When you come to understand new norms and values, the next step is to implement the positive aspects from various perspectives into your personal and business life. Does that mean Spaniards are lazy?
As a Dutch person, we often say that Spaniards are lazy, and everyone is familiar with the term “mañana” to indicate that Spaniards exhibit procrastinatory behavior. During my stay and work in Malaga, I’m constantly in contact with Spaniards, and I too had to adjust to the (business) culture in the sunny South. But does this mean that Spaniards are lazy?
It can sometimes take a considerable amount of time to actually schedule a meeting, and you might even consider yourself lucky if they show up late instead of not showing up at all. When seeking a compromise, an impossible solution is often proposed in favor of the Spaniard. Proactive attitudes are scarce, as waiting and procrastination are more common here than showing initiative and responsibility. Unemployment, particularly among the youth, is the highest in the entire European Union. Only a few people speak average English here since English-speaking is not encouraged at home or by the government. Since Spaniards don’t earn much, they tend to live with their parents until about the age of 28 and receive “pocket money” from their parents.
I will never forget that last year, during my time in Spain, I had organized a project in collaboration with a company that organizes water sports activities on the beach of Malaga, Playa de la Malagueta. Together with a group of students, we had the entire day on Wednesdays to use these activities, and we created content to contribute to the company’s marketing. I had asked my good Spanish friend Cristóbal if he wanted to (get paid to) come to the beach to support the students, as we had worked on projects together before. However, he told me on a Monday that he couldn’t come because his mother was going to make breakfast at home on Wednesday. At that moment, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but when I later talked to him about it, the cultural difference became clear.
Cristóbal told me that he saw Western Europeans as people with the wrong priorities. According to him, we live to work, rather than work to live. In Spain, they place an incredible value on family and friendships and genuinely take time for each other. Siesta is not seen here as a break because the work is so hard, but as an afternoon rest and relaxation to maintain the balance in daily life. Living from day to day ensures that people live in the moment and don’t unnecessarily worry about the past or the future. Hospitality, traditions, respect, religion, honor, and pride are held in much higher regard here. While we may view some aspects of this way of life as a form of laziness, for Spaniards, the priority is the quality of life.
When I thought about this, I realized that having the right priorities is also incredibly important, and there’s much we can learn from this in the Netherlands. We try to insure ourselves as well as possible in case something happens to our health, yet our busy schedules don’t allow us to invest time in our health. We have such busy schedules that we often don’t make enough time to spend with our loved ones. And when we are with our loved ones, do we truly pay attention to each other, or does the phone need to be constantly checked? I haven’t even mentioned material consumption, individualism, or work culture.
With this article, I’m not trying to suggest that there’s a right or wrong, but I do want to emphasize that it’s essential to realize that people have different norms and values. Once you understand these norms and values, the next step is to implement the positives from these different perspectives into your personal and business life. So, try to view your life from the Spanish perspective, and I’m sure that setting the right priorities for you will make a positive contribution to your quality of life.
When will I write the next article? I have no idea, mañana? 😉
