Kiwification

photo credit: jurvetson

According to UltraCrepidate, New Zealand has a unique, uncomplicated “truthful” smell. He writes:

Every once a while, I’d catch a whiff of a very familiar scent. A scent that forever defines a country. A country where hills are greener than green, skies bluer than blue and the people nicer than nice: New Zealand. The color of nature (or of anything) in New Zealand is more vivid due to the extreme lack of industrial fume.

If a word can be associated with this smell, it will be “Truth”. A bold and strong smell, yet devoid of any intricate intertwining or complexity. It embodies truth. And like truth, it is simple yet you never get tired of it and it never overwhelms your senses, instead it replenishes your energy.

Is New Zealand generally truthful (in speech) ?

I haven’t noticed a overwhelming smell of “truth” myself. “Politeness” and “friendliness” are in abundance. However, the Kiwis I’ve met are generally reticent to reveal what they really think, feel, or believe, and will tell you what they think they want you to hear, truthful or not. Maybe you just have to work harder to get to know them first - there’s a generally feeling that nobody needs friends (Kiwi can-do attitude), so it takes a long time to establish a real, truthful friendship.

Is New Zealand generally honest (in deed) ?

You’ll no doubt hear the ubiquitous example of a tourist leaving a wallet or cellphone in a store or restaurant, only to have it hand-delivered to them later, or kept safe behind the counter. As a culture, Kiwis are very strong on honesty and being “neighborly”. Coming from the watch-your-back culture of South Africa, I might even go as far as to label their honesty as “naivety”. If you were a “bad guy”, it would be easy to take advantage of, and rip off, a lot of trusting Kiwis.

The source of New Zealand’s untruthfulness

I think that the cultural belief in equality (nobody’s better than you, therefore you’re better than nobody), combined with the “tall poppy syndrome”, leads Kiwis to keep their opinions to themselves. A “traditional” Kiwi would not want to stand alone against popular opinion.

This throwback to the classic small-town, wholesome, neighborly lifestyle which is one of the factors which makes New Zealand life so appealing. It’s also a hinderance to social innovation, developing new communities and establishing truthful relationships.

Advice if you’ve just moved to New Zealand

• Work at building a core of good friendships and social connections.
• Expect it to take time.
• Be aware that you won’t get the social feedback you might expect in your home country.