Live and let live -
When visiting the Netherlands for the first time, you will probably be struck by the fact that everyone here is quite absorbed with his or her own piece of social space. People don't immediately speak to strangers, on the trains everyone tries to get a seat where they can sit alone and the foreign visitor soon has the feeling that he or she is being ignored. However, the latter is usually not the case, because when you do address them you'll be surprised at the friendliness of their response.
The Dutch usually keep their homes very private, so it is a rare treat to be invited into a Dutch home. You may have to know someone for months before he or she actually invites you home. And the Dutch usually do not associate hospitality with food: you will only be invited to eat in a Dutch home after a very long friendship.
The Dutch like to keep a certain distance from others, and that is really not so strange in a country that is amongst the most densely populated nations in the world.
The Dutch also like to congratulate themselves on their tolerance, but the correct description for this character trait is 'live and let live'. A sort of: 'if you leave me alone then I'll leave you alone.' This way we have fewer conflicts.