Article: Stereotypes can become a part of an identity

For Finns, silence seems to be golden as the proverb says. Images of Finns standing meters apart at a bus stop have circulated the web for years. Even one of the most famous Finns in the world, Formula One driver Kimi Räikkönen has built his iconic image around his lack of talking.

Stereotype of the silent Finn comes up repeatedly in everyday life, in the media but also in academic discourses as well. In academia, the concept of Finnish silence has found its place. Scholars tend to explain how silence is related to being shy or to the communicator’s low self image.

But it might be that the concept of silence does not ring true at all, as it could be just a myth…read all