Why is personal space so exorbitantly big in Nordic countries?
My guess would be that because of the very sparse population most of the inhabitants in the past never had to face city conditions with compact space and large crowds. Personal space gets smaller only with urbanization and Nordic countries haven't had that large urban settlements to really change…
The Short Answer
My guess would be that because of the very sparse population most of the inhabitants in the past never had to face city conditions with compact space and large crowds. Personal space gets smaller only with urbanization and Nordic countries haven't had that large urban settlements to really change the perception of personal space. But this is just my guess. The way I see it no one knows where the habit originates, but people are just used to that being the standard. And if you break from the standard, you must have a motivation to do that, which makes people feel unease as they try to think what motives people have. I'm Finnish, and once while traveling in a same group this Swiss guy who was very cool with everyone started holding hand on my shoulder while we were drinking. That was strange to me and of course I thought that he must have some ulterior motives and he's hitting on me, and I kind of had a crush on him as a result, but it turns out he was just being Swiss.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Space, people, guess
This explanation focuses on space, people, guess and spans 183 words across 7 sentences. At 169% above the average Space & Astronomy explanation (68 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “My guess would be that because of the very sparse population most of the inhabitants in the past never had to face city “ It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 7 connected points.
How This Compares in Space & Astronomy
Ranked #2 of 500 Space & Astronomy questions by answer depth (top 1%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why personal space so exorbitantly big in nordic countries?
My guess would be that because of the very sparse population most of the inhabitants in the past never had to face city conditions with compact space and large crowds. Personal space gets smaller only with urbanization and Nordic countries haven't…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Space & Astronomy questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 183 words, ranked #2 of 500 Space & Astronomy questions by depth. The key concepts covered are space, people, guess.
What approach does this answer take to explain personal space so exorbitantly big in nordic countries?
The explanation uses root cause analysis and contrasting perspectives across 183 words. It is categorized under Space & Astronomy and addresses the question through 2 analytical lenses.