Beyond cool

An expat friend of mine who lives in Zurich once complained to me that Zurich men do not know how to flirt. Not can they not only flirt, but according to another expat friend of mine, Zurich people are not capable of small-talk with strangers. Anyone having been to a bar in Zurich and trying to speak to a stranger will agree. But it gets even worse than that. This week, at a presentation, I witnessed a particular behaviour: while having a discussion with a friend two bankers interrupted my conversation without introducing themselves. This particular hostile behaviour towards strangers is very common in Zurich. Being hostile or unfriendly to strangers not only can be seen in Zurich but also abroad: Swiss go to great lengths to avoid each other when abroad. Believe me, I know! I wonder why we are this way. For Zurich I can say that most people are obsessed with appearing “cool” or important when among strangers, e.g. in a bar. But not only do we desperately try to appear cool, we also do not know how to keep a conversation going or even more basic, how to politely ask questions. In my eyes it all boils down to being very self-centred, egotistical and not being aware of each other. Maybe some Zazen would help.