The Geography of Bliss

by Eric Weiner

Cafés are theaters where the customer is both audience and performer.

Swiss humorlessness has a long and serious history. One academic tells me that in the seventeenth century in Basel, there was actually a prohibition on public laughter. There is no longer such a law, of course. That’s because there is no need for it. Swiss humorlessness, like most aspects of life here, is self-policing.

Let’s tally what we have so far. The Swiss are a humorless, uptight nation. Everything works, usually, and envy is squelched, but at a cost: You’re always being watched, monitored, judged. Where’s the bliss? “It’s simple,” says Dieter. “Nature. We Swiss have a very deep connection to nature.”