Why are the Spanish more relaxed?

Why are the Spanish more relaxed? A deceivingly simple question with complex connotations!

After Rachel raised this question over Spanish relaxation, I sat down and thought to myself, "Huh! Why are the Spanish more relaxled?!" After pondering this for a while and dallying over the begining of this blog entry, I said to myself, "What are you doing, Jocelyn? You are puzzling over this cultural question, going around in circles in your own mind without bothering to ask the people around you who are living it!" I immediately got up out of the swivelly chair and asked my host mom: Had she heard about the Spanish reputation of being more relaxed? She had, and she attributed it to the country´s siesta and fiesta-the renouned Spanish partying and napping. The Spanish admit to their love of partying openly -just ask my buddies at school- and although the siesta is not so used in today´s society, this deeply rooted traditional mid-day nap says something about Spanish history.

Juan Augustine, doctor and father of my rockclimbing friend, agrees with this reputation but notes that it is over-generalized. He imparted an interesting common phrase that reflects the Spanish disregard of tardiness: "Si vengas tarde, no pasa nada. Y si pasa, ¡saludalo!" The pun is lost in the translation, but in English it would go something like this: "If you arrive late, nothing comes to pass (ie. no problem). And if it does come to pass, greet it!" Think about our tightly-wound culture where on time is late and five minutes late is impossible. On the other hand, the Spanish don´t even tend to set predetermined times for meeting, opting for the "Anytime within that hour will do" approach. Time is something different here: less regimented and more flexible.

Maru, my "adoptive aunt" who is housing me this weekend in Malaga, attributes this relaxed lifestyle in part to the medditeranean climate, as did many of the other Spaniards I inquired. With a warm climate, the people can afford to go out in the streets, stay out late nights, and laze in the sun, whereas people in colder climates find it more difficult to travel comfortably and are restricted to house parties and other indoor activities if they don´t want to freeze their tushies or drown in the rain. But only part of Spain maintains this paradise-like climate; the north certainly has a different feel, say my confidantes. And they should know, since my entire host family comes from the El Pais Vasco near the border of France and Juan Augustine was raised in Galicia above Portugal. So they do have a bit of perspective in this department.

Juan Augustine had a few other interesting ideas on the causes of the relaxed Spanish lifestyle. Consider how Spain has been a Catholic country for the majority of the last 2000 years whereas England, France, Germany, and America are rooted more closely within the Protestant branch of Christianity. While Protestantism (pardon any spelling errors) puts emphasis on work ethic and calculable progress, Catholisism focuses more on just living. Maybe these different religious influences contribute to our different mindsets.

What do I think of all this? Well, I cannot deny that the Spanish appear more relaxed as a people. Yes, my own freedom from responsibility and the resulting relaxed state of being that I have here greatly influences my perception of the people around me -I tend to notice the people who are on my same wavelength- but I have deffinitely noticed the concrete signs of a culture more relaxed than our own (or at least different): the people sleep less and opt instead for socializing in the frequent bars and plazas, clocks are often disregarded, and "¡Tranquilla!" or "Be tranquil!" is often heard in common conversation. Additionally, the laws here are more flexible than ours in America. There is no death penalty, no one stays in jail for more than 30 years, and those who do go to jail usually get out early on good behavior. I believe that Spain´s climate and Catholic roots partially account for the relaxed mindset of the people here in the South and East. Beyond those concrete causes, I can surmise little more. The people here know that what isn´t done today can be done tomorrow and they live for good food, excellent wine, and a good time. They know that in today´s world studying is essential to future success and that work puts food on the table, but they balance this with an emphasis on family unity and living life to its fullest. There are people who don´t fill this description, who are uptight, stressed, or devoted fully to hard work, but they seem few and far between. I cannot pinpoint every cause of the relaxed Spanish mindset, but I admire their ability to see life as one fluid experience that should be enjoyed instead of a series of obstacles to be overcome. I hope I can incorporate some of this into my own life.