‘Sometimes love is just sitting together and saying nothing’: Indian man in Norway compares how families express love back home and abroad

There’s a popular phrase that says, ‘Home is where the heart is’. Picture this: you are living away from home and having a bad day, with all your friends busy, when suddenly your mother calls you. Just a simple conversation can make you feel a lot lighter. Similarly, those who live with their parents often find comfort in everyday moments like a shared meal, a casual chat after work, or simply knowing someone is around. But a recent X post by an Indian man, Vinod, living in Norway showed how families express love differently in India and Norway.

A tale of two family cultures

As per the post, Vinod reflected on how moving to Norway completely changed his understanding of what makes a house feel like home. During one of his first visits to a Norwegian family's home, he was taken aback when everyone sat together in silence for nearly 10 minutes. Accustomed to the lively conversations typical of Indian households, he initially assumed that something was wrong or that an awkward situation had unfolded.


However, Vinod’s perspective gradually changed after spending more time in the country. He realised that, in Norway, silence is often a sign of comfort rather than discomfort. Family members can simply enjoy each other's company without feeling the need to constantly fill the room with conversation. According to Vinod, this quiet companionship creates its own sense of warmth and belonging.

When silence becomes a love language

Drawing a comparison with India, Vinod noted that affection is usually expressed in a much more vocal way. Indian families often check on one another, engage in frequent conversations and naturally fill every pause with stories, laughter or questions. In contrast, Norwegian households may communicate the same love through peaceful togetherness, where simply sharing the same space is enough to make everyone feel at ease.

Rather than suggesting that one approach is better than the other, Vinod said both cultures celebrate family bonds in their own unique ways. While it took him some time to appreciate the quiet nature of Norwegian homes, he eventually came to see beauty in both styles of expressing love. He concluded his post by inviting others to share their own experiences of visiting relatives or hosting guests in India, sparking a conversation about how different cultures define the feeling of home.