Comment by einpoklum
5 years ago
> Very often Western people criticize Russians for being too gloomy and unfriendly because we never smile
WTF? I'm very often around Russian and other Slav people and many of them smile plenty.
> In Western culture, and especially in the United States, the smile is an indication of well-being ... In Russian culture the smile is identified with laughter. Russians do not smile unless something funny happens and provides a reason for laughter.
Massive over-generalization. Local culture, personality and personal life background induce much more variability in tendency to smile than whether you're Russian/Slav or not.
Also, the author seems to lump the US and Europe together, something I also frown upon.
Bottom line: I am not smiling at this article.
> WTF? I'm very often around Russian and other Slav people and many of them smile plenty.
Yes, but this is about smiling at strangers. Random people on the street, or in the subway. What to many slavs is a type of stupid grin is to many Americans a sign of "being nice". We are not talking about actually smiling, say when you feel genuine warmth towards a friend.
That's not what the article claims. It claims Russians laugh when something is funny, and that's not the case.
And - plenty of Russians smile during casual interactions with people they don't know personally.