Cultural Volume
The fact that we were once almost kicked out of a Swiss hotel for laughing too much and too loudly made us realize it is probably worth talking about cultural “volume.” Having studied as an undergrad in Northern Europe after growing up in the United States, I (Malcolm) can say it is not just a stereotype that people in most Northern European countries are much more subdued. This problem was compounded for me as I am from a uniquely “intense” and boisterous cultivar. What causes such significant cultural differences in expressed and preferred “energy” volume?
It can seem counterintuitive that the Calvinist culture—which is known for framing emotional indulgence as a sin—appears to be high volume, intense, and heady. People often confuse not indulging in emotions with not feeling them or not expressing them. An ultra-high-energy approach to life has long been associated with the American Calvinists, with David Hackett Fischer noting of colonial Puritans in Albion’s Seed that:
“European travelers repeatedly observed with astonishment the energy of the inhabitants. One visitor noted that (Puritan) children seemed normally to move at a full run. Another remarked that their elders invented the rocking chair so they could keep moving even while sitting still.”[[57]](#_ftn57)
With a modern observer noting:
“The stereotypes aren’t fair, but they don’t come out of nowhere. Calvinists are ‘cold,’ ‘heady,’ (stimulating, high energy, intoxicating) and ‘condescending.’ They think they have it all figured out and everyone else is blind, slow, or stubborn. They’re so lost in their books, they’re not interested in the needs around them.”[[58]](#_ftn58)
This resonates. In high school I (Malcolm) remember being very confused as to why I was the only one who ran everywhere. Walking seemed like such a waste of time.
We mention this as it is an interesting point to be made about “high volume” cultures. Many people assume that being a “judgy” conservative culture that values emotional control is intrinsically related to not also being “extra.” In fact, the opposite is true, as anyone who has spent much time around Anabaptists (Mennonites/Amish people) could tell you.
As to why some highly “conservative” cultures seem to feature high-energy members at disproportionate rates, we can only speculate. Maybe it is that these cultures are much more confident in their actions and less concerned about what others think of them, leading them to hold back less.
It could be that the very reason these cultures are so structured is because adherents within them tend to have very high-volume sociological profiles that need that structure. Perhaps cultures with structures helping high-energy people contain themselves protect those sociological profiles from being eliminated from the gene pool, meaning more boisterous people ultimately survive within these cultures while those profiles get extinguished in less structured environments. (This may also explain the crazy high rates of alcoholism in the Calvinist community and the stereotype of Calvinists either being teetotalers or heavy drinkers.)
Is high volume a useful adaptation for a culture to have? We suspect not, as it makes it harder for members of that culture to “blend into” society at large. On the plus side, difficulty blending in likely decreases cultural bleed.