Us Dutchies are infamous for our straightforward approach. When you ask us whether a particular piece of clothing makes you look well-rounded – well, expect an honest answer. This doesn’t mean being polite isn’t important to us, in fact we believe being truthful is the kindest thing to do! Here are some topics we speak very openly about:

  • How much you paid for a service, personal purchase (like clothing or a haircut) or even your house and car.
  • Going to the bathroom. We don’t excuse ourselves to ‘powder our noses’ or ‘visit the lady’s/gent’s room’. We simply say where we are going and probably what we will be doing there.
  • Political views. When you discuss your thoughts on politics with a Dutchman or -woman, prepare to agree to disagree. Then we say ‘Zand erover!’ (Bury it in sand!) and share a beer with you.
  • Hierarchy is a very discharged concept in the Netherlands. Our bosses are more like friends and entitled behavior is heavily frowned upon. If we notice a division in class, we will speak up about it.

Conversely, we are quite reserved about our income. It is not custom to ask how much someone earns at their job in the Netherlands.