Costa Rica Culture

I love the Costa Ricans actually most of Latin America for their attempts to not hurt anyone by their words.  You will not see a Costa Rican screaming at you in any situation, they just don’t do that.  You can be in a car accident in the middle of rush hour with someone already late for work and they don’t get upset, they don’t get mad, they NEVER yell.

They don’t even use all caps when typing like many of us North Americans have a tendency to do in our emails.

They will avoid you or a situation if they are put into a position that they feel uncomfortable.  For instance, you call the plumber to come fix something and he tells you he will be there on Tuesday.  You called him the Friday before.  Something happens and he can’t show up on Tuesday but he will not call to tell you because that would make him look bad and they hate that.  Instead he just does not show up or call.  He might show up a few days later with no explanation of where he was on Tuesday then again, you may never see the guy again.

This is not because they are rude or insensitive, actually it is quite the opposite.  They do not want to upset you or hurt you in anyway so they believe that it is better not to show up at all than to call you and tell you they will not be there.

It has taken me many years to adjust to this way of thinking and to understand how their culture works but I am finally getting a clue as to what goes on in the minds of my neighbors and friends.

These are the most loving and sensitive people you will ever meet.  Even the plumber, he is a great guy.  They are very sensitive to your feelings and do not want to disappoint you under any circumstances so they go along for the ride when often it is the last place they want to be.