Why do Americans find it so hard to deal with unfamiliarity? (hotel, taxi)
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I can type with capital letters TOO. It doesn't make you any better than me!
If you think that I will just talk LOUDER
Now which one of us is the petulant child?
You don't get it. What I am saying is that what you are doing on this board is exactly what you are chastising Americans for. You are just as bad as what you claim to loathe.
You don't get it. What I am saying is that what you are doing on this board is exactly what you are chastising Americans for. You are just as bad as what you claim to loathe.
Except that British people don't do it in public or at least as arrogant as Americans.
I find it funny how there are some British people who dare to go on about how conceited and arrogant Americans are considering their history of imperialism.
Self-righteous Europeans amaze me. Nobody over there seemed to be worried about "arrogance" when they were colonizing the world and the undisputed powers. But now that they aren't the big dogs any more they put on a mask of humility.
You do know that the same can be said about Europe and Europeans, right?
There are small minded, arrogant types everywhere.
Well yeah but it's different. I was not really talking about mean comments but more like very ignorant ones, usually people -Americans- assuming Europe is not as developed as the US, resulting in questions like "do you have radio in France?" and such. Often Americans assuming that a very common thing in the world only exists there, so you have to correct them. Some seem to have a hard time accepting that Western Europe is as developed as the US and that most things are similar.
Location: Northern Ireland and temporarily England
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ryever
Well yeah but it's different. I was not really talking about mean comments but more like very ignorant ones, usually people -Americans- assuming Europe is not as developed as the US, resulting in questions like "do you have radio in France?" and such. Often Americans assuming that a very common thing in the world only exists there, so you have to correct them. Some seem to have a hard time accepting that Western Europe is as developed as the US and that most things are similar.
Well yeah but it's different. I was not really talking about mean comments but more like very ignorant ones, usually people -Americans- assuming Europe is not as developed as the US, resulting in questions like "do you have radio in France?" and such. Often Americans assuming that a very common thing in the world only exists there, so you have to correct them. Some seem to have a hard time accepting that Western Europe is as developed as the US and that most things are similar.
Oh my gosh. I've had Europeans ask me - seriously - if I rode a horse to school because I live in Texas. Or they assume that I sleep with a loaded gun under my pillow because I live in such a dangerous place (actually the crime rate in my area is extremely, extremely low and I could probably sleep with all my doors unlocked for the next ten years and never experience any crime).
I've had Europeans assume that I live in a McMansion or on a ranch because I'm a Texan. I've had Europeans assume that I am racist because I'm from the South. I've had Europeans assume that my southern/Texas drawl is indicative of a substandard education or intelligence, which is pretty darn arrogant.
But I'm not so ignorant as to assume that those who do ask ill informed questions are representative of all Europeans.
The fact of the matter is that both Europeans and Americans (and just about everyone else) have preconceived and usually erroneous ideas about life and culture in many other countries, even if they've visited them before.
The fact of the matter is that both Europeans and Americans (and just about everyone else) have preconceived and usually erroneous ideas about life and culture in many other countries, even if they've visited them before.
Not to mention the number of people with erroneous ideas about life in other parts of their own country. As a southerner, like me I'm sure you have experienced plenty of ignorant stereotypes and assumptions from your fellow Americans too. Ignorance knows no bounds.
Also it's all well and good to say that Americans should travel more and not be so insular, but the reality is that a lot of Americans just aren't in a position to do that. If you only have three weeks each year to travel, and a part of that needs to be set aside for visiting friends and relatives that may live hundreds or thousand of miles away, that doesn't leave much time to spend traveling overseas often.
But I think the real kicker is that for many (most?) of us a trip like that costs roughly a months worth of wages or more. Ask yourselves, if it cost you a months worth of wages every single time you left your home country to visit another country for pleasure, how well traveled would you be? Easy to point fingers and talk about how well traveled you are when going to another country is pretty much the equivalent of Americans traveling to another state, which most of us do quite often.
Location: Northern Ireland and temporarily England
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It would really make me happy if Americans would stop grouping up every single country in the continent of Europe as if it is one.
I am British, people from Iceland, Greece, Italy, France etc are all foreign - they are not from my country and they do not belong to my heritage/culture! They are just as foreign as anyone else!
Not to mention the number of people with erroneous ideas about life in other parts of their own country. As a southerner, like me I'm sure you have experienced plenty of ignorant stereotypes and assumptions from your fellow Americans too. Ignorance knows no bounds.
Also it's all well and good to say that Americans should travel more and not be so insular, but the reality is that a lot of Americans just aren't in a position to do that. If you only have three weeks each year to travel, and a part of that needs to be set aside for visiting friends and relatives that may live hundreds or thousand of miles away, that doesn't leave much time to spend traveling overseas often.
But I think the real kicker is that for many (most?) of us a trip like that costs roughly a months worth of wages or more. Ask yourselves, if it cost you a months worth of wages every single time you left your home country to visit another country for pleasure, how well traveled would you be? Easy to point fingers and talk about how well traveled you are when going to another country is pretty much the equivalent of Americans traveling to another state, which most of us do quite often.
I think if you asked most Americans "Would you like to visit _________ country in Europe, most would say yes." They would be excited about it. But it is quite a journey. Both the countries that border the U.S. are also quite large. Many Americans visit the Caribbean, but they receive so many American tourist, that they have become Americanised to some extent and cater to Americans.
I would add that Americans generally receive European visitors well despite the fact that said visitors are quick to point out the things that Europe does better. What you said about assuming all Texans riding a horse or carrying a gun is so true. Like was said earlier, I believe that at the very least Americans own up to their bias more. Whereas Europeans often tried to pretend they don't do the same.
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