Just a disclaimer, since many of you down here seem to think I am not Swedish. Hejhej, jag är svensk, och den här viden är från en svensk persons perspektiv. Tusen tack för alla kommentarer, ni är alla gullpluttar! ^^

I just spent 9 minutes watching a video on why Sweden is terrible and couldn’t stop thinking about how much I want to live in Sweden the entire time

I love the dark, don't drink, don't mind winter and hate interactions with people. This place sounds perfect!

I was visiting a friend and her family in Sweden and was taken on a tour by my friend’s mother who by Swedish standards was considered quite eccentric, which every Swede we encountered on our tour took pains to let me know. Namely she talked to strangers, was irreverent and I am sure other qualities I failed to notice because I am from New York and used to just about every form of eccentricity and it doesn’t ruffle a feather. It struck me that her life must have been very frustrating, having her wings clipped at every turn and being branded weird, when in fact she was quite brilliant and charmingly engaging, from my perspective.

Yes, one of the things I couldn't get used to is this lack of eye contact. I lived in a big city and still felled I did not exist. If I needed to have a small talk I had to go to a shop to buy something...I had a hard times there.

I'm a sunlight-hating introvert who doesn't drink. Sounds like I should move to Sweden.

"...You're surrounded by so many %$#& people, it's impossible to feel alienated or out of place because there's always going to be someone who's even weirder than you are." And this is why I love big cities.

Sweden seems the exact opposite of where I live (Southwestern US). It's clean, with excellent public services, the people keep to themselves, and the sun isn't there to give you melanoma every time you walk outside to get the mail. I want to go there!

Great thinking. Thank you for your time and effort to make this video and share it with us. Greetings from Croatia.

Having lived 8 years in Japan and 9 years in the USA, I am ready to return to my home country, Finland. In the above video you could pretty much replace Swedish with Finnish, Sweden with Finland, Stockholm with Helsinki, and Systembolaget with Alko and everything would be true.

If you replace 'Sweden' with 'Finland' it's still 100% accurate as well

I’ve lived in Sweden for 7 months now and I totally agree with everything 😀 I would also add “lack of options” of everything. I miss cakes which aren’t “princess cake” 💔

I've been to Stockholm, Uppsala and a few other places in Sweden and it's probably one of my favourite places ever. Stockholm is actually a big city with a population of almost 1 million people (big for European standards) but you're right, it doesn't feel that way. Probably because it's so spread out and there aren't that many people just hanging out on the streets. Swedes are busy bees and they keep to themselves but they're always kind and helpful. I felt safe at all times and everything runs smoothly, not to mention how clean the city is. The public transport is probably the best in the world, only Japan can compete with it. As a result most people in Stockholm don't even own cars, so there's way less car pollution.What I probably loved most is that it's essentially spread out over these little islands all connected with tiny bridges. There's water everywhere you turn. A beautiful place, truly. Swedes, be proud of your country.

Thank you for this video. As a Swede (albeit one who doesn't live in Sweden) I find it refreshing to see videos where people talk about the very real downsides of Sweden. Everyone praises the usual stuff, and rightly so, but a lot of people seem afraid to talk about the bad stuff. And there is bad stuff. Which I guess is natural, some people will get offended if you say anything bad at all about their country or about what they like, so content creators sometimes avoid this kind of video just to not have to deal with the backlash from an angry minority.

Something I really hate about Sweden is that during holidays you can't find any open businesses (cafes, restaurants etc.). I understand people's right to rest and spend time with their loved ones, but if you are on your own (for example, because you've just moved there) it really sucks to not even be able to treat yourself to a cup of coffee. In my experience, this is particularly true during Christmas time: everyone is expected to stay home with their family, but if you can't do that you're in for some shitty days! The fact that this happens in the middle of the depressing Swedish winter, when you may already be emotionally tired, doesn't help.

Hej hej, another Swedish person here. Short background: I've lived in France for two years and one year in England. I have several good friends from other countries and also spent a lot of time with international students and researchers here in Sweden, so I know quite a lot about many foreign cultures. Regarding "#2 Swedes are like refrigerators", I couldn't agree more! There are TONS of rules for how Swedish people should interract with other Swedish people in Sweden, in our everyday life. One thing I have come to observe is that most Swedes don't seem to realise how incredibly complicated our culture really is when it comes to socializing. They don't know how to help foreigners make Swedish friends because they barely know themselves how they do it. I'm a bit autistic, so I spent my whole life observing human interaction and how to behave "properly", and according to the Swedish social rules, so I can tell you; it's VERY complicated. I should probably write a book about it.

I've always wanted to go to Sweden as I live in America and appreciate the beauty of that country... However, your video has given me some gratitude for what I have here... Thank you for having the courage to tell the truth...

I like how you said Swedish cities are small and then mentioned Tokyo, literally the largest city in the world 😂 Interesting video though, I've never been to Sweden and this offers a bit different perspective than I usually hear

As a Swede, my take on "JanteLagen" is "Remember, there always someone better than you...." Be proud, be humble, becuse your record will be broken....

Funny honest strait-talk video, so cheers for that. I had a similar love/hate time as an American living in Germany (I had a German girlfriend who I met on holiday in Australia). Germans tend to be more loose and free and extrovert and open-minded when they are out of their country, but fall in love with one of them and follow them back to their homeland and they suddenly become boring and less interesting, go figure. Also it's almost forbidden to make casual talk with strangers, even in a pub, as in you need to be introduced by a mutual friend first. On public transport they all stare at the floor and refuse to make eye contact or smile at each other. During my time in Germany I went to India for three months and returned fully tanned and wearing bright colors and feeling very joyful and extroverted, but no, upon returning to Germany my attitude was shunned and I had to go back to wearing black and grey clothes and shut the f*ck up, stop being so happy dammit. Also the language, for example on a nice evening I would hear the sound of crickets (grasshoppers) and say how lovely it was, but in German, "das ist eine Heuschrecke!" like you just violated some severe rule of law by mentioning it. Ok to be fair there were things I loved in Germany, like Christmas which is done with some great traditions and minimal materialism, and they have great bicycle paths so you can go everywhere under your own two-wheeled power, and ironically despite the uptight social attitudes in Summer you can take off all your clothes to sunbathe and swim in a lake with hundreds of other naked people with no sense of shame whatsoever. And you can drive on the Autobahn at ridiculous high speed as long as your car is up to the task. I could go on and on about the loves and the hates of living in Germany, but now I live in a rice field in northern Thailand which has a very different list of loves and non-loves, but at least I don't hate it, except for maybe the death wish they have on the roads driving like idiots. ;-)

I am a swede, the last few years my work has given me the chance to spend 1-3 months in every country in Europe, and in Japan and the US. I like that Swedes think Stockholm or Göteborg are big cities even though they are pretty tiny compared to most other cities. Especially when people say "it is so hard to drive in Stockholm 😞" and they havent driven in Paris, Portugal, Greece, Rome or Naples, or the US for that matter, I find that a bit funny. Having said that, out of all the places I have been to, I would still pick Sweden as a place to live full time because it feels cleaner and like it just "works better" than most other places, but ofc I would say this, I was born and raised there 😅 And maybe Japan, if I didnt have to work like the japanese do haha, the most similar yet different place I've been so far

I spend lots of time there. You are totally cool to see these things. One time I bought vegetables from a stand. The next day I was walking with my sister in law and I said hi to the vegetable guy. My sister in law was shocked. Do you know him. Well, I do now because I met him yesterday. But you don’t know him. Well, fuck yea I do, I met him when I was buying vegetables. Jesus Christ. You are the next generation Swede. It makes me so happy

The trick to Systembolaget is what I do. We have the same silliness here in Norway with Vinmonopolet closing early, and closed on some days, so I have made sure that I'm prepared for whatever occasion might possibly occur. I have several liters of a lot of all sorts of liquor, wine, beer, cider, whiskey, vodka etc just in case I might wan't something sometime. The backside is I end up drinking a lot more than I would if I could just buy it when I actually need it. 😋

i lived in denmark 2 years , it was boring to death , cold , dark and depressing, and people avoided me like the plague. then i came to london , its crazy but i love it ♥

I am an American with Swedish heritage and watching this makes all my conditioning make sense. 😂 Also, I’m low key smitten with you and your sense of humor. 😇

The not talking to strangers thing is mostly because people in sweden dont want to bother other people and they themselves want to just mind what they are doing. But if something does happen or a stranger does come, there is many swedes that do help out and maybe talk.

I'm Swedish. This video is 100% accurate. Thank you! Ok, one thing is not correct. We're not that cold... During summer! Winter time though, nobody wants to stand in that cold and be nice to the neighbour, or actually even acknowledge that they exist! Come back May and I might start engaging. Might.

I'm visiting 🇸🇪 with a friend in a couple of weeks, pretty excited to discover the culture , monuments , the food and the metal scene . We come from Belgium! London is definitely on the list though! Thank you for sharing the negative parts of the country, it's always interesting to see what a local person thinks.

Number 3 (rollerskating banana) resonates. One of my funniest incidents is a newly arrived Swedish student "inneboende" in 2010-ish (from Gothenburg) came back from the local Supermarket stunned there was a girl walking around with green hair and nobody said a word!! Also I worked in Sweden for a while on secondment from the UK for a well-known Telecomms Company along with a bunch of fellow 20-something year old Brit. We loved everything about the experience except "System Bollocks". I naively asked a member of staff for a wine recommendation and got back an icy stare, as if I'd just implied she was an alcoholic.

I had to subscribe. You made me laugh in this video 😂 Your sense of humor it’s something else

Scandinavian folks just are the kings and queens of sarcasm and dark humor. I had to laugh quite some times watching this. Love it.

Haha. Very funny commentary! I was there in the summer, with Swedes who DO have a sense of humor like you do. I loved my visit.

Tack för ett gott skratt :D Det är ungefär av samma anledningar jag flyttade från Sverige för ca 24 år sedan, bortsett från punkt 8 även om även det fick mig att spotta kaffet på skärmen :D

Thanks for preparing me what's awaiting me in this amazing country for the upcoming two years 😍

I am from Russia, and to me Swedes are the best people on Earth. I lived in Denmark before and Swedes are just better. I like that Swedes while respect your personal space a lot, would always engange in some small chatter throwing a joke or two. I think they are very smart, kind and lovely people. I am legit in love with the entire nation lol. I just hope they would stop swooping in people that does not like to learn the language, work and rather go around chain-yanking....

Ball-crushingly witty, hilarious, and bang on…bravo 😂

Thanks for this video. It was interesting to see and hear some honest perspective on your country and culture. I'm going to find the positive one now, for balance.

I am first generation American on my mother's side. She cam to the states with her family as a child. I grew up eating lots of Swedish food. I can say my mom was very reserved and didn't strike up conversations with people. She was tough as nails as was her entire family. She was not a hugger . She loved her country . I suffer from depression and couldn't deal with all the dark days.

In my city in Finland there is usually this store called "Prisma" being opem 24/7 except on holidays of course. Prisma isnt next to me but its not too far away, cheap and has anything I need. But I don't really need to go to the store at 2 am

There are however gas stations open 24/7 where you can buy mostly the same stuff as in corner shops?

I'm used to isolation, but pretentiousness, two-faced people, superiority complexes and fame politeness are deal breakers. Especially when xenophobia is thrown into the mix.

Thanks for making and sharing the video. Living in the Netherlands, I would say that only the winter would be a bit of a disadvantage. But the other points you mentioned, well I would rather qualify them as credits to Sweden. I absolutely love the country and its people! Best regards from the Netherlands

I just want to say your channel is so awesome. But also, the rabbit hole that found me here was literally as random as typing Sweden into the search bar and you showed up 🥺 amazing. I love language, and I found out Sweden made it second on the English proficiency index for countries with English as a second language. I ran across a Swedish pilot watched like all of his videos and couldn't figure out his accent. So of course I found out he was from the cold cold Sweden when I was frustrated cuz his accent sounded "germanic" to my dumb American ears then learned the truth. After all of that I found your adorable video about what you hate about Sweden, and man, you may actually have a worse housing market than America. By may I mean 1000% you do. 😆 loved your video though the random rabbit hole that lead me here was the happiest thing imaginable. 💖

Great video. Right touch of humor I want to visit now too! 😅

I have been in sweden for 5 months... Helsingborg 😍 Have to say whatever was said in first half i felt for first month..but country grows on you..its a brilliant sorted country .. lovely people once you get to know them ..small but beautiful cities..there is no Second thought on moving there..i would love it. ❤️

Swedish here. Missing my homeland so much. I miss those gloomy days because I now live in a tropical country 😅

Loved your video! I have Swedish relatives and my aunt is a bit of a fridge. My cousins, fortunately, are pretty normal. I think the Vikings must have thought that they had found paradise when they found Britain, all those years ago. I can see why many did not want to return to Scandinavia.

Dude, you are such a funny guy! Your channel is gold! Cheers from Texas!

yoo nice work mane, this video went viral. How was your experience in Tokyo?

I do not find Swedes too bad. More reserved but, I find once you make a Swedish friend you have them for life. One, I started talking to again after years of not a lot of contact with each other but it is like, we picked up where we left off.

Finland and Sweden are incredibly similar in many ways. The ice cold exterior, seasonal depression, restrictions on selling alcohol, not to mention all the social security system and high quality (and cost) of living etc. etc. That's why I find it so strange that Sweden has no 24/7 grocery stores/corner shops. In Helsinki they're now basically everywhere, although they're much rarer in smaller cities.

You are speaking from my heart. I have lived in many megapolises in Europe, Canada, and USA, and ended up living in the USA (regretfully). My dream, as a single mom, is to save my son from the failing/devalued U.S. and Sweden was my country of choice. Yet, little did I know that on top of other credentials that I give to Sweden, the Swedish people reject the braggers. It's a fresh air to my lungs. Here, in the USA, it is common to show "confidence," to overwhelm the room with a pompous self-intro (even when the facts are suggesting the opposite). I hate it.

Same in Michigan. It is snowing from October-May. And the sun doesn’t shine for weeks/months at a time.

Unfortunately, in my part of Canada, it gets dark and cold quick. I do like winter but, I have been surrounded by snow for 6 months!

Norway its exactly like that, but smaller and more expensive

I have been living in Sweden for about 8 months now. Although there are a lot of pros (e.g. free education, clean) there are also some cons for sure. I am living in Gothenburg and in the last months the weather was pretty bad. It can get very gloomy and greyish. At the same time, although people are very considerate of personal space, i sometimes feel like there are a lot of rules in Sweden and people can be overly protective. If you go out in a club there are usually security guards watching every one. Although it is fairly safe in general. Over all its comfortable but also a bit overhyped sometimes haha

what gold mine did i just strike im trying to be all serious researching and this just broke the ice. Love the humour

2:42 Living in Switzerland, I gotta say Swedish grocery stores have some pretty decent opening hours compared to Switzerland. Most of the Swedish chains are even opened on Sundays and only close at like 10:00 in the evening throughout the week while Swiss supermarkets usually close at 19:00 and ain't opened on Sundays.

I heard of Systembolaget. I am not sure, how things are in other parts of Canada, but in Ontario if you wanted alcohol you would have to go to a special store LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) in the 90's and early to mid 2000's. However, this has changed in the past 7 years because now, grocery stores are allowed to carry alcohol.

Hej! First time commenting on a YT video in over 10 years (not exaggerating!). Binge-watched a few of your vids and you are hilarious, man! 😂 Love the Sweden-related videos coz I just moved here a couple of months ago and don’t really have actual friends yet. Keep up the good work! (and of course the dirty jokes) 🤣

Loved this! No 24 hour shops is the worst, it was sort of the same in Amsterdam when I was living there. All the other shops close at 10 and there’s a handful of extremely expensive night shops dotted around 🙄 Not great for hospitality workers who work unsociable hours

I thought the best thing about sweden is that you have a right to walk almost everywhere, even if you own a piece of land you cannot forbid it to general public. This may seem strange or unfair at surface but it prevents filthy rich to buy a piece of land in the middle of a beautiful hiking track and block it for everyone else. I also love that nature is really accessible here even in Stockholm. You don''t to go on a vacation if you want to be in a forest, you just take a 10 to minute walk to the woods.

I'm from Greece and I want to live in Sweden. I don't know how I could adapt from 250 days a year of pure sun to a darker-colder place but I love cold as well. I adore Sweden, I like the culture, I haven't met Swedes so it would also be a challenge because in Greece we are very open with strangers and everyone. I like Greece for its beauty, places, food (alcohol access everywhere🤭) but everything else, I don't even want to think about it. Living in Greece is more a survival task then anything. I 'm learning swedish, I listen to swedish music, definitely I will move to Sweden.

I visited my Swedish cousins in 1988, after some of them had visited us in the United States. Two men my mother's age were surprisingly frisky - always joking. Their children near my age seemed mostly open and friendly. I was there during the summer, and had a terrible time getting to sleep at night with the light coming in the window all night, but that's unavoidable. Trollhattan and Skovde.

Second time one of your videos is useful for me as an expat in Sweden. First one was how to get a job in Sweden. Keep popping on my suggestions and you'll have another follower soon 😉😄

Yeah, Sweden in "tiny" in terms of population but it is far larger in area than both Japan and the UK.

Fun fact: Glasgow in Scotland gets less sunlight than Stockholm despite being further south due to an aggressive amount of cloud and rain, that sunlight can't actually get through during the 6 hours a day that there actually is daylight

In my country, we all talk with strangers and smile to each other and no one thinks you're crazy. I can't imagine how many good people swedish people miss :) But, It's a warm country, so...

Having a very cold climate, I was wondering what utility costs are like in Sweden ?

I am an American visiting Stockholm. I have been here for a month and a half. The other day i was in coop grocery store waiting to use a recycling machine, and a older Swedish lady that was a stranger said to me " to have a nice day". IT MADE ME SO HAPPY. I was so surprised.

I just subscribed you sick freak.Great narration style 😎

We have something similar to #5 here in North Carolina. You can only buy liquor in ABC stores and they’re all closed on sundays.

Hi, from Melbourne, Australia. My best friend here is Swedish her name is Gunilla. Her father Arne moved back to Stockholm a decade ago. When Gunilla first arrived in Australia she fainted in 30 degree heat. Still doesn't like hot weather!

That was hilarious and informative at the same time. 😄 Greetings from Germany.

Do u recommend traveling to Sweden at summer?

The best thing about Sweden is that no matter where you go, no matter how remote, everyone speaks English really well. I think that's very pleasant, especially for native English speakers. In Germany, for example, it's much harder, and the supermarkets are also open on Sundays, which is not a matter of course.

We still have liquor stores in Canada. I found one Save On grocery store on Vancouver Island that sells wine in Sidney. We have been dealing with this in Canada forever, not really a big deal.

As a Swede who has lived abroad for a short while I second this video wholeheartedly. I'm conflicted about the Jante thing. I really like it except when I, admittedly rarely, need to say "I am better at this, move over". Every time you need to weigh the social impact.

Don't worry, I am Canadian and had to learn English and some French growing up. However, I do not like speaking French because, I think, I sound horrible! I am doing a Swedish lesson after this video is done!

In Ontario, (aside from restaurants, breweries, wineries) we can only buy alcohol from the LCBO which is also the government owned stores. Only recently, you can buy wine and beer from supermarkets.

This is bloody hilarious! Every reason here just makes me wonder why I've put up with this place for seven years...

Another complete shit thing is "The principle of openness" which mean anyone can get anyones social sercurity number, see their earnings, houses, cars etc.

Super funny vid and a really good list. My favorite is #7

My sister did her phd in Sweden and she couldn't adapt there, not just the darkness, but the daytime starting at 3 am.

Home is where the heart is. I have travelled all over and have lived all over the world. There are some things done better in other countries than my own. (US) But I still wouldn’t want to live anywhere else permanently. I never begrudge anyone that feels the same about their own native country. I still want to visit Sweden however. It does sound fantastic as I do like the night.

I saw a Nigerian exchange student here in Sweden. He looked quite sad and out of place. He probably had a hard time relating to people here. Because if there is one flaw we have its how closed of and exclusive we are. How coldly we treat people out of respect. Yeah we might take care of the poor and give them communal housing. But having all your economic and safety needs met but left to a living death with nothing to look forward to. No social life. No future. No prospects, No confidence. Because we imagine people as happy when left alone and independent. In a more southernly culture like Nigeria. Im guessing communities and friends and family look out for one another and don't keep you boxed in and alienated with tax money as if its doing you a favour.

I waited 3 years before someone said thanks for holding a door open for them. And at the same time no one would hold the door open for another person.

As a Swede i feel ya on some points 😄 except the darkness. You just have to embrace it, especially with an partner like rabbits and movies 👍 or make something fun with friends like board games, videogames or having deep discussions over some good drinks to then get everything out from your chest because your sick of the cold and darkness. But when the summer comes, it comes more as an big bang except if it rains the whole summer and we have to wait one more season and do it all over again 😆

I am canadian and liquor must be bought in the state store which is very expensive as well. Now I live in budapest where its extremely convenient here and very cheap to live love it here. I bought 4 flats in budapest for the price of one in the most expensive part of Canada. Love it here! I have wanted to visit Stockholm but am fearful re the migrant situation there. I like safe places.

As a Swede: 1. Couldn't agree more. 2. Absolutely true although once a Swede becomes your fried it shifts totally. Also Stockholm is the coldest and unfriendliest city in Sweden. Gothenburg is by far the most European like. 2nd I would say Malmö where I live. 3. Yes, however if you live in Malmö you have very easy access to Copenhagen for culture etc. Also Copenhagen has the best airport in Scandinavia if you want to go somewhere else. Stockholm is isolated and remote. 4. Whatever :p 5.Absolutely hate it. I buy most of my alcohol online nowadays. 6. Yeah getting a rental apartment especially in Stockholm is a nightmare. 7. Whatever. 8. Same as 7. 9. I can absolutely agree when it comes to bureaucracy. For every day life and general order I enjoy it. I explode sometimes when I go to "developed" countries and everything is an organizational disaster. 10. Yes, my god. Hate it.

i laught so bad when you said you didn't like swedish. As an spaniard (and catalan) I'm trying to learn swedish because i love how it sounds. Like, every other language I speak has it's own thing on how they change my whole self (lol) and make me seem like someone I'm not, so when I heared for the first time someone talking swedish i was like "damn, gotta learn that". Fun fact, i realized i sound cold and rude lol (from a spainiard perspective obviusly, the change from one to another is so fucking fun)

Dude you're humor is awesome!

I think all the things you mentioned are the things i like the most about Sweden... It makes me think how we're all different and everything we feel is valid

This was funny and entertaining :D Why is it that Swedes feel the need to be more reserved only around other Swedes?

This dude don’t know how lucky it is but you know what they say you never miss something till you lose it

I'm so glad everyone is posting videos about the authenticity of everything and being so real and honest I really appreciate it, I think everyone is done with the sugar coating let's just be real thanks for being real.

1. If you live in southernmost Sweden, perhaps winters are not so bad there. Also, the seas around keep the area relatively warm. 2. Sweden is a large country by European standards. Of course, not as large as Australia or Canada, but large enough. Also, as a Schengen and EU Citizen you can travel, live, and work everywhere within the EU. 3. Great cities are fun to visit and even live there for a while, but they are terribly expensive, commuting is a nightmare, and competition for limited resources is fierce. This, of course, translates into the cost of living and stress. In my experience, well run mid-size cities are the best. Try, e.g., Brisbane, QLD, Australia (my favourite), or Vancouver, BC, Canada.

0:43 everyone is a dark souls character, I like that😂

Stockholm is definitely a big city, but by no means a metropolis. I feel that this is a quite usefull distinction.

i’m from the midwestern US and everything i see and hear about sweden sounds like heaven to me. i love winter, i am extremely introverted and i can’t help but love the idea of having any form of healthcare for less than the price of my kidney every month.