FIGHT! like a Tico

Ever heard one of these?

“Ticos have a heart of gold.”

“Ticos are so friendly and nice.”

“Costa Ricans are so passive; they don’t even have an Army.”

“Ticos treat everyone like family.”

“Ticos never have a bad thing to say about anyone.”

These generalizations (or stereotypes) tend to be true to a large extent, BUT there’s a simple explanation:

COSTA RICANS loathe confrontation. Once more, with feeling, COSTA RICANS LOATHE CONFRONTATION!

They ALWAYS have their ‘game face’ on and it’s virtually impossible to tell what they’re truly thinking. This provides a false sense of security for the other person; therefore, the ‘talker’ keeps talking, thinking the ‘Tico’ believes or accepts what’s being said. Maybe that’s true, but likewise, it could just as easily be quite the opposite. You may be being totally offensive to the Tico but, offensive or not, the Tico is nodding or responding in the affirmative- a cunning little ploy to keep you talking. There could be numerous reasons for this- Ammo for future use, good insider info on something or someone OR maybe they half like you and think it’s funny listening to your silly pontifications and intimate ramblings. Hell, maybe it’s the old adage of, ‘Keep your friends close, but your enemy’s closer.’ It’s hard to say. The ‘talker’ leaves the conversation thinking ‘What a friendly Tico,’ when the Tico is probably walking away thinking, ‘What an Asshole.’ And so it goes.

Outward verbal abuse, insults and even perceived and/or unintended slights are all dealt with in the same manner by a Tico- although in various degrees. It should be noted- Ticos rarely argue with someone outside their inner circle. Blatant verbals, insults and perceived slights are all responded to in the same manner- by passive aggressive behavior. Yell at a clerk and important documents WILL find their way to the bottom of the stack. Try and tell the contractor he made a mistake and there’s a good chance your living room could be missing electrical outlets. And then there’s always their personal favorite, the consequence of Tico-time- Just see if your house gets completed in the next 3 years or so. Of course the rub in all of this- never being quite sure what’s on purpose and what’s not, so you’re always left wondering. The Tico, well, they come out with their integrity intact because they’d never admit to doing ‘such a thing’ in the first place.

The majority of ticos are ‘two-faced.’ It’s true, I said it. Is this necessarily a bad thing? Ummm, think about it. They rarely argue and don’t like to confront or cause a ‘scene’. Have you ever tried to argue with someone that won’t? The problem is; you really don’t know what they’re thinking, but on the other hand, you get to say almost anything and they’ll just laugh and nod in agreement (as long as you’re not insulting them). Friendships may not always be genuine, but they’re ALWAYS cordial…..Kiss, Kiss.

WOW, I just had a revelation. If gringos weren’t so Confrontational, Obnoxious, Arrogant, Forceful and LOUD- maybe there wouldn’t be a need for passive aggressive behavior ......and maybe I would have an outlet to plug my fuck’in laptop into.

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