10 Things Most Americans Don?t Know About America
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if only countries had a restart button, like when you royally fucked up in a game and you just unhappily start over no matter how long it took you to get the that point. Ah, if only everyone had a restart button. life would be good i think...prolly not actually.
Nice read.
I pretty much thought of all those points already before reading it, except for number 4.) I'm not certain if this applies only to Americans and certain people have found them to be a bit more open than this, though who knows...maybe so. Maybe us foreigners haven't met many 'average' Americans and only the moreso exemplary individuals that either greet us or come over to visit us. *shrug*
That said, some of these can easily be applied to other countries too, so again Americans...don't feel too special. There are plenty of other countries that share these kinds of cultural baggages as well. But yeah, ultimately this combination is moreso specific to you and yes - it does point towards a very consumer-oriented culture centered around comfort rather than happiness I suppose.
That said, I think point 2.) is definitely something most Americans would do well to remember. To demonstrate with an example, for which I am very certain I will get flamed for even after a decade has passed, not 3 months after 9/11 in our country there came out a funny song about a faux-arab accented guy singing "I love my papa and I love my mama, but most of all I love Osama." and about how at least he sees his house on CNN now that the towers went down and the Americans decided to go into Afghanistan.
Understand...this song wasn't written because the songwriters hated America's guts, nor was it written because they genuinely loved Osama. And no, it wasn't a viceversa feeling of emotions either! It was just simple arithmetic of what makes something humorous. Namely: Distance + willingness to find humor in even a morbid event. That is all. It was no more 'wrong' than Americans making fun of say...Canada for its infamous hockey hooligan riots, that result in actual looting, destruction and even death.
But the reason why these things, such as our song, are considered funny over here is not because our country collectively hates America. As the article author points out very astutely - we're too busy with our lives to hate a country we barely think of. It was because we were observing the fall of the towers from a distance. The same as you observed the Canadian hockey riots from across the border.
It's just the way the world works. Every culture makes light of each other, but doesn't really hate one another unless something like a war breaks out between them. And indeed, America is no exception to this rule. You're just another country to the rest of the world. And no matter how much you might try to upgrade yourself from that status through rationalizations made to others and to yourself, it will never change.
And that's not such a bad thing. Because it can form the basis of seeing how other people in other cultures deal with the same problems you face in your everyday lives. Stuff like your job, relationships, getting to do something new every once in a while,...you know...life.
I pretty much thought of all those points already before reading it, except for number 4.) I'm not certain if this applies only to Americans and certain people have found them to be a bit more open than this, though who knows...maybe so. Maybe us foreigners haven't met many 'average' Americans and only the moreso exemplary individuals that either greet us or come over to visit us. *shrug*
That said, some of these can easily be applied to other countries too, so again Americans...don't feel too special. There are plenty of other countries that share these kinds of cultural baggages as well. But yeah, ultimately this combination is moreso specific to you and yes - it does point towards a very consumer-oriented culture centered around comfort rather than happiness I suppose.
That said, I think point 2.) is definitely something most Americans would do well to remember. To demonstrate with an example, for which I am very certain I will get flamed for even after a decade has passed, not 3 months after 9/11 in our country there came out a funny song about a faux-arab accented guy singing "I love my papa and I love my mama, but most of all I love Osama." and about how at least he sees his house on CNN now that the towers went down and the Americans decided to go into Afghanistan.
Understand...this song wasn't written because the songwriters hated America's guts, nor was it written because they genuinely loved Osama. And no, it wasn't a viceversa feeling of emotions either! It was just simple arithmetic of what makes something humorous. Namely: Distance + willingness to find humor in even a morbid event. That is all. It was no more 'wrong' than Americans making fun of say...Canada for its infamous hockey hooligan riots, that result in actual looting, destruction and even death.
But the reason why these things, such as our song, are considered funny over here is not because our country collectively hates America. As the article author points out very astutely - we're too busy with our lives to hate a country we barely think of. It was because we were observing the fall of the towers from a distance. The same as you observed the Canadian hockey riots from across the border.
It's just the way the world works. Every culture makes light of each other, but doesn't really hate one another unless something like a war breaks out between them. And indeed, America is no exception to this rule. You're just another country to the rest of the world. And no matter how much you might try to upgrade yourself from that status through rationalizations made to others and to yourself, it will never change.
And that's not such a bad thing. Because it can form the basis of seeing how other people in other cultures deal with the same problems you face in your everyday lives. Stuff like your job, relationships, getting to do something new every once in a while,...you know...life.
Wonderful article, I will read it twice. As an american who largely hates this country, I love reading about how we really aren't all that great in the eyes of the rest of the world. I just wish more americans knew this shit.
I think most educated Americans are aware of these, as are most Americans who've ever been abroad for more than a few days in a single country.
The problem is convincing every other American of it - the poorly educated, those that are happy to travel intracontinentally. Those that still believe in American Exceptionalism (which is probably the greatest threat to innovation and progress in the history of our country) will watch whatever news source supports their views and disregard any opposing facts.
As much as I think it's a problem, though, it's also an understandable one. The USA borders two countries: Canada and Mexico. Mexico has LOTS of issues, and Canada is a nice quiet neighbor. Everybody else is literally an ocean away, and it's hard to get a visceral impression of the rest of the world when you're cut off from it by several thousand miles and a 12-hour plane ride.
I find a lot of alternative tropes from foreigners as well. Most people from the UK or Germany or India don't really have an idea of how bat-shit crazy large America is. They asked me how was it the nation could be so divided, and then I said "Driving through Belgium takes the same amount of time as driving through two Western states." It blew a few minds when it became apparent at how difficult it was for American people to simply TALK to each other - much less form some sort of mostly cohesive culture like many European countries.
I've also heard that Americans tend to be more open and blunt about opinionated issues, if not necessarily emotions, but I don't remember any specific experiences to back this up.
The problem is convincing every other American of it - the poorly educated, those that are happy to travel intracontinentally. Those that still believe in American Exceptionalism (which is probably the greatest threat to innovation and progress in the history of our country) will watch whatever news source supports their views and disregard any opposing facts.
As much as I think it's a problem, though, it's also an understandable one. The USA borders two countries: Canada and Mexico. Mexico has LOTS of issues, and Canada is a nice quiet neighbor. Everybody else is literally an ocean away, and it's hard to get a visceral impression of the rest of the world when you're cut off from it by several thousand miles and a 12-hour plane ride.
I find a lot of alternative tropes from foreigners as well. Most people from the UK or Germany or India don't really have an idea of how bat-shit crazy large America is. They asked me how was it the nation could be so divided, and then I said "Driving through Belgium takes the same amount of time as driving through two Western states." It blew a few minds when it became apparent at how difficult it was for American people to simply TALK to each other - much less form some sort of mostly cohesive culture like many European countries.
I've also heard that Americans tend to be more open and blunt about opinionated issues, if not necessarily emotions, but I don't remember any specific experiences to back this up.
Im English and I can assure you that everyone I know, who is also Brittish, either dislikes America(ns) or doesn't give a single shit about the country or it's people. Yes, our goverment does essentially arse lick America but, from what I can tell and know from living in England, we really REALLY don't care about America(ns).
Huh...and yet very few of the people I've ever met in my life have acted in a manner that would fit into this list.
Gotta love generalizations based on the loudest. That or somehow I'm just incredibly lucky and I only meet interesting (though not always likeable) people.
Gotta love generalizations based on the loudest. That or somehow I'm just incredibly lucky and I only meet interesting (though not always likeable) people.
Since when do Australians or the English give a shit about Americans? Way to completely undermine your point about being arrogant by arrogantly claiming the people of two entire nations give a single flying fuck about you.
Yes, a doctors education is very expensive, long, and will probably put someone in the red for years after it's all done (unless your parents are rich as hell and pay for your education, or you're like that nine year old kid who already was successfully performing surgeries). Also, your education never really ends, and you have to continuously keep up with all the new information. Not just so you can continue practicing in the medical fields, but so you don't use outdated techniques that are not as effective as new ones/that are more dangerous.Marowit said:
That said, from a patient's perspective it does seem a bit stupid that to get a leg fixed I have to pay with one of my arms. Don't get me wrong. Doctors get financially f@#ked too by the whole deal, but surely there must be a middle way in all this.
If medical services cost less the hospital would make less on each patient, but because of the lower cost wouldn't they see more business? And to help doctors themselves out couldn't we try by making education less expensive so they won't need to charge such high prices just so they can live while trying to slowly pay off their school loans?
Yes, just bringing up the problem and saying, "If we do Y we won't have to worry about X", but if keep the problem fresh in peoples minds and keep people talking about it we increase that chance of finding a solution. That's not just optimism, (I am a positive pessimist myself), that is just statistics, and logic. All that said, it is a possibility that there is no solution, and we're all just screwed. But I don't think that's the case, not yet.
This article is a good insight into the mindset held by a particularly self-congratulatory strain of grad student, the type who's done a little traveling and therefore knows everything. I doubt this phenomenon is particular to America, either.
Any resemblance to how other Americans think or live is purely coincidental. The US is one of the largest and most ethnically and culturally diverse nations on the planet. That someone thinks they can give us all a one-size-fits-all lecture says more about them than us.
Any resemblance to how other Americans think or live is purely coincidental. The US is one of the largest and most ethnically and culturally diverse nations on the planet. That someone thinks they can give us all a one-size-fits-all lecture says more about them than us.
Way to go! I already knew all this shit and I live in America. Also, many of the plagues introduced to Natives were brought over by Europeans, the rest they hunted, shot, and starved to death. Not that we're extinct, its just now there's an extremely small amount of us left. Regardless, referring to the above post/article/long-winded informative tirade towards Americans. I've understood those things about America for, oh at least ten years. Yes, most of the general populace don't understand this shit, yes its this sort of ignorance that makes me wish I lived somewhere else. However, that's not to say I don't appreciate trying to inform folks of their stupid behavior, if we were all a little less self-obsessed, maybe we wouldn't seem so obnoxious.
After reading this article I have to wonder how much it cost Mark Manson to become so worldly and where he gets his money. I mean renting apartments instead of staying in hotels and being able to afford travel expenses to all these other countries can't come cheap not to mention just the basics for life. Maybe I'm mistaken and it really isn't that expensive to travel the world but it always seems to cost me a fortune just to go to a convention in the next state for the weekend let alone travelling to another country for a significant amount of time.
EDIT: Oh, I see. After browsing the website a little more I find he seems to get his money by trying to sell me books about how he feels I should live my life.
EDIT: Oh, I see. After browsing the website a little more I find he seems to get his money by trying to sell me books about how he feels I should live my life.
Speaking as an outsider I would say those generalizations are fairly accurate. Obviously they don't apply to every single American, but many of them are certainly quite prevalent from my personal experiences.
Believe me its not really. As an american I honestly believe that the majority of americans are guilty of at least one of those ten things.Pinkamena said:
That reminds me of a weird story from high school. A foreign exchange student from Sweden said that when she was in Texas some kids thought her people traveled by polar bear. That was weird. (I live in Wisconsin in case you wanted to know. If you didn't that's fine.)CrazyJew said: