What is the compromise system to choose a country ?

The system of compromises means that if there are not really good or bad countries, there is a reality which is compromise. Compromise is thus maximizing what you will like and giving less importance to what you will like less. You will therefore have to choose one or more countries that meet your preference criteria. If your preferred criteria are the climate and the cost of living, you will surely have to make compromises on infrastructure or pollution. This is an example but it is not true for all countries. Let’s say that what you will appreciate less should be less important than what you will appreciate.

Everything is compromise

Everything is only compromised, that’s what you need to understand. There will always be things that will not please a country. It will be difficult to appreciate everything. The difference is then made essentially in the daily impact of the things you do not like, and conversely the impact of the things you like. If according to your criteria there are many more negative points than positive points in a country, it is clear that it will not be a good choice. If, on the other hand, in a country, there are many positive points in connection with your criteria of choice, there is a good chance that this country is a good option for expatriating.

Let’s take my exemple

I will thus give you a concrete example based on my own experience, and two countries for which I have spent a lot of time, and which I appreciate. These two countries are Thailand and Japan. They are very different on a lot of points, and yet these two countries appeal to me as an expatriate, let’s say it depends on my desires of the moment. In Japan I like security, I appreciate the fact that all the places are very clean, that one can walk quietly. There is also solid infrastructure. I appreciate the work mentality that is out there. In addition there are several seasons and we can therefore enjoy nature every month of the year. There are rules that you can’t find anywhere else as well. Everything I just told you I appreciate, however you have to compromise to be in this system. Indeed, it is not easy to integrate in Japan, which can be a hindrance. You obviously have to know a significant part of the language to work there. The rules are good, but at the same time, there can be a little too much, which is sometimes a bit cumbersome. We must also add a high cost of living, especially in terms of housing. It is therefore a story of compromise between positive and negative, the place of positive and negative depending on the criteria. Also be aware that your criteria may evolve and change over time. You can thus appreciate a country at a given moment, and feel the need to change because your criteria evolve over time, which is normal.

In a very different style, Thailand also has several criteria that I find pleasant, but again everything is about compromise. I thus appreciate the climate during the winter season. The lifestyle is laid back and it really allows you to live a different lifestyle. There is less importance on material comfort. The cost of living is interesting. It is possible to find lots of very nice accommodation at low cost. The shops are open very late at night and you can live a good part of the time outside. On the other hand, there are compromises to be made. Indeed it can be very hot, at a level that is really difficult to bear, and you have to constantly live with air conditioning. The lifestyle is relaxed, sometimes a little too much, which can cause problems. He may have scams. Cleanliness can also leave something to be desired. These two examples show that there are compromises to be made. There are thus no better or worse countries once you understand that it is a personal choice, which is therefore subjective. Everything is thus a question of compromise, this is the reality for making the choice, it is for this reason that we must use a comparative table.

Conclusion to choose a country to stay

The conclusion about trade-offs is that there are obviously some countries which are objectively much better than others. Once this is done, within this circle of countries, it will be the compromises that will take precedence and the importance of your criteria that will take precedence. If you think that the cold is not for you, you will choose a type of country, if you think that the most important is the infrastructures, you can choose other countries. The aim is to give a degree of importance to the basic criteria. You have what you like and what are called non-negotiable. Then, it’s up to you to choose according to your criteria of importance. As a digital nomad like me, it is also possible to choose few countries where we can feel good, and depending of desires, we can move regularly from a country that we like to an other country that we like too. This is a big advantage to be digital nomade.