately go up, assuming they bother to stick around

(06-12-2018 02:24 PM)Beirut Wrote:  US is very comfortable no matter your background. But in terms of friendliness I find American friendliness to be very businesslike. They're more networking than making actual friendship bonds.

(06-16-2018 05:04 PM)Bastard Sword Wrote:  ^Agree with this, the American social structure is productive but it's incredibly isolating and unhealthy. It makes people very self-absorbed. I've noticed bonds with very close friends decaying once I left college and started working.

Yes, and yes. It's the reality of life post-college for many, actually. If you're lucky you'll have a gang of your friends still around especially if you happen to be in, or move to, a large city like LA/NYC. Even then, though, by your mid-late 20s you'll notice your circle shrinking with each passing year.

Post: #49

(06-16-2018 05:44 PM)Australia Sucks Wrote:  Lonewolf my personal experience spending six weeks in Colombia as a tourist is that friendliness of locals varied hugely by city. I felt people in Bogota were very friendly and had much more curiosity towards foreigners (perhaps due to the lack of tourists in Bogota plus a higher % of English speaking locals), whereas for example I felt that people in Cartagena and Santa Marta treated me like a walking ATM.

I think in a way this thread is a little meaningless to some extent because you have to look at sociability by city because even within the same country there can be huge variances in different cities.

Hi again AS, how's things?

People from bogota who are oftenly called as 'Rolos', are known by the rest of the country to be the 'Yanks' of colombia. The bunch of pretentious, cold, bitter, antisocial and stuck up people from Colombia. I've had first hand good experiences with people from this city, because indeed there are cool people, but a lot of really bad too.

A cool thing about bogota being a metropolitan city is its openess towards foreigners, but that's only in the fancy places, because a gringo walking around where I live would be frowned upon. In general, we don't get along too well between one another. We don't trust each other and we don't really care about each other. A colombian who comes across with colombians overseas, will try to avoid them to elude being back-stabbed or having problems. We've been in various civil wars for around 120 years. I think that accounts a bit for that. Cheers!

Post: #50

My Caleño friends always refer to people from Bogota as Rolos pendejos jaja, ask a Rolo what they think of Medellin and they’ll say “beautiful city, friendly people, beautiful womem” but if you ask a Paisa what they think of Bogota and its hell on earth. Lots of regional animosity in Colombia but at least Duque won!