Kind of getting tired of America. Is the grass any greener elsewhere? (2014, how much)
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Every country probably thinks it is the greatest country in the world. I even know people in third world countries who think this of their country. This is not something unique to the U.S. or Americans. It is hypocritical to say otherwise.
People should also know that the U.S. and its former European colonies have had racial issues and strife for the last 400+ years. This has not prevented the U.S. from becoming one of the wealthiest nations in history.
Well of course but even so there are several countries that fall in the "we're the greatest" category, a wild guess is that some 70% or so from the following countries think theirs is Eden: China, US, Australia, Canada, Russia, North Korea, France.
Meanwhile you get the ones that are far more self-critical such as UK, Eastern Europe, South America, Korea, Israel etc.
Europeans are surprisingly cynical and down-to-earth when you befriend them.
The most nationalist countries I've experienced are: Australia, Canada, China, Korea, Russia.
The U.S. has high levels of nationalism among the Boomers, but young people are very open about their grievances and the problems they see.
In the 5 countries above, both young and old are obsessed with groveling in their own superiority. Russian youth are more cynical, so asterisk that one a bit.
No one said patriotism doesn't exist or isn't an emotional thing, nor that there isn't a single country in the world aside from the US where it's common to say it's common to believe their country in the greatest country in the world. There are plenty of countries where it's extremely uncommon for people to think that their country is the greatest country in the world--they might prefer it, they might think they're the best at this or that or have the best this or that, but not a blanket greatest country in the world.
It's a common mindset among large countries. That's the best way to put out. The US, Russia, China, India, Brazil, Japan.
Small countries don't often express that sentiment as they know that they can't back it up. Bigger and more powerful nations can live under that illusion.
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This people left for Ecuador and have no regrets. They moved after the man had to have $1 million dollar back surgery and his wife had to leave work to take care of him. They couldn't afford the cost of living and wanted to live life to the fullest.
Just curious, but have any of you lived and worked outside the US, and knowing the native language, in a highly developed country in the last decade or two?
I am an American expat living in France. ( Dual citizen). I love the US! I moved here to live a more simple lifestyle on land that I inherited from my grands. I am fluent in French, speaking, reading and writing.
Part of it is that the US has among the oldest intact political systems without major revisions of process in the world. Its system does not do two parties or particularly direct democracy particularly well or the idea of disentangling different issues from each other rather than making two large tents with issues that have almost nothing to do with each other. Unfortunately, a lot of major political reform in some countries over the last century had come from some pretty devastating internal or external causes, but it certainly isn't a *necessary* factor by any means as there are also countries that have been able to successfully implement reforms in fairly peaceable ways including mostly peaceful mass protest.
The other part of this is how into the weeds on mystical thinking of sorts the US is compared to other developed countries. We have a lot of devout religious people who are devout in ways that sort of are counter-productive to a lot of practical matters and with particularly odd snake oily leaders. Even when it's not really religious, we also then have a lot of people who accept some pretty bonkers conspiracy theories and often as an entire slate of them at once.
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Anyhow, if OP wants to, experiencing living abroad for even a bit really isn't a bad idea. Of course, I'd recommend thinking it over in terms of what you are looking for and want and what you're looking to avoid as well as reading up on practical issues for the area you eventually try for.
The US is still crapping their diapers compared to Europe’s history.
It's a common mindset among large countries. That's the best way to put out. The US, Russia, China, India, Brazil, Japan.
Small countries don't often express that sentiment as they know that they can't back it up. Bigger and more powerful nations can live under that illusion.
I’ve heard it in China though it’s far from the majority. I’ve almost never heard it among actual Japanese people today. Proud of their culture and country? Sure. Prefer the way Japan does things? Sure, that as well. Greatest country on Earth? Pretty rare it seems. I also don’t think it’s true among Indians, but I know far fewer Indian people and have never lived there. I only know Russians who live here in the US who seem to endlessly **** on Russia and just about every place in the world it seems. Never talked about anything like this with Brazilian people.
Europeans are surprisingly cynical and down-to-earth when you befriend them.
The most nationalist countries I've experienced are: Australia, Canada, China, Korea, Russia.
The U.S. has high levels of nationalism among the Boomers, but young people are very open about their grievances and the problems they see.
In the 5 countries above, both young and old are obsessed with groveling in their own superiority. Russian youth are more cynical, so asterisk that one a bit.
I’ve heard Canadians be smug comparing themselves against the US, but not go on to say Canada is the greatest country on Earth—more like, better than the US. Of course, if we’re riffing off of the US being the greatest country on Earth and yet Canada is better, then I suppose Canada is actually the greatest country on Earth, or Canada is not a country, or Canada is not on Earth.
I’ve heard it in China though it’s far from the majority. I’ve almost never heard it among actual Japanese people today. Proud of their culture and country? Sure. Prefer the way Japan does things? Sure, that as well. Greatest country on Earth? Pretty rare it seems. I also don’t think it’s true among Indians, but I know far fewer Indian people and have never lived there. I only know Russians who live here in the US who seem to endlessly **** on Russia and just about every place in the world it seems. Never talked about anything like this with Brazilian people.
Oh it's certainly there. Other countries display it in a different manner.
Oh it's certainly there. Other countries display it in a different manner.
It’s there in that there is a lot of nationalistic pride or trying to push that one’s country is the best at or first to do this or that or has unique these or those things that you can’t find elsewhere or at least can’t find as good a version. What’s generally not really there is commonly stating and believing the blanket statement that one’s country is the greatest country on Earth and it’s almost certainly not a commonplace thing in every country in the world.
It would make for an interesting topic though!
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