Why does social life feel effortless in one city and strangely hard in another? Even when the people are kind? Why can two places feel completely different, yet occasionally familiar in unexpected ways? In this discussion and workshop, we’ll explore five social and cultural differences between Shanghai and Stockholm, hosted by Alex, a European job placement specialist who has lived in both cities as a foreigner and loves them deeply. Drawing from real life, real data, and lived contradictions, Alex will unpack why social life in Stockholm often feels calm, planned, and deep, while Shanghai can feel spontaneous, intense, and surprisingly warm, and why neither experience is as simple as it first appears.

 

Together, we’ll look at:

• How friendships start
• How quickly or slowly relationships grow and why
• How people are included (or not included)
• Social energy and spontaneity
• Loneliness and how it shows up

 

This isn’t about which culture is better or worse, and it’s definitely not a guidebook comparison or what you'll get from online noise. It’s about understanding why social life feels the way it does where you live, and how to navigate it with more awareness, realism, and self-compassion. You’ll leave with insights you won’t find online, and a clearer, more worldly lens on your own social experiences abroad, plus practical ways to build connections without forcing yourself to become someone you’re not.

 

为什么在一个城市，社交好像不费力，而在另一个地方却莫名其妙地难？哪怕那里的人大多都很友好？为什么两个地方明明完全不同，却偶尔又会在某些瞬间让你感到熟悉？在这场讨论+工作坊中，我们会一起看看上海和斯德哥尔摩之间五个关键的社交与文化差异。活动由Alex主持，他是一名欧洲岗位安置专家，作为外国人分别在这两座城市生活过，也真心喜欢它们。结合真实生活、真实数据，还有那些自相矛盾却很真实的体验，Alex会拆解：为什么斯德哥尔摩的社交常常显得平静、有计划、偏深度，而上海则更即兴、更密集，也意外地温暖，以及为什么这些感受都没那么简单。

 

我们会一起聊到：

—— 友谊是怎么开始的

—— 关系为什么会发展得快或慢

—— 人是如何被“纳入”或被排除在外的

—— 社交能量和即兴感

—— 孤独，以及它通常以什么形式出现

 

这不是在评判哪种文化更好或更差，也不是那种网络上随处可见的对照指南。我们真正想做的，是理解你所生活的地方，为什么社交会呈现出现在的样子，以及如何用更多觉察、现实感和对自己的包容，去应对它。你会带走一些网上很难看到的洞察，用一种更开阔、也更世界化的视角，重新理解自己在海外的社交体验，同时学到一些不勉强自己、也能慢慢建立连接的实际方法。