The Italian lifestyle is imitated by many Europeans. What is its phenomenon? The answer is gioia di vivere! – is the joy of living. Italians enjoy every aspect of it, celebrating moments. What else can we learn from them?
Most Italians perceive the world around them through their senses. It is the senses that drive the famous gioia di vivere, and the mild climate is even more conducive to this. Italy is identified with a declared joie de vivre, which manifests itself in various forms.
The Italian joie de vivre is the delicious coffee drunk in famous piazzas such as the Nona Piazza in Rome. The same Italian joie de vivre can also be identified with the shopping frenzy in Milan and the world of fashion straight from the Apennine Peninsula. Gioia di vivere also manifests itself as a delight for the palate, which is certainly guaranteed by the delicious and world-famous Italian cuisine with excellent pasta and wine at the forefront. Thus, a trip to Italy is an excellent decision if we want to “recharge our batteries” with a mass of endorphins.
In Poland, we greet affectionately usually with our nearest and dearest, and a kiss on the cheek and a hug are an expression of our sympathy and attachment to a person. However, a person whom we have just met, we rather shake hands with than immediately offer a kiss. It is different in sunny Italy! There touching is not reserved only for the closest people. The attitude of the southerners is very open, they can immediately hug a newly met person, they are friendly to him and try to make him feel good in their presence.
Every element of Italian reality is extremely aesthetic. How does this manifest itself? In the details! The balcony is bathed with plenty of vegetation, the family dinner is served on elegant china tableware, and the jewelry that Italian women wear – always perfectly matched to the occasion. These are small elements of everyday life, but the inhabitants of Italy express through details their love for beauty, and most importantly – the conviction that nothing in life is worth putting aside for later. There is no sense in hiding an elegant dress or suit deep in the closet with the hope that these pieces of clothing will be worn on a special occasion. Why keep a porcelain coffee set in the cupboard to get dusty and be only a decoration? You can use it every day, enjoying a freshly brewed espresso. Today is a time to make the most of life! The day may be ordinary, but the moment of pleasure and aesthetic emotion may not be repeated soon, so Italians enjoy life non-stop.
However, in order not to fall into the trap of only glorifying the Italian lifestyle, it is worth adding that the Italian love for beauty also has another side of the coin – the darker one. Fare una bella figura, means to make a good impression on others. Unfortunately, many native Italians fall into an obsessive trap that has led many an Italian to a sense of inner conflict. In what sense? Through the desire to strive for constant perfectionism, for example, many have fallen into debt by taking out loans to live lavishly for show. The inhabitants of the Apennine Peninsula have become a warning to other European countries that in everything it is worth keeping the golden mean – moderation! Let us take from the world as much as we need, but remember to give it as much as we can. Happiness and fulfillment come in moderation, in small, everyday gestures and simplicity of words.
Italians are quite strongly connected with their families. Holidays and anniversaries are spent in a wide circle of loved ones. It is also common to see neighbors feasting together. Even during a coronavirus pandemic (with restrictions, of course) Italians can sing together on balconies, e.g. celebrating a football team’s victory. Caring for contact with others is not limited in Italy to wine toasts or eating pasta together. The principle of carpe diem (seize the day) applies to every aspect of life there.
