The famous Stockholm Syndrome
One of many reason Stockholm is a famous city is the term Stockholm Syndrome. It was created during a bank robbery in the 70’s in Stockholm where the female hostage started to get sympathies or even romantic feelings for the man who threatened them and held them hostage for several days.
The thought of women subjected to this incredibly awful situation suddenly have a change in their emotions and start to side with the offender is of course something that is not easy to explain. Many have tried but there is no absolute answer to what is going on in the minds of people in these circumstances.
This situation is not completely uncommon, there are numerous cases where women, mostly young, often fall in love with criminals. It has been explored by almost all psychologists at one point or another and there has never been a completed and final answer to the mechanisms behind it in these cases either. Excitement, believing that love will heal all troubles and just a search for something more dramatic in life could probably some of the reasons.
Another interesting story that might be related is the Stockholm Syndrome concerning weather and climate. What is the reason for people put up with and even enjoy the Stockholm weather?
We are all hostages to the unfriendly climate consisting of cold summers, not a lot sunshine, abundant raining and after that long dark cold winters without proper white snow like in the north and without the possibility to do a much winter sports like skiing, skating.
Even so many people actually admit to enjoy the weather, complaining about how warm it is when temperatures rarely and occasionally during the short summer months reaches above 25 degrees Celsius.
Could it be the same Stockholm syndrome working our minds here? You quickly adapt to the current situation and why not make the best out of it rather than fighting it and by doing so even risk to make the situation worse. Perhaps this is a case of pragmatical survival behavior?
In the case of the hostage situation maybe there is also a deep genetically drive going on where mating with the strongest could bring your offspring to be stronger and more adapt to the tough world we are living in? Basic instincts are probably stronger than we want to readily accept and not in connection with the common sense that would make such an idea seem completely stupid when analyzed to see where the real strength and power really lies.
And for the so so Stockholm weather there are fantastic clothes to wear that will minimize the impact of the cold, windy summers of Stockholm. Also remember that you cannot make a complete judgement on what Stockholm is like before you have spent at least one winter month here!
