EX-PAT Perspective: Ten lessons from two years in the Netherlands

NUMBER ONE: Dutch people are the most conformist in the world

I began to notice after many months here that I would get exactly the same conversation questions in the same order when meeting them.

The conformity in opinion and thought is palpable here; I have so much empirical evidence behind that statement as I love connecting with new people...

On the other hand, as I'll explore in the next lesson point - Dutch people are so kind and peaceful.

Seemed a bit of an odd juxtaposition to me for a while: conformist yet kind?

Then one day I read a ZeroHedge article that explained it for me!

They are usually home early and eating dinner by 18:30, then what? Television!

Amazingly 82% believe their news is accurate (they are bombarded with pro-EU and pro-Dutch state viewpoints).

No surprise, Greece is the lowest... and which is the more anarchistic place?

The Dutch continue to celebrate (their bondage to the state) Koningsdag (King's Day), all wearing their orange.

I wore pink!

Millions of statist conformists, sounds terrible, right?

BUT as Vincent Vega said in Pulp Fiction, "That doesn't matter" because.....

NUMBER TWO: Dutch people have the highest respect for other cultures in the world

I used to be a huge movie fan but I didn't understand that line from Austin Powers at the time, if you have no reference points about Dutch culture then you can't really get the joke.

What's most amazing about the Dutch culture is that 'Respect for Others' is one of the highest values that is taught.

It's a self-reliant type of place and foreigners are welcomed.

If you respect the Dutch culture and treat people with respect then the Dutch respect you back.

I love that about living here.

NUMBER THREE: Dutch people are TALL

The Netherlands ranks with the tallest people in world, year after year.

I am 5'9'' (175 cm) and women are constantly looking down at me here!

NUMBER FOUR: Dutch people's favorite word is "Korting"

The Netherlands is a DEBIT culture. Credit cards are not welcome here. Most places won't accept them, only 'PIN' which is the word for the Dutch debit system. Cash is used but also under attack here, like much of Europe.

It's a stark difference to the easy-credit flow of America.

Here, if you don't have the money saved for it you generally don't buy it!

NUMBER FIVE: Dutch people only compete with each other in sports, for the most part

Here is one aspect that so opposite from American culture; while Americans compete with each other incessantly and across all aspects of life Dutch culture is highly collaborative.

People are more looking to get along with others versus beat them in something, this also applies to the workplace.

At a France vs Netherlands soccer friendly I was so impressed with how peaceful the stadium was... no fights, hooliganism or otherwise.

NUMBER SIX: Dutch culture is the highest consciousness, first-world, hetergenous society

I have mentioned the above phrase to hundreds of people over the past two years and no one can give me a better example.

Personally I have travelled to 35 countries (it's about to be 37 as I go to Finland and Austria for the first time in the next few weeks with my football team!) and lived in 4 (France, Australia) so I have been fortunate to see a great deal of the world.

Nowhere else do you find such a wonderful combination of social attributes.

I have been to Iceland four times and also to Japan, both wonderful homogenous societies.

My preference is to reside where I can find all types of people, however!

NUMBER SEVEN: Dutch people will not cross the street, with no traffic, when walking, unless the sign is on

Americans jay walk in their sleep.

The Dutch are mostly RULE FOLLOWERS!

There are cyclists, mopeds, trams, buses, cars, bike taxis and other pedestrians - it's hectic, and they wait for the green light to cross.

NUMBER EIGHT: Dutch people are some of the best engineers in the world, they have mastered water

The country is VERY flat and half of it is below sea level.

When in the countryside you will see bikes, cows, farms and WATER - it's everywhere here.

The Dutch even created their own 'sea' and are master shipbuilders and experts at all irrigation methods, dykes, dams, canals, etc.

NUMBER NINE: Dutch society is mostly built around common sense, you can do almost anything you like as long as you do not harm anyone else

My favorite part about this culture.

Despite still employing a Monarchy and having most of the population operating as Statists it's actually the most Libertarian country in Europe in many ways.

Almost all vices are legal or semi-legal here, and I believe the reason is not because the Dutch are so sexually adventurous or massive drug users: the reason is so that the TABOO is removed.

The Dutch have much lower levels of poverty, drug addiction and alcoholism than most countries.

Brilliant.

They don't put people in jail for smoking plants here....

NUMBER TEN: Dutch food is so much better and cheaper than American food your head would spin

Unlike in America, the Dutch do not subsidize the corn guys and tax the organic guys.

No GMO's.

No factory farms.

Healthy, cheap food and it's plentiful.

Amazingly, because they are so efficient in their vertical farming technology the Dutch have DOUBLE the average crop yield of the rest of the world and are the NUMBER TWO exporter of agriculture (after the USSA).

Conclusion: The Netherlands is a fantastic place. Worth a visit!