The criticism did make me wonder, however: Is niksen really a Dutch thing? My first language is not Dutch, and I was not born in the Netherlands. Was it possible I misunderstood the origins of niksen? An American friend who lives here and is married to a Dutch man told me she doesn’t know anyone who does it. Yet while there may be skepticism, all Dutch people I have spoken to about niksen immediately understood the term. At the very least, it is clear to the Dutch what the concept means, even if some claim they don’t niks themselves.
