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I have been given this thread some thought and will try to articulate those thoughts as well as I can..... I believe that some Americans are indeed rude, I also believe this rudness has developed over the last 40-45 years and can be correlated to what I describe as the "softening" of America. During and after WW2 and the period before that (WW1, depression etc.), Americans were tough,stong, independant people who relied very much on themselves and immediate faimlys for whatever they needed. They didn't have to be rude to others, everyone knew that the other man was trying his best to survive and take care of his own and was as equally "strong" as themselves.. I believe rudeness is just a cover for weakness and that rude people are indeed trying to show the other guy how hard they are. This may be a hard concept for many to grasp as I think our society in general has shifted from being the respectful, strong, silent type of people to being weak, entitlement minded, blame the other guy type of people..... Of course this is just my opinion and you know what those are like....
rudeness is a state of mind....
many things that are cultural or common place sometimes get misinterpreted as rude...
Also, when we are in another country and we are unhappy because we're homesick or what not, we tend to only notice the negative things about that country and its culture rather than being fair and balanced... Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of rude americans.. but I too have been overseas and seen rudeness at it's finest as well... Sometimes looking back on a lot of it... I've realized that it starts with cultural misunderstanding or stereotypical mindsets.. where one person does or says something.. and it is misunderstood, or someone is too quick to jump to conclusions and insist the person's intent was to be rude to you... when really it wasn't..
Whoops my mistake. I am American. Half German by descent. They were remarking I guess on my German look.....and dang it, that really is rude!!!!
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Originally Posted by camping!
I could tell you stories of Germans I've come across while vacationing in the States that would make you blush......based on those experiences, I would never assume that all Germans smelled bad, were beligerent and drunk most of the time. Because generalities are not only rude, but they are usually wrong as well.
Some Americans are rude, most are quite kind. I think you will find both here as you would in Germany.
I have been given this thread some thought and will try to articulate those thoughts as well as I can..... I believe that some Americans are indeed rude, I also believe this rudness has developed over the last 40-45 years and can be correlated to what I describe as the "softening" of America. During and after WW2 and the period before that (WW1, depression etc.), Americans were tough,stong, independant people who relied very much on themselves and immediate faimlys for whatever they needed. They didn't have to be rude to others, everyone knew that the other man was trying his best to survive and take care of his own and was as equally "strong" as themselves.. I believe rudeness is just a cover for weakness and that rude people are indeed trying to show the other guy how hard they are. This may be a hard concept for many to grasp as I think our society in general has shifted from being the respectful, strong, silent type of people to being weak, entitlement minded, blame the other guy type of people..... Of course this is just my opinion and you know what those are like....
hahaha!
it's cuz of that hippety-hippoty they listen to! and smokin all that tweed stuff! ever since the beatles, this country has gone to the dogs. john wayne, now there was a real man! i loved it when he hit women in cowboy movies. that was sweet! and shot up those injuns that tried to take our land from us. before women and negros and homosexuals got all uppity and corrupted our wholesome american values. man, the 50's were perfect.
True but I think current times, as in the last few years, maybe even the last two, have shown the biggest change in culture moires. People seem MUCH ruder and more arrogant to me than ever. I don't recall this kind of meanness and hatefulness ten years ago, and certainly not in the 70s, 80s or 90s.
Quote:
Originally Posted by macmeal
I disagree that ALL Americans are rude...or uniquely rude among other nationalities. But as one who 'came of age' in the 60's (Viet-Nam war years) I can definitely state that part of the great upheaval of that decade DID include a general "out with the old, in with the new" all across the culture...and part of that was a sudden new acceptance of the coarse, the rude, the 'in-your-face', and the irreverent. It happened rather quickly, and I distinctly remember both 'before' and 'after'.
I won't go into a long discussion as to whether this was a 'terrible decline in manners'...or a 'liberating new openness and honesty'...but it did happen, and anyone who experienced it would have noticed it. We went from 'stuffy and proper' to 'let it all hang out' in just a few short years...and today, many of our most honored celebrities are rude, 'outrageous', and 'brutally frank'.....and many of us wouldn't have it any other way.
it's cuz of that hippety-hippoty they listen to! and smokin all that tweed stuff! ever since the beatles, this country has gone to the dogs. john wayne, now there was a real man! i loved it when he hit women in cowboy movies. that was sweet! and shot up those injuns that tried to take our land from us. before women and negros and homosexuals got all uppity and corrupted our wholesome american values. man, the 50's were perfect.
ok, it was "True Grit"
I think he didn't hit the woman. He hit the woman's son to the ground, cuz that's how you raised em i the good ol' days!
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