16 Signs You Were Born In The Netherlands
1. You’re not shocked or offended when young kids reprimand you.
Although opinions on this particular issue are divided in the Netherlands, Dutch children are encouraged to be self-aware and opinionated from a young age. Adults are generally receptive to sound arguments, even those made by seven-year-olds. In addition, if the adult believes the child is in error, he will try to correct him rather than reprimanding him.
2. Your adherence to the law is woefully lacking.
Yes, you respect authority and the law, but only when they suit your needs. With the motto “Dat moeten we toch lekker zelf weten” (It’s our own business and no one else’s), many bars continued to keep ashtrays on the tables inside after the smoking ban was implemented, risking severe fines.
3. Despite the fact that wearing a bicycle helmet is mandatory in other nations, you would never put one on yourself.
You consider your bike to be an organic extension of who you are. Your bike is more than just a mode of transportation for you; without it, nothing would be possible. You ride your bike to work and pick up your kids from school, and you’ve mastered the art of cycling and whatsapp-using safely while negotiating busy intersections and “accidentally” blowing through stop signs.
4. You have a habit of grumbling.
Even if you reside in one of the most prosperous and happy nations in the world, there is always something to be unhappy about. If not the weather, it would be the health care system, the government, the passenger who sat next to you on the crowded train and invaded your personal space, and especially all the other people who are constantly whining.
5. You’re not compelled to wear bold fashion statements.
You like to dress casually, and you’ve even been seen wearing jeans and sneakers out on the town. But in secret, you’ve worked hard to find the ideal set of jeans, a shirt, and sneakers, hoping to impress with your casual-yet-hip appearance.
6. You frequently leave your curtains open.
You don’t take humiliation well and don’t mind if people watch what you’re doing in your living room. After all, you don’t have anything to hide, right?
7. You congratulate your boyfriend’s parents on his birthday.
Congratulations on your son, I said.
Congratulations with your boyfriend, future mother-in-law, three cheek kisses later. the following member of the family, friend, or acquaintance. Before you sit down to enjoy the party, you congratulate each of the guests who arrived before you.
8. Never anticipate your date to foot the bill.
You split the costs and go Dutch. You prepare a meal with friends as a student, splitting the cost of the ingredients evenly and precisely to the last cent. If you don’t immediately transfer the money into their account, even if it’s only a euro, they will call you out on it.
9. You lack nationalism. Unless you’re a football fan.
Normally, you consider yourself to be a “global citizen,” but when you’re watching the European or World Football Championships, even your cousin—who ordinarily abhors sports—becomes a fervent, screaming, and shouting “Oranje” supporter.
10. You never refuse something that is offered for no charge.
Nothing makes you happier because you don’t like spending money than an unexpected discount. Unless you can get something for nothing. Even though you don’t like mints, you cheerfully pass that girl twice as she freely distributes a new brand of peppermint-flavored candies so you can add another bar of “happiness” to your day.
11. You don’t hesitate to express your views, even if they may offend others.
You frequently get called “rude” because you wear your heart on your sleeve, but you prefer to think of yourself as “direct” or “honest,” and you wish more people would recognize that. You’re also well-known for having an opinion on everything, even topics you know very little about.
12. You are pleased with the Netherlands’ liberal position on marijuana use and prostitution.
However, you don’t want to smoke marijuana for yourself, and you also don’t want to be discovered dead in a seedy area. You’re also aware that all of this liberal rhetoric is just a front for the government, which has recently been working behind the scenes to shut down as many coffee shops and stores with stained glass as possible.
13. You have a passionate devotion to the sun.
Even if the temperature is only 12 degrees, you dig a skirt out of the back of your closet, hop on your bike, and head to a “terrasje” with your girlfriends to toast the end of winter with as many glasses of wine as you need to make you forget about your bare, white legs (because in reality it’s still bitterly cold).
14. Even though you don’t place much value on marriage, you believe that everyone should be able to do so.
Church weddings are more of an exception than the rule because marriage isn’t considered to be a big deal. Most people view marriage as a way to set up the legal documents for a partnership. However, the majority of us Dutch people firmly believe that everyone has the right to freedom of lifestyle choice and should be allowed to marry as long as they don’t harm others in the process.
15. You’d rather start a debate than allow someone to skip the line.
If it’s your turn, it’s your turn, and you’d rather start a heated argument in a busy store than let anyone cut in front of you in line. Knowing that many will attempt it, you keep a close eye on everyone.
16. One of your most prized possessions is your pocket diary.
The key is to plan. In addition to your work, you also need to remember your yoga class schedule, your best friend’s birthday, that uninterrupted night of “quality” time with your boyfriend, your Friday night dinner with coworkers, your high school reunion, and your weekly Vegan meetup. Do you want to get a drink? Yes, I have time on Thursday, the following week, between 5 and 6 p.m.
Topic: 16 Signs You Were Born In The Netherlands
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By: Travel Pixy