#114 Furbizia and Italy's Cheating Heart

Hello friend,

I've got another fascinating question submitted by one of my blog readers, all about the concept of cunning or furbizia, which is seen as a positive attribute while resulting in some of the ugliest scandals and culture shocks in Italy.

In case you don't know, I have a Sicilian-themed travel blog, Sicily Inside and Out.

I've asked my readers to send me any questions they may have about visiting Italy or anything they are curious about the culture or everyday life that I can answer from my experience living in Italy for nearly two decades.

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Hey Rochelle!

I just discovered your blog and enjoyed the article about Italy's cheating heart. Thank you! I was googling information about the infidelity of so many Italian men. Do you think the Furbizia culture and the infidelity could somehow be related, or what the explanation could be?

From A.

Hi A,

I'm Happy you enjoyed my article about furbizia. I think the idea of furbizia comes about from all of the problems with how long things take to do here in Italy; there is so much bureaucracy that furbizia is seen as the best way of getting around all the complications.

As for your concern about Italian men's infidelity, it might be connected a little to being furbo, but there are other factors. It isn't straightforward, and I must write a different article. It's more about how men are brought up and their relationship with other women who aren't their mothers, all rather psychological.

And I don't think you can generalise either; it depends on the individual's upbringing and culture. It'd be interesting to write about Italian men's different attitudes toward women, particularly regarding the recent press about violence against women in Italy, which is on the rise. It is very controversial indeed. Writing about this without the danger of offending someone would be challenging! We'll see.

On a personal level, I think while, yes, Italian men have a reputation of being more likely to be unfaithful. It's easy to paint the picture of the vain mummy's boy who has been spoiled by his mother, with a colossal ego and disrespect for women. I don't think it's necessarily the norm.

I know women have an excellent sense of whether the man you have in your life is that much of a narcissist, so it's a case of trusting your instincts. Because emotionally intelligent women will spot a fuck boy a mile away. No one is more perceptive than we are, ladies, honestly. So an Italian man can try to be as furbo as they want; we'll see him coming.

And ladies, not all Italian men are looking to fool you. Most respect women greatly, and if they invite you to meet the family, you will see the respect they have for their family, which is essential.

Thanks again.

Hope you enjoyed this advice post in response to someones questions, perhaps you too were wondering about this same thing.

To be honest, I’m still trying to figure out certain elements of Italian culture, even after many years of living here.

Some things are baffling but Italy will always remain fascinating to me.

That’s all from me for now.

All the best from your friend in Sicily.

Rochelle

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Sometimes, I talk about Sicily.

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Please note that some of the concepts in this article have been generated using AI, specifically ChatGPT. Still, the content has been extensively written, redrafted, rewritten, and crafted by Rochelle Del Borrello, the author of this newsletter.