Culture shock when moving from a 1st world nation to another 1st world nation? (automobile, office)

[cali3448893]

Originally Posted by Paparappa

There certainly are, but there are just as many people who claim they love America. Obviously one cannot generalize, and my comment was about those who do.


Uhm, no.


The average level of education in the US is pretty far from being the best. The US might have the best universities in the world, but what's the point when the majority of people get sub-par education?
Read my post again.

Good for you. Doesn't change the fact that, statistically speaking, the US is a far more dangerous place than most developed countries. You might live in a safe neighborhood/town/city, but that doesn't mean everyone else does.
Read my post again
Polls. See polls on evolution, climate change, and general trust in science

You do realize that to claim that a country is the best in the world it has to be the best in the world for the majority of people that live in it, right?
Read my post again
The middle class? Nope.
The rich? They're fine pretty much everywhere.

You never been to America, did you even read my post. Im not going to repeat myself nor do i want to spend any more time on this.

[viribusunitis]

Originally Posted by cali3448893

You never been to America, did you even read my post. Im not going to repeat myself nor do i want to spend any more time on this.

[cali3448893]

Originally Posted by viribusunitis

[iNviNciBL3]

Originally Posted by Paparappa

The irony in Americans' belief that they are the greatest country in the world resides in the fact that the US often does not rank very favorably compared to other developed nations in rankings regarding various measures of the standard of living, inequality, education, work-life balance, safety, health, poverty, and belief in science.

Every nation has citizens who think they live in the best nation in the world.
It is not just an American thing lol.

[Supine]

Originally Posted by iNviNciBL3

Every nation has citizens who think they live in the best nation in the world.
It is not just an American thing lol.

I don't know, I think it is raised to a level of religion in a few nations of the earth, like France, Brazil, and the USA.

But I think the United States being so rich and having for so many decades afforded so many people the chance at upward mobility, it exacerbated this "religious" feeling beyond any nation on earth.

I doubt someone in Mexico or Brazil will get infuriated with a national of their own nation speaking about how they want to move to the United States or United Kingdom to escape all the problems they have with their nation etc.

But in the United States it is a very common cultural phenomenon that if even the most beaten down, impoverished, sexually or emotionally abused person expresses a desire to leave the United States for kinder and sweeter shores he will be met with this from more than a few Americans* -> . And the "Love it or leave it." Phrase. I sometimes want to tell that to people I hear complaining Obama has single handedly destroyed what was right before him a perfect United States of America where everyone was happy and financially prosperous.

Americans look like this -> when they hear American desiring leaving the USA because there are many Americans that feel about the United States the way Al Qaida or Muslim pilgrims to Mecca feel about Islam. And you might know Islam and especial Al Qaida does not take well to Muslims converting from Islam to another religion.

My impression of the Germans--aside from its minority far right-winger nationalists--is that the way they view their nation would be regarded by the average American as "lacking pride" if not totally unpatriotic.

[Natsku]

I experienced culture shock moving from the UK to Finland and this was despite being half-Finnish and having spent many holidays there - living somewhere is a totally different experience from just visiting somewhere, you are bound to experience some culture shock at least. I'm visiting the UK at the moment and even here I'm feeling some culture shock, people act so differently from what I'm used to now. Culture shock isn't just about adjusting to different language and laws but also the different ways that people behave (generally speaking) and being treated differently because you are a foreigner and treated differently again as a settled foreigner.

[jayp1188]

I really didn't feel any culture shock going from the US to Europe. Sure the language was different and the buildings looked different, but life in both was mostly the same. I think the only first world countries where I'd really feel culture shock going from the US are the East Asian and Persian Gulf countries.

[OyCrumbler]

Originally Posted by cali3448893

No we dont... we aren't very ignorant, in fact much of the population knows a lot about the world and have a clue that america isn't doing so hot right now. Go on yahoo comments and it will show nothing but american who hate their country.

Several studies involving multiple countries (such as this one) have shown that people in the United States generally rank very poorly when it comes to accurate knowledge about geography and/or world events compared to their peers in developed countries. Even in English-language forums such as this one you'll find people who live and work in the United States who will argue to no end that Americans are no more ignorant or unknowledgeable and do it without recognizing the irony of doing so via post after post filled with terrible grammer and spelling, completely baseless assertions, and an almost baffling lack of reading comprehension or ability to form a coherent argument.

[cali3448893]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

Several studies involving multiple countries (such as this one) have shown that people in the United States generally rank very poorly when it comes to accurate knowledge about geography and/or world events compared to their peers in developed countries. Even in English-language forums such as this one you'll find people who live and work in the United States who will argue to no end that Americans are no more ignorant or unknowledgeable and do it without recognizing the irony of doing so via post after post filled with terrible grammer and spelling, completely baseless assertions, and an almost baffling lack of reading comprehension or ability to form a coherent argument.

I think you misunderstood me i was saying all countries have the same amount of ignorance. I remember a lady in Germany was saying how americans are ignorant because they dont know much about their political system. Now why in the world would i care so much about germanys political system?

[OyCrumbler]

Originally Posted by cali3448893

I think you misunderstood me i was saying all countries have the same amount of ignorance. I remember a lady in Germany was saying how americans are ignorant because they dont know much about their political system. Now why in the world would i care so much about germanys political system?

No, I understand you pretty well. Your anecdote doesn't really do anything.