‘Something was missing’: Indian man reveals what 15 years in Europe taught him about India

An Indian man who has lived in Norway for 15 years says moving abroad changed the way he viewed everyday interactions back home. Social media user Vinod took to X to reflect on the striking differences he noticed between India and Norway, saying his experience was not really about the weather or snow, but about people, personal space and connection.

15 years in Norway changed how he viewed India

Vinod recalled that when he first experienced life in Norway, the way people interacted in public felt noticeably different. Meeting a friend, colleague or neighbour at a mall, office or on the street could be as simple as exchanging a polite hello before continuing with the day. Initially, he found this brief interaction strange and distant. It made him feel as though “something was missing”.

He contrasted this with his experiences in India, where encounters often become much longer and more personal. According to Vinod, meeting an old friend in a market or on the street can quickly turn into a conversation about family, food, work and life. What starts as a brief meeting can easily stretch for 30 minutes, with neither person feeling the need to rush away. He described this as a tendency for public space in India to quietly become personal space.

India feels warmer, Norway offers more personal space

Vinod also pointed to the way strangers interact in India. He observed that people often step in to help before they are even asked and there is a strong instinct to ensure others do not feel alone. Norway, however, taught him to appreciate a different kind of kindness.


He noticed that the same people who maintain considerable personal space in everyday public life can become much more social when spending time outdoors. During hikes and treks, Vinod said strangers may start conversations, share food and bring out coffee from their backpacks. People can end up walking together as though they had planned it all along.

For him, it felt like seeing “two different versions of the same country”.

‘India pulls you in, Norway gives you space’

After years of observing both cultures, Vinod said he eventually began to understand the value in each approach.
“India pulls you in. Norway gives you space,” he wrote. He explained the contrast through two simple ideas. India communicates that a person matters by wanting to connect, while Norway communicates that the person matters by respecting their space and not interrupting them.

Over time, Vinod found himself somewhere between these two approaches.

What moving abroad taught him about silence

One of the biggest lessons from his 15 years in Norway, according to Vinod, was learning how much he valued silence. He said he had not realised how much he needed the ability to simply exist without constantly explaining himself, maintaining relationships or feeling the need to be socially “on”.

His experience made him see that personal space does not necessarily mean a lack of warmth, just as constant interaction does not automatically mean deeper connection. Looking back, Vinod summed up his experience by saying, “India taught me warmth. Norway taught me silence. And I needed both.”

For him, understanding that balance took years of observing and learning rather than simply comparing one culture with another. He ended his reflection with a question for others: “Do you think personal space and kindness can coexist?”

Internet reacts

The post resonated with several users, who reflected on the differences between Indian warmth and the importance of personal space. One user agreed with Vinod’s observation, saying that people in India often make you feel that you matter, but there can also be “no boundary” when it comes to personal space. The user added that people can sometimes end up taking others for granted.

Another commenter pointed to changing social norms, saying that while the two cultures have “different cultural ethos”, similar ideas around personal space are increasingly becoming common, particularly in Indian cities.

A third user described Vinod’s observation as discovering a “rarest equilibrium” between the two cultures. They said it was about carrying India’s warmth without losing Norway’s quietness, adding that personal space and kindness do not merely coexist but “complete each other”.