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It'd be more interesting to hear on the topic from non-Canadians living in Canada right now (I think, OP is one of such people) as from people who don't have a dog in this fight and tend to have a more objective and unbiased perspective just sharing their view from 10,000 feet after living in 2+ countries, than from Canadians who seem to have a duty to defend their turf on this forum by over-rationalizing so the conclusions would fit the beliefs.
I used to be an immigrant, wondered, too, about the mysteriously opaque social relations. Went through the standard stages of "they have fake smiles", "it's hard to impossible to make friends", "wow, men don't make advances" etc. It took time to connect the dots - that this reserved, civil behaviour is a necessary component of a transparent, lawful, safe society. How civil, safe, equality-upholding, and un-corrupted are the countries where the passionate people come from? And if those countries are all of the above, why come to Canada? It's a tad arrogant to bring your own yardstick and measure local interpersonal relations by it, while enjoying Canadian education and services.
When I meet my compatriots nowadays, at first I get that feeling of sitting on a fence. Yes, they are more animated. Yes, they not just fall into friendship - they roar into it, they harley-davidson and SWAT into it. They take the city of your soul by force, they look through all the corners, they get into the basement and the attic, they notice every dusty corner. Then, you feel crowded, and you cannot escape it anymore. At that point, you start appreciating the Canadian reserve, and start preventing the pillaging. You fall off the fence on the Canadian side. By doing that, you become an unknown species to them. The very same " frozen", an alien. Explanations are useless, just like for the OP. They have to do their voyage on their own.
My point was merely to demonstrate why it is that Canadians have certain characteristics, not to defend the United States. Living in the shadow of the United States does impact Canada, as it does Mexico, for example.
In fact, even though America is powerful now, I suspect it will break apart in the coming decades, with Canada sure to follow.
I used to be an immigrant, wondered, too, about the mysteriously opaque social relations. Went through the standard stages of "they have fake smiles", "it's hard to impossible to make friends", "wow, men don't make advances" etc. It took time to connect the dots - that this reserved, civil behaviour is a necessary component of a transparent, lawful, safe society. How civil, safe, equality-upholding, and un-corrupted are the countries where the passionate people come from? And if those countries are all of the above, why come to Canada? It's a tad arrogant to bring your own yardstick and measure local interpersonal relations by it, while enjoying Canadian education and services.
When I meet my compatriots nowadays, at first I get that feeling of sitting on a fence. Yes, they are more animated. Yes, they not just fall into friendship - they roar into it, they harley-davidson and SWAT into it. They take the city of your soul by force, they look through all the corners, they get into the basement and the attic, they notice every dusty corner. Then, you feel crowded, and you cannot escape it anymore. At that point, you start appreciating the Canadian reserve, and start preventing the pillaging. You fall off the fence on the Canadian side. By doing that, you become an unknown species to them. The very same " frozen", an alien. Explanations are useless, just like for the OP. They have to do their voyage on their own.
Really interesting perspective.. I've been to developing countries and actually lived in homes of locals and EVERYBODY knows EVERYBODY's business.. The walls have eyes everywhere and its hard to escape lol.. It does become overpowering and if you aren't used to that like I wasn't - you start to think, I really don't think I could live like this.. People on the street stopping and talking to you and being very 'friendly' asking you all kinds of personal questions and sizing you up and really very much judging you at every step even as a foreigner and some wanting a way to skim money off you too - I could only imagine the pressure growing up in that environment.
I'm not saying one system is better but yeah a country like Canada would feel cold, reserved and maybe passionless in comparison - but you did make a great case for the benefits of this type of society - your post made me thing back to the countries of my travels and as much as they are fascinating to visit - i'll take the rather cold and impersonal Canada where I don't feel boxed in! Anyway good luck in your new country - somehow I think you are and will do just fine here and even have lots of meaningful connections with people
(To come up with a policy to ID 40 year old people to buy alcohol, one must be really dull, and, frankly, never seen anything like that in 30+ other countries I've been to; it's just one personal anecdote of many.)
Certainly in Ontario (The place everybody in Canada outside of it seems to hate and we still are wondering why lol) the age they ask for I.D is if they suspect you are 25 and under.. Its on the signage in LCBO stores so certainly not everywhere in Canada is like this..
Also, you should travel to some places in the U.S.. I.D for people under 40 is also done in that country!! I bought some beer in NY State and they I.D everyone they suspect is under 40!!
My point was merely to demonstrate why it is that Canadians have certain characteristics, not to defend the United States. Living in the shadow of the United States does impact Canada, as it does Mexico, for example.
In fact, even though America is powerful now, I suspect it will break apart in the coming decades, with Canada sure to follow.
Living in the shadow? Its only people with a simplistic view of things like you who we feel we are 'living' in the shadow of the U.S. The reason Canada and the U.S share similarities vs a country like Mexico is because we have very similar history, timelines and societies..
I used to be an immigrant, wondered, too, about the mysteriously opaque social relations. Went through the standard stages of "they have fake smiles", "it's hard to impossible to make friends", "wow, men don't make advances" etc. It took time to connect the dots - that this reserved, civil behaviour is a necessary component of a transparent, lawful, safe society. How civil, safe, equality-upholding, and un-corrupted are the countries where the passionate people come from? And if those countries are all of the above, why come to Canada? It's a tad arrogant to bring your own yardstick and measure local interpersonal relations by it, while enjoying Canadian education and services.
When I meet my compatriots nowadays, at first I get that feeling of sitting on a fence. Yes, they are more animated. Yes, they not just fall into friendship - they roar into it, they harley-davidson and SWAT into it. They take the city of your soul by force, they look through all the corners, they get into the basement and the attic, they notice every dusty corner. Then, you feel crowded, and you cannot escape it anymore. At that point, you start appreciating the Canadian reserve, and start preventing the pillaging. You fall off the fence on the Canadian side. By doing that, you become an unknown species to them. The very same " frozen", an alien. Explanations are useless, just like for the OP. They have to do their voyage on their own.
If being a society of robots is a prerequisite for a transparent, safe society I think I can do without it. By the way there are many safe countries where people are not robots.
If being a society of robots is a prerequisite for a transparent, safe society I think I can do without it. By the way there are many safe countries where people are not robots.
Well you are totally exaggerating but yeah - if a society isn't working for you than you should definitely considering moving to one where it does.. Life is short and the last thing you need to do is be in a relationship that isn't working for you.. Its like those who choose to stay with a partner they don't love and yet all they do is complain about their partner's shortcomings....
Canada doesn't go around the world abducting its immigrants...
I used to be an immigrant, wondered, too, about the mysteriously opaque social relations. Went through the standard stages of "they have fake smiles", "it's hard to impossible to make friends", "wow, men don't make advances" etc. It took time to connect the dots - that this reserved, civil behaviour is a necessary component of a transparent, lawful, safe society. How civil, safe, equality-upholding, and un-corrupted are the countries where the passionate people come from? And if those countries are all of the above, why come to Canada? It's a tad arrogant to bring your own yardstick and measure local interpersonal relations by it, while enjoying Canadian education and services.
When I meet my compatriots nowadays, at first I get that feeling of sitting on a fence. Yes, they are more animated. Yes, they not just fall into friendship - they roar into it, they harley-davidson and SWAT into it. They take the city of your soul by force, they look through all the corners, they get into the basement and the attic, they notice every dusty corner. Then, you feel crowded, and you cannot escape it anymore. At that point, you start appreciating the Canadian reserve, and start preventing the pillaging. You fall off the fence on the Canadian side. By doing that, you become an unknown species to them. The very same " frozen", an alien. Explanations are useless, just like for the OP. They have to do their voyage on their own.
WOW! You may have rendered every other post on this thread redundant with that very articulate post! Well done indeed.
Immigrants are everywhere these days, but still there's core culture and local people who run nearly all important things, make the policies and set the tone for the most part. Like create a workplace culture and atmosphere, for instance. Immigrants mostly hold lowly roles in the society and pander to the same system. Corporate owners, managers and politicians classes who run the system and create rules have been here for centuries and are white Canadians for the most part. They come up with the policies that result in something like you see in the picture, not guys from India, China, France, Ukraine, etc.
It'd be more interesting to hear on the topic from non-Canadians living in Canada right now (I think, OP is one of such people) as from people who don't have a dog in this fight and tend to have a more objective and unbiased perspective just sharing their view from 10,000 feet after living in 2+ countries, than from Canadians who seem to have a duty to defend their turf on this forum by over-rationalizing so the conclusions would fit the beliefs.
(To come up with a policy to ID 40 year old people to buy alcohol, one must be really dull, and, frankly, never seen anything like that in 30+ other countries I've been to; it's just one personal anecdote of many.)
Say what? Firstly; you've just pigeon-holed immigrants with the same degree of generalization as characterizing a whole population as passionless. Then you go on to suggest they may stifle their passion during social intercourse outside of working hours to suit a boss or corporate entity?
Brother!
I suppose Canadians now have to abrogate their right to provide alternate viewpoint because they in fact do have a dog in the fight? Wouldn't that be considered "passionless" by you silly people? I mean after all you cannot have it both ways with suggesting we're passionless on the one hand and then suggest we sit back and meekly watch from the sidelines while silly people discuss our lack of passion without us defending our own turf, as you so eloquently put it.
How many dog fights have you attended where the opponents displayed a lack of passion by sitting in the audience watching benignly?
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- I could only imagine the pressure growing up in that environment. 
