This chapter situates the study within the literature on proportionality and comparative law. Contrary to the dominant universalising rhetoric, I propose to take the differences in the application of proportionality seriously. To do so, I develop a comparative law approach that places these differences within a broader legal cultural context in which they make sense. At the same time, the approach proposed here does not deny the possibility for cross-system influence and convergence, especially in the context of European integration. The comparison of the local meanings of proportionality, I argue, gives valuable information about the legal culture in which proportionality operates and about the mindset of the lawyers who use it.