30 Non-Americans Explain What They Like Best About The United States And Their Answers Go Viral
Interview With Author
It’s way too easy to focus on the negatives, instead of the positives in life. For example, the United States has been the focus of a lot of gloomy news recently since the coronavirus pandemic is resurging in some states. Whatever your personal thoughts about the US and how it’s handling the healthcare crisis, we shouldn’t forget that the country has plenty of positive sides, too.
Reddit user Imsosadsoveryverysad knows that it’s easy to judge the US but they wanted non-American redditors to share the positives of America that they see. After all, the country isn’t all gray and dreary. There’s lots of good in the US, too, you just have to see it.
Lots of people took up the redditor’s challenge and shared their opinions about what makes America great: from how friendly people are to the amazing entertainment the nation creates. Scroll down, upvote your fave US pros, and let us know in the comments what you think the biggest upsides of America are, dear Pandas. Be sure to read on for Bored Panda's in-depth interview about the US with redditor Imsosadsoveryverysad. Trust us, it's worth it.
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As an American who left 10 years ago because I was fed up with America's s**t, I can honestly say that it took me leaving America to see the good in it. One thing I have come to appreciate about the United States, even though it doesn't apply to me, specifically, is that anyone can become an American. I've lived in a few different places in my time abroad and no matter how fluent I get in language and culture I am eternally the "foreigner". Especially here in Japan. The official word to refer to us is "outsider". I could live here 30 years, naturalize, forsake my American citizenship, have a Japanese baby and I would never be Japanese. But you, Japanese friend, can be American, as much of an American as I am. And I think that's really cool.
Hospitality and kindness.
On my travels in America I found the majority of Americans to be kind, keen to help and lovely to spend time with.
Obviously there will be some wankers (there are wankers everywhere) but I associate America with a cheerful, upbeat people who will smile and be pleased to meet a new person.
Imsosadsoveryverysad told Bored Panda about what inspired them to create the thread in the first place. "I have found it real frustrating and depressing to be in America lately. Between Trump’s botched handling of the pandemic, and the racism, hatred, police brutality, etc., it has just been weighing on me."
The redditor continued: "The willful ignorance of many Americans who refuse to wear masks or deny that systemic racism exists, when you don’t even have to look very hard to find it, has just been upsetting me a lot lately. I actually kinda needed to be reminded about the good that America brings, because we’ve seen so much bad lately. I figured asking non-Americans, potentially anti-Americans, what they thought was good, could give me a more unbiased look at the positives of our country."
Imsosadsoveryverysad said that they did not expect the thread to get so much attention. "I have posted things on Sundays randomly before that took off. I knew I could get some eyes on it, but really I was just hoping for enough responses to create what I considered to be a solid sample size (for me). It’s nice that it got bigger than I hoped just get more feedback."
How accommodating many places are to disabled people, especially for people in wheelchairs. There are often ramps and large disabled parking spaces not to mention that there is an entire amusement park for people in wheelchairs in San Antonio!
I don’t know about the US but in Australia it is the law to have disabled access into public business/buildings. We have a Disability Discrimination Act that helps people with a disability to have the same access and rights as everyone else.
The country has everything! You want mountains, you got it! You want forest, you got it! You want beaches, you got it! You want huge cities, you got it!
In Europe, you have to go from country to country to achieve this.
Also the food portions are HUGE!
If in Europe from country to country for that (if at all), in the US you go from state to state and the distances are larger.
It really doesn't matter whether you cross a country border in Europe or a state border in the US. The distances would be about the same.
Come in Italy, we have, really good see and beach (google for, Salento, Sicily, Sardegna that is just a few of what we have (8000km of beaches), really famous mountains (google for Dolomiti, Alpi, Appennini), really famous city, art, history, (google for, Firenze, Venezia, Pisa, Roma, Matera, Cinque Terre, Milano, Torino and we have hundred like this) if you add the best food and wine in the world... and how Italian are friendly comparing to others near us... is the best nation for your holidays (when Europe will open frontiers). But our American friends already know all this, in fact in Europe we are the first choise for American ppl
Well, technically, if you look at the landmass of the USA, it's the equivalent to a bunch of countries, they just call them states instead. But yeah, I guess one of the reasons why most Americans don't own a passport is because they never have to leave the US to see a bunch of different things. Then again, most Americans don't travel in-country either, so...
I’ve had a passport since 1977; the one I had before the one I have now had NO pages left for me to use, so I was forced to get a new passport before it actually expired.
Load More Replies... sad i cant see my comment :/, i retry in contract form, America is beautifull, I visited from coast to coast, but also in Italy we have Beach (8000km, google for Salento, Sardegna, Sicilia, Calabria) mountains (the highest in Europe, google for Alpi, Appennini, Dolomiti) historic and art city (Firenze, Venezia, Pisa, Matera, Cinque terre, Roma and we have hundred like this) countryside (Toscana) plus the best food and wine in the world, and design,. All this stuff packed in a state that maybe is smaller then California :)
In America you go from state to state. Pretty much the same thing.
As a Northern Californian, I strongly disagree. There are only four American States on/in the Pacific Ocean, which is a vastly different place than the Gulf of Mexico, which is different from Atlantic coasts. I visited family friends in Florida, and I never realized it was possible to talk so far into the ocean, or to not freeze when you did so. The riptide on the California coast is brutal, and in San Francisco there are even signs that warn you that you “could be swept from the rocks and drown.”
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This does not make sense. You cannot compare the UNITED states with INDIVIDUAL countries.Instead compare the US with Europe entirely, which also has beaches, forest, mountains, cities and even a culture of thousands years
That and the high-fructose corn syrup in so very, very many foods.
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Romania, Italy, Greece, these are a couple of countries in Europe that have all of the above
just the STATE I was born in Brazil has all of those, plus below freezing temp in some places for those that like the cold, and a bigger city than any US city actually. Oh and with no earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards... Now if you count the whole country there's way more
and in the US you have to go from state to state.... the *distance* being traveled is about the same, whether it's travelling through a 'country' or 'state'.
It’s the same with the climate; there are states with lovely hot weather in the summer and some with freezing weather in winter.
Hot weather is NEVER lovely. Try living here in the Mojave Desert for a Summer. Ugh. I can't wait to live again where it snows.
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our cities are not as nice as in the USA but they are not too bad : Strasbourg 83410116_3...697989.jpg 
When you think of Europa as a whole, then you also have everything. When you take each US state for itself, you also have states with mountains, but without beaches, with forests but without huge cities. The USA are half a continent, so it'S not too surprising that they have everything.
Everyone saying "My country has that too!" Yeah, maybe, but not AS diverse and large areas as the US. Though the US also has thousands and thousands and thousands of miles of boring fields and pastures that go on forever. I'd definitely consider Europe AS A WHOLE to be the most landscape-diverse part of the world. :-) I love it, there's so much to see here, it's all so close together (relatively) and borders don't really matter in most cases anyway (Schengen and all!) (except during corona times...).
We have all that in Canada, although our food portions are more normal sized. We are polite, we have hot weather in the summer, skiing in the winter. We don't live in igloos though.
We have all of that in Canada, except for huge food portions. We have normal food portions. And a sane government.
Sorry, I can’t stop laughing in Italian! A part for the food portions which are “human being sized”. We take quality in consideration more than quantity.
When I waited tables in a place that served a lot of tourists and saw them marvel at the portion sizes I'd always say, "I brought you the child's portion, don't worry."
Come to Poland - we have lakes, see and mountains in radius of 300km from anywhere...but to be honest - nothing is as big as in USA :D...
Tbh I'm amazed at all of the geological features JUST in California....all of the things listed above + more...
Yes, but each state is basically it’s own country so you still have to travel to get to those places.
"You GET to go country to country"... there.. fixed it for you. As I would LOVE to go to France for one weekend and Spain for another. ;-)
You are allowed to publicly criticise your government and leader.
According to the redditor, the most surprising positive about the US that came up multiple times was free refills and ice for drinks. However, when it came to the most eye-opening responses, it was all about how convenient many people said the US is.
"I have actually considered it pretty inconvenient compared to European setups that allow you to walk everywhere or walk to a train quickly to get places farther away. But the commenters helped me see that things I take completely for granted, like stores and restaurants being open late, quick shopping for online orders, being able to buy a car on the lot and not having to wait weeks for it to be shipped to you etc. It helped me see there are more ways to measure convenience than I have been."
Bored Panda was also interested to get Imsosadsoveryverysad's take on why some people tend to forget about the positives of the US, especially during times of crisis. "It’s easy for media to grab the low hanging fruit and project it to the country and the world. Right now, the low hanging fruit is coronavirus numbers and the tension in our country. Are these topics important? Hell yes. Do they need to be reported on? Absolutely, they do, people need to be informed. Could we search out better stories to break up the monotony every now and then? Probably."
How cheerful and nice you guys are. People had been complimenting me out of nowhere in the streets, a lady noticed I was lost and offered me a drive to my hotel while I didn't even ask anything, a taxi driver showed me nice touristic attractions for free, a guy helped me chose between 2 shirts in a store, and the list just keeps going!
I was just blown away. At first, it surprised me. Here in France and Swizterland (I live at the border), peoples aren't that easy going and not necesseraly nice with tourists. We're kind of cold.
I had some prejudices before coming to the US honestly. But your folks proved me wrong
You guys invest alot in entertainment. The shows in my country suck.
NASA.
Space is awesome and it belongs to us all. My son got to go to space camp. We live about 20 minutes from it and my grandfather worked at NASA in the sixties and my mom remembers having as space party in '69.
They continued: "But I have a neighbor who has been trying to fight an insurance company to get her house rebuilt after it got struck by lightening. It’s been over a year. The media outlets she’s gone too specifically told her they wouldn’t run her story because they only want coronavirus stories right now. So with that attitude, we’re doing it to ourselves."
The redditor told us that they tried to reply to every single person who commented on their thread to start a dialogue with as many people as they could. "Unfortunately, it just became impossible. I remember having about 700 unread messages in my inbox, replying to 100, refreshing, and having over 700 again. It happened multiple times. For those I missed, I’m sorry," Imsosadsoveryverysad said.
"Finally, I’m just thankful for all the replies. Like I said, it’s been a frustrating and depressing couple months. Most commenters really helped me appreciate certain aspects of the country again. I’ve gotten multiple DMs from other users, as well as comments on the main thread that have said the same thing. We are all thankful for the kind words of the users who took a couple minutes out of their day to comment."
The best food I have seen in 35 different countries visited. The food diversity in the US is phenomenal, and Americans have improved and perfected many cuisines. In Europe there’s way too much attention to being authentic, and in the US it really feels like the melting pot and “bastardization” of cuisines has elevated food to a whole new level.
We hybridise everything. Our best LA invention in the last 20 years is the Korean Taco. Come out and try one! We gotta make a Mexican poutine, next...
America has some of the very best museums in the world. I spent a week going through the Smithsonian in Washington and it was amazing.
- You have some of the most stunningly beautiful nature in the world
- Living in a metropolis like New York or LA is insanely expensive, but it must be wonderful to have so many diverse activities, cuisines, and experiences at one's fingertips.
- You have some of the world's greatest museums and universities
The Smithsonian Institute has to be one of the best things in the USA. A collection of incredible museums covering all aspects of the world and all for free, thanks to the endowment of its progenitor. If you ever go to Washington DC, take at least a few days to explore those wonders.
Imsosadsoveryverysad’s Reddit thread got over 4.5k comments and some of the positives that people share were very unexpected and eye-opening. Everyone has an opinion about the United States and we could all argue about the various subtleties and politics through the night.
Opinions about America can be very patriotic but it’s important to do some fact-checking. Some claim that the US has the best social mobility, better than any other country, though the data doesn’t back that opinion up. While others joke that small things like the invention of sliced bread, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and landing on the Moon make it ‘the best in the history of the world.’
In terms of cold hard facts, the US dominates several fields worldwide. America spends more than any other country on its military; it’s also the world’s biggest exporter of arms. However, it’s not just waging war that the US is good at.
It also dominates the field of medical research (it spent 543 billion dollars on medical research and development in 2017). The US also spends more money on healthcare than any other country, though you can’t deny that the system has some flaws. You also can’t deny the United States is a behemoth in the realm of technological innovation.
I went to America in February, just before Corona became a real threat in Europe and America and people there are really nice and talkative. Here you don't ask where tourist are from or begin a conversation just randomly while in a grocery store. Was a bit confused by you guys saying 'how are you?' as a greeting tho, I knew you did but still it caught me off guard.
Wait until he meets The Loop. "Hi, how are you?" "I'm fine, how are you?" "I'm good, and you?"
You have access to almost every possible climate and never have to leave the country.
The diversity is wonderful, both in the people, culture, food, architecture and nature.
Also a European accent works wonders on American girls haha, I will always appreciate that.
Women rights. Compared to country where women needs permission even to breathe.
Better education system
Again, wonder where that person is from. I'd guess India. Lots of complaints about both issues there.
I'm from Russia, you can always see dog poop here, I like that in America people clean up after their dogs
They make a lot of great music, I'm sort of a metal head and my country don't have any rock bands.
There’s a lot of events in America. You guys have basically every event/convention that a person could ask for.
I live in Wisconsin. We have "Cheesapalooza" every year. No lie. It's a thing. Well, not this year, but every other year.
Big living spaces in most of the USA. I live in Hong Kong and our average flat sizes are around 300 to 500 square feet. If you are in a flat that's over 1000 square feet that's considered super luxurious.
You have a robust arts industry including movies, tv, videogames, etc.
Here in Australia our government routinely undermines are fledgling videogames industry, most of our tv shows lack any of the polish of yours, and with our movies... Let’s just say we literally tried to get people to pay to see a film version of a TV show that was canceled due to lack of viewership on FREE tv.
The food. The sheer availability and diversity of green leafy salads in the supermarkets. The stuff that gets sold at state fares. Also as many people have said. The space!
People are friendly if you’re polite to them.
That's true for every country. Treat people like you want to be treated and you can get things done. Treat them like you never want to be treated and find out how difficult life can be.
Optimism. TBH I hate seeing american optimism in the works, I come from a culture that complains a lot and is quite cynical. When I first started studying in the US it was always oft-putting (and fake) that people were so positive about so many things. But hey, it works. When me and my american friend crashed out of about 20-30 job interviews, I was the one crippled by depression and self-doubt while he simply looked ahead, said there are tons of other good things out there anyway. I simply gave up, while he continued applying and planning. I think americans have a very good attitude towards failure.
Air Conditioning, and also lots of national parks. More than any other country I think
Right turn on red lights
There are some states, cities, heck even specific intersections where right on red is illegal. But UPS and FedEx have based their entire delivery system based of right turns since they are much more efficient than left turns.
Had relatives come in from Norway and they thought highways with 3 lanes where huge. Then they saw a 6 lane highway.
Norway basically consists of nothing but mountains. They have small winding “highways“ with tons of tunnels for that reason and you often can't go faster than 80 to 100 km/h.
I love the innovation in America! SpaceX for example. Literally excites people around the world.
I don't know if I can support shooting unnecessary debris in outer space, just for commercial purposes.
some sort of optimistic mindset, which i consider a very good trait.
Exactly! I think this is our best trait: our unusual willingness to try things, to believe in possibilities beyond the here and now. I don't claim that we're the only people in the world with some degree of this quality, but I think it's fair to say our national character has one of the strongest degrees of this quality of any national culture in the world!
Safety in rural areas. Our dream is to buy a farm and live peacefully but where I live, it's so dangerous it's unreal. When I see movies or programs about people living on ranches or farms in some town in the US, it look amazing. We could never
Edit: I live in a rural area in my country and hearing gunshots doesn't phase us and house alarms go off every night and you're like Oh okay, as long as it's not ours. Not a fun way to live
The overall availability of services for people with special needs.
You need to get everywhere in a wheelchair? ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) has you covered as it is required that all public spaces be accessible to all (there are waivers for historic properties). You have a kid with processing, learning, emotional, or another disability that impacts their ability to do well in school? IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) has you covered and requires that they be given the level of services that they as an individual need to be able to learn successfully. For adults, there are group homes and other public services in place to help ensure individuals with disabilities can live life as independently and successfully as possible.
The effectiveness of these services varies based on where you are, but overall the US ensures an amazing level of access and equity for people with disabilities.
My disabled friends and family would disagree with you, strongly. One example, my niece who is blind is part of a national organization that takes on multiple big scale lawsuits every single year to get entire education systems and public organizations to actually obey the laws as they are written and allow accommodations, never mind provide them. Law is one thing. Reality is another.
My partner is from Mexico but moved here when she was little, and she says her favorite part is about America the musicians we have. Her favorite artist is Marilyn Manson, she loves to wear the shirt I got when I saw him live with Slipknot.
Cheaper housing for huge houses, we could get a villa in Florida for the same price as a semi detached three bed house in uk
And you can buy so much land in rural areas for so much less
You have a large, well educated population, a dynamic economy, a professional civil service, and arguably the most favorable geographic position among all countries today. You also have a culture of liberty which, although facing challenges, is a potent inoculation against totalitarians.
Innovation. Americans think of really cool stuff and make it happen, from Disneyland to iPhones.
I started a small business just because I had an idea for a nitch market. Cost me all if $300 in fee to create an LLC. Since its not my day job I have shelved it for now, but it still exist.
There is a very individualist philosophy, which is a good thing in many ways.
That attitude of I do what I want because I want to and nobody can tell me what to do or how to live my life.
In a way it is very freeing.
That attitude can be taken too far and abused. Like those idiots refusing to wear a mask or take similar precautions during a pandemic, because they feel it 'infringes on the personal libertiy'. They see precautions for the general good as an affront to their personal rights.
That you guys don't have tribal wars on sports events like big games. You even applaude the rivaling team when they had a good play. So how to behave watching sports; i.e. sports culture is definitely something the rest of the world can learn from the US of A. (and Canada).
The fact that high school and college sport is so organised. When I was younger, I honestly thought it was a made up TV/movie thing. Then I got older and actually met a few Americans who all backed it. I was genuinely shocked
It would’ve been cool to have a sense of school/college spirit in sport. I definitely feel like I missed out on that
Not necessarily a healthy culture though. Also, so much fetishisation of sport and little respect for literally everything else.
Friendly people! I believe that when you go outside, people are more likely to come toward you than another country
..unless you look different and live in a rural area, as the locals will approach with weapons drawn...
Holidaying in the US is always amazing. And the people are generally more friendly
Note: this post originally had 46 images. It’s been shortened to the top 41 images based on user votes.
I have had to travel through the US on business several times. I have found that if you stay away from the news media and politicians, the US and its people are truly beautiful.
I spent two months travelling America a couple of years ago and honestly, I didn't have a single bad experience. Everyone was so polite, open and kind, it was refreshing. And the food...! It's easy to get swept up in the frenzy of what a country is not doing right and forget about everything they do amazingly, so I love this post. It really reflects my opinion and experience of America and its people.
Awwww. This is so lovely. Thank you for your kind words about the US. I'm so glad you had great experiences here.
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I think living somewhere can be like being in a long term relationship - if you’re not careful, you can start to focus only on the negatives. It’s nice to be reminded of the positives :-)
This was awesome. Can we have one of these posts for every country in the world? I would love to see that happen.
Also, as an American, I appreciate this post. And I'm a little awed that it seemed like so many people commented on how friendly we are. I've always been pretty friendly and talk to just about everyone. So, it's good to know someone likes that.
At a time like this, I definitely appreciate the positivity of this post. There are a lot of things wrong with America, and most require to be swallowed with a grain of salt, but there are also many good things. I have visited many other countries in my lifetime, but I always keep coming back to the U.S. We are going through trying times, but we will rise again.
I really enjoyed the food I had in the US! I was lucky enough to be taken to lots of small family places, so I got to avoid the fast food and try all kinds of cuisines. Made me super happy - and sad, since most of them don't exist (even the ingredients) where I come from.
...mail order...that's how I get Canadian foods here in LA....
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I also think the multiculturalism is great (I would love being able to try all those cuisines that are common in the US).
This is so nice to hear! I've never been outside the US. I'm too poor and too busy raising my kids. So I don't have any personal experiences to be be able to compare or contrast my country with the rest of the world. Things have been rough here lately. Knowing you guys out there in the world have had such positive experiences here gives me some hope that we can turn things around.
What I feel is pretty great in the US is the general enthusiasm and sense for community. My country could really use some of those.
Thank you for posting positive content about the US of A. Im fairly conservative so It hurts me to see Americans talking trash that my family fled to following the cultural revolution. Its important that we recognize our flaws and improve but It's also important to recognize that America is great and is still a goal for many people around the world.
Really the issue we have here is all politically motivated. Take that away and America is wonderful
6 decades of living here and I cannot agree with much herein. Being brown and having a non-English name has often been the (presumed) cause of unnecessary grief by my fellow Americans. -Rev Dr M, retired teacher & indigenous resident (Yes, I'm a real Native American!)
I'm so sorry that's been your experience. We aren't all that way I promise. The fact that you can see every color, creed, religion, nationality or what have you coexisting here is one of MY favorite things about this country. I live in the rural midwest and we didn't have a ton of diversity in my town until recently. Some how, I'm not entirely sure why and it really doesn't matter, we've attracted an influx of Congolese natives. I ran a stand at my local farmers market before COVID and some of these folks had a stand as well. Their music was one of my favorite things about the market, and the food they sold. So good! I guess my point is, our community has been improved and enriched by the addition of new cultures and I very much wish everyone here could see it that way.
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Happy 4th of July Americans! I have had the opportunity to not only travel, but to live abroad and I am always happy to come home to America. The whole world has so much to offer, and here in America we are a wonderful blend of those ethnicities, cultures and ideas - and we have the freedom to enjoy it. It's sad that so many people take it all for granted.
This makes me happy. I know that like all countries, we have our flaws, but traveling has taught me that overall I love America the most and can't imagine living anywhere else.
my dream since forever was to travel to the US, get someone native to show me around the eating culture. what is a cheesecake factory? is it an actual factory? does your buffalo really got wings there? what do you mean by deep dish pizza and why some people hate it? also, I want to spend a week or more seeing your museums and parks and zoos and aquariums... you seem to have the best one.
I very much hope you get the chance to do that some day, Nanashi. For the record, deep dish pizza is a straight up gift from the gods. If you ever make it to Missouri, the St. Louis Zoo is free and very nice. I'd skip the Arch though. The ride up is cramped and terrifying and the windows at the top are very small. Check out the music scene instead. A live blues band in St. Louis is a religious experience in my book! I spent the best New Year's of my life at a blues bar down by the river followed up by the best 2 am omelet on the planet.
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I like the diversities (in food, cultures (a whole world in one country), products, range of concerts, festivals, museums, weird things, pretty much whatever pops in your head, you'll find it...), opportunities (in careers; rather easy change of careers, adult education programs, learning paths etc.), and some aspects of judicial system (quick trials, life sentences, even death ones in some cases; it is not perfect, I know, but it is still much better when one gets sentenced for life without a chance for parole for a murder, rather than 10-15 years for manslaughter, death by dui etc.). I also kind of admire their patriotism, I've never enountered anything similar in terms of love for one's country. I'm sure there are more things I like, but I'm not trying to make this an essay :D
I wish bored panda would stop just stealing from reddit posts. :/ Recently I've been reading stuff on reddit and just seeing it on here a few days later.
And on top of that, an informative portal with political news etc. from my country regularly has articles with BP as a source. :/
Load More Replies... The optimism, the belief in possible creations beyond the here and now, the belief in the unseen - this to me explains why we Americans are both more religious than Europeans but also so much more likely to want to create the next great startup and so much more crazy enough to believe it just might work. 99.9% of American startups fail, but the few that are just crazy enough to work? Oh do they f***ing work!
I'm not sure if I should be insulted or complimented by this post... -Rev Dr M, minister and skeptic
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I think people tend to be very romantic about the USA and see it as some kind of extension of the idealized movies they watch. Indeed, going for a couple of weeks, you can have a great experience and enjoy a lot of what people have been talking about. I'm a US citizen. I lived there for over 22 years. All I can tell you is that I am very, very happy to be back living in Europe again. End of story.
Extension of the idealized movies implies an extension of something that exists though. Perhaps it's hyped up a bit, but that's little reason to dismiss what makes the country good. Imagine, for a moment, a positive post about France and someone feels the need to nitpick its flaws. How sad such a person must be to feel such a compulsion.
Load More Replies... I appreciate the comments here. I just read them & they seem more positive than a lot of the comments in discussion above.
For almost every compliment there was a negative answer from...americans
This is so mych bulls#it I don't even know where to start. Politeness / friendliness? Fake. Noone really wants to know "how are you?" it's just a small talk. Education? s****y or expensive or both at the same time. Freedom? I'd discuss. If you are white mid aged man - yes. ANyone else? - you have lots of problems. Also having a gun is not freedom. Best unis? also not true. They stand high because of all the immigrants that teach there, but still by worldwide lists best unis with longest history are in UK and Germany. Also free of charge. The only really good thing I can truly see in Murrica is "my home is my castle" mentality, that allows you to protect your possessions and loved ones, but still - mostly if you are white. POC don't have this one either. Murrica is third world country with first class PR.
All the posts about how nice people are are written by white people.
Yeah - reminds me of that post about the woman getting around using a white cane as she's blind. Sudden objects on the curb are a pain.
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... You mean people that live life? National parks, good food, good music, diversity, good entertainment, safe streets? How are these extrovert things?
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I have had to travel through the US on business several times. I have found that if you stay away from the news media and politicians, the US and its people are truly beautiful.
I spent two months travelling America a couple of years ago and honestly, I didn't have a single bad experience. Everyone was so polite, open and kind, it was refreshing. And the food...! It's easy to get swept up in the frenzy of what a country is not doing right and forget about everything they do amazingly, so I love this post. It really reflects my opinion and experience of America and its people.
Awwww. This is so lovely. Thank you for your kind words about the US. I'm so glad you had great experiences here.
Load More Replies... I think living somewhere can be like being in a long term relationship - if you’re not careful, you can start to focus only on the negatives. It’s nice to be reminded of the positives :-)
This was awesome. Can we have one of these posts for every country in the world? I would love to see that happen.
Also, as an American, I appreciate this post. And I'm a little awed that it seemed like so many people commented on how friendly we are. I've always been pretty friendly and talk to just about everyone. So, it's good to know someone likes that.
At a time like this, I definitely appreciate the positivity of this post. There are a lot of things wrong with America, and most require to be swallowed with a grain of salt, but there are also many good things. I have visited many other countries in my lifetime, but I always keep coming back to the U.S. We are going through trying times, but we will rise again.
I really enjoyed the food I had in the US! I was lucky enough to be taken to lots of small family places, so I got to avoid the fast food and try all kinds of cuisines. Made me super happy - and sad, since most of them don't exist (even the ingredients) where I come from.
...mail order...that's how I get Canadian foods here in LA....
Load More Replies... I also think the multiculturalism is great (I would love being able to try all those cuisines that are common in the US).
This is so nice to hear! I've never been outside the US. I'm too poor and too busy raising my kids. So I don't have any personal experiences to be be able to compare or contrast my country with the rest of the world. Things have been rough here lately. Knowing you guys out there in the world have had such positive experiences here gives me some hope that we can turn things around.
What I feel is pretty great in the US is the general enthusiasm and sense for community. My country could really use some of those.
Thank you for posting positive content about the US of A. Im fairly conservative so It hurts me to see Americans talking trash that my family fled to following the cultural revolution. Its important that we recognize our flaws and improve but It's also important to recognize that America is great and is still a goal for many people around the world.
Really the issue we have here is all politically motivated. Take that away and America is wonderful
6 decades of living here and I cannot agree with much herein. Being brown and having a non-English name has often been the (presumed) cause of unnecessary grief by my fellow Americans. -Rev Dr M, retired teacher & indigenous resident (Yes, I'm a real Native American!)
I'm so sorry that's been your experience. We aren't all that way I promise. The fact that you can see every color, creed, religion, nationality or what have you coexisting here is one of MY favorite things about this country. I live in the rural midwest and we didn't have a ton of diversity in my town until recently. Some how, I'm not entirely sure why and it really doesn't matter, we've attracted an influx of Congolese natives. I ran a stand at my local farmers market before COVID and some of these folks had a stand as well. Their music was one of my favorite things about the market, and the food they sold. So good! I guess my point is, our community has been improved and enriched by the addition of new cultures and I very much wish everyone here could see it that way.
Load More Replies... Happy 4th of July Americans! I have had the opportunity to not only travel, but to live abroad and I am always happy to come home to America. The whole world has so much to offer, and here in America we are a wonderful blend of those ethnicities, cultures and ideas - and we have the freedom to enjoy it. It's sad that so many people take it all for granted.
This makes me happy. I know that like all countries, we have our flaws, but traveling has taught me that overall I love America the most and can't imagine living anywhere else.
my dream since forever was to travel to the US, get someone native to show me around the eating culture. what is a cheesecake factory? is it an actual factory? does your buffalo really got wings there? what do you mean by deep dish pizza and why some people hate it? also, I want to spend a week or more seeing your museums and parks and zoos and aquariums... you seem to have the best one.
I very much hope you get the chance to do that some day, Nanashi. For the record, deep dish pizza is a straight up gift from the gods. If you ever make it to Missouri, the St. Louis Zoo is free and very nice. I'd skip the Arch though. The ride up is cramped and terrifying and the windows at the top are very small. Check out the music scene instead. A live blues band in St. Louis is a religious experience in my book! I spent the best New Year's of my life at a blues bar down by the river followed up by the best 2 am omelet on the planet.
Load More Replies... I like the diversities (in food, cultures (a whole world in one country), products, range of concerts, festivals, museums, weird things, pretty much whatever pops in your head, you'll find it...), opportunities (in careers; rather easy change of careers, adult education programs, learning paths etc.), and some aspects of judicial system (quick trials, life sentences, even death ones in some cases; it is not perfect, I know, but it is still much better when one gets sentenced for life without a chance for parole for a murder, rather than 10-15 years for manslaughter, death by dui etc.). I also kind of admire their patriotism, I've never enountered anything similar in terms of love for one's country. I'm sure there are more things I like, but I'm not trying to make this an essay :D
I wish bored panda would stop just stealing from reddit posts. :/ Recently I've been reading stuff on reddit and just seeing it on here a few days later.
And on top of that, an informative portal with political news etc. from my country regularly has articles with BP as a source. :/
Load More Replies... The optimism, the belief in possible creations beyond the here and now, the belief in the unseen - this to me explains why we Americans are both more religious than Europeans but also so much more likely to want to create the next great startup and so much more crazy enough to believe it just might work. 99.9% of American startups fail, but the few that are just crazy enough to work? Oh do they f***ing work!
I'm not sure if I should be insulted or complimented by this post... -Rev Dr M, minister and skeptic
Load More Replies... I think people tend to be very romantic about the USA and see it as some kind of extension of the idealized movies they watch. Indeed, going for a couple of weeks, you can have a great experience and enjoy a lot of what people have been talking about. I'm a US citizen. I lived there for over 22 years. All I can tell you is that I am very, very happy to be back living in Europe again. End of story.
Extension of the idealized movies implies an extension of something that exists though. Perhaps it's hyped up a bit, but that's little reason to dismiss what makes the country good. Imagine, for a moment, a positive post about France and someone feels the need to nitpick its flaws. How sad such a person must be to feel such a compulsion.
Load More Replies... I appreciate the comments here. I just read them & they seem more positive than a lot of the comments in discussion above.
For almost every compliment there was a negative answer from...americans
This is so mych bulls#it I don't even know where to start. Politeness / friendliness? Fake. Noone really wants to know "how are you?" it's just a small talk. Education? s****y or expensive or both at the same time. Freedom? I'd discuss. If you are white mid aged man - yes. ANyone else? - you have lots of problems. Also having a gun is not freedom. Best unis? also not true. They stand high because of all the immigrants that teach there, but still by worldwide lists best unis with longest history are in UK and Germany. Also free of charge. The only really good thing I can truly see in Murrica is "my home is my castle" mentality, that allows you to protect your possessions and loved ones, but still - mostly if you are white. POC don't have this one either. Murrica is third world country with first class PR.
All the posts about how nice people are are written by white people.
Yeah - reminds me of that post about the woman getting around using a white cane as she's blind. Sudden objects on the curb are a pain.
Load More Replies... ... You mean people that live life? National parks, good food, good music, diversity, good entertainment, safe streets? How are these extrovert things?
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