30 Country Stereotypes That Got Confirmed Or Denied By People Living There
Interview With Expert
As an American who doesn’t live in the United States, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve introduced myself to someone and heard, “Oh, but you don’t look American!” This is usually said as a compliment, but what it sounds like to me is, “But you don’t fit all of the stereotypes I have in my mind about Americans!”
Every country has stereotypes, and some are probably harmless. So what if Italians are passionate about their cuisine, and the French are passionate about their language? But how accurate are these assumptions that are carried across the globe? Redditors have recently been addressing the most common stereotypes about their nations, so we’ve gathered their thoughts down below. Enjoy learning about the nations below, and keep reading to find a conversation with Momentous Institute’s Clinical Director, Alina Ramirez, Ph.D., LCSW-S!
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I’m English. Yes, we are reserved, yes we do queue in an orderly fashion and yes we will colonise you and add your culinary distinctiveness to our own.
I'm from the U.S. and we're lazy. So we'll wait for you to move here and bring your culture and culinary distinctiveness to us. Lot less messy that way.
I am from Azerbaijan. And because of the country’s name many think we are a super religious country like Iran, Afghanistan, and etc.
In fact we are not. We are the 5th most secular country in the world and religion doesn’t play a role for us like it does for many other countries. We really arent religious.
To learn more about stereotypes and the harmful effects they can have, we reached out to Alina Ramirez, Ph.D., LCSW-S, Clinical Director at the Momentous Institute. Dr. Ramirez was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and shine some more light on this topic.
"There are both positive and negative stereotypes, yet both can have a negative impact on the person being stereotyped," she explained. "When someone assumes something about a person, whether positive or negative, they are putting a label on that person, which may or may not be true. This can put the stereotyped person in a difficult predicament."
"For example, if the seemingly positive stereotype that all people from this group are really smart has been voiced in an interaction, the person now has an additional barrier imposed upon them that may prevent them from feeling that they can be authentic or may put them in a place of having to explain or defend themselves," Dr. Ramirez continued.
As an Italian, yes. Keep in mind that most stereotypes about Italy are actually about South Italy. But we do eat pasta and pizza like every day and we do say "mamma mia" in every sentence. We can't help it.
When I was living in Japan, someone told me this. “Americans are stupid but clever, whereas the French are clever but stupid. We Japanese are polite but rude, whereas you Brits are rude but polite.”
We Scots do tend to swear a f*****g lot.
The plus side is that we can't understand a single word they're saying, so no harm done
Dr. Ramirez also shared how stereotypes impact her personally. "As a Latina, I encounter many stereotypes about gender roles and how Latinx families function," she noted. "The examples of the sacrificing matriarch or the tight knit family might both present with positive and negative aspects, and it is important to consider both of these. Unfortunately, I find that most stereotypes of my community do not consider the complexity of how a Latinx person self-identifies and presents themselves in different settings."
"There are various contextual factors that impact a Latinx individual. These include the various regional and political differences across the numerous Latin American countries that have influenced their specific cultural norms. It also includes the generational experiences of US born Latinos as they navigate two cultures," the expert explained.
Aussie stereotype very true.
Very laid back
Up for a laugh
Always rubbishing each other
Don't mind a drink
Friendly
Very good at avoiding dangerous animals
The 'C' word is often used as a term of endearment and it's the context of the sentence it's used in that determines whether it's a positive or negative thing.
"As a mental health clinician, I am trained to look at context and find that I am not able to fully understand and help a person, even if they happen to be Latinx, unless I am curious about both the broader cultural context and the specific individual experiences that have shaped a person. I consistently seek to identify how these factors can be protective and contribute to a person’s resiliency," Dr. Ramirez added.
From NZ
I asked my ex girlfriend this question.
She just looked at me with her curls hanging over her dark brown eyes, her face looking full of confusion.
She didn't seem to understand what I was asking but she's always been the quiet one I suppose and not keen on confrontation.
I was getting annoyed at this point but I needed to know.
I asked her again but she turned away from me and screamed
Baaaaaaaaaa!
Canadian and yes. Kinda.
Super polite, fake and apologetic. Not to be f****d with but not the sort to start s**t either. Will avoid conflict until it's unavoidable, and then it's time for war crimes. Also poutine, plaid shirts and a loud minority of subtle racism.
Sounds pretty accurate except for the "fake" part. Never found Canadians to be fake. Polite but don't take any stupid s**t, that sounds spot on.
As far as where these stereotypes come from, Dr. Ramirez told Bored Panda that they are typically formed over time either through direct experiences or messages from others. "Our circle of who 'others' includes has expanded over time from family members, friends, and colleagues to include social media as well," she noted.
"Neurologically, stereotypes serve the purpose of helping us categorize others and interactions quickly without becoming overwhelmed. In its simplest form, these fall into safe/good or not safe/bad categories," the expert continued. "This is why many stereotypes tend to focus on negative elements. From a survival perspective, our brains initially store negative or threatening information about others as a means of keeping us safe (emotionally or physically)."
Brazil: football (soccer) is a f*****g religion.
I'm Portuguese and I'm short, heavy, hairy and love wine, cheese and woman.
I am totally tired of the stereotype that Finns are somehow super alcoholic. Alcohol consumption is in line with similar European countries, and I don't think it's really that accepted anymore to drink a lot. Back in the day, this was kind of a game of how much you can drink in one sitting. But, the new generation sees this sort of behavior as hickish. There's also not much of a culture of constant or daytime drinking. Most jobs require you to be sober during the working day. I've seen literally only two people drink during the working day, this was at 4 pm and one of them wasn't even Finnish to begin with.
Another one is "shy" or "silent". I think this stems from misunderstanding of Finnish politeness customs. Finns have a very steep gradient in how intensively they interact with total strangers vs. close relations like family or close friends. If they don't know you, they're trying to keep out of your way and not bother you with useless small talk, and that's polite.
I live in the UK and have never heard that Finnish people are heavy drinkers.
But once a schema exists, we tend to look for examples that confirm this belief, Dr. Ramirez continued. "This is referred to as a 'confirmation bias.' And now with the use of AI technology in social media, each time we like or share something that includes a stereotype, algorithms then push similar content into our feed; thereby perpetuating this belief," she warns. "Studies have shown that even when presented with data that contradicts our stereotypes, we tend to disregard this input."
The stereotypes about us Americans are exaggerated for sure, but not without merit.
MAGA is making us look real bad to the rest of the world. Most of us don't own guns and hate brown people. The ones that do are just very, very loud. It's like assuming that the entire state of New Jersey is represented by Jersey Shore.
Yes we live in windmills and we wear wooden shoes. We all cultivate tulips and c******s and everyone is high as f**k all the time
Romanians are not gypsies, gypsies are a minority, and the country it looks and is a lot better than you imagine it to be...just check out some travel vlogs from foreigners.
Romanians are awesome people - at least those I've met! Cheers from your neighbour
When it comes to preventing ourselves from being impacted or influenced by stereotypes, Dr. Ramirez says the first step is to understand what stereotypes we actually hold and why. "This is harder than it sounds, as we aren’t always aware of our stereotypes. And we ALL have them," she told Bored Panda.
"You might notice a shift in your heart rate or breathing or some other 'gut' sensation when in certain environments. Notice this. Be curious about this. Ask yourself, what am I reacting to? And once you answer that, the next step is to question why," the expert says. "What is my belief about this person, and where does this come from? What do I know about the person in front of me?"
"When you see something on social media, be open to the possibility that the information might not be completely accurate," Dr. Ramirez continued. "What is the source and what might be the motivation of that source to push a certain narrative. At the heart of this is curiosity, both about others as well as our own thinking. Stereotypes tend to thrive when curiosity is absent. Of course, the more we interact with others in a meaningful way, the more opportunity we have to break down our preconceptions of them and the groups they may represent."
Italians seductive? F**k no, we are a bunch of dumb misogynists (men) and pretentious pricks (women) with absolutely no right to be lol
I have so many international friends and not one of them was happy after dating an Italian 😂
I would be a pretentious prick, too, if men were misogynists. I'm married with an Italian woman for 22 years and I don't know what are you talking about.
Nobody sat next to each other, talked, or even smiled to other people during the entire bus trip this morning.
I'm norwegian alright.
In Canada we'll just strike up a conversation with a random stranger on the bus. Well I will, anyway.
Irish
Laid back and friendly: Check
Cripplingly cynical and judgemental: Check
"Stereotypes have a negative impact not only on the person about whom we are making them, but on ourselves," Dr. Ramirez added. "We are often surprised when we learn that we have more in common than we think. When we make assumptions about others, we miss an opportunity for an authentic exchange that can impact each other for the better."
We love good bread - yes, 100%
Cars - yes, loads of elder folks are very peculiar about their cars and speed limit debates. It's getting less in the younger generations.
Bureaucracy - somehow even worse than its reputation
Rude/harsh - you get a******s in every country. I don't think the average person is ruder than an average person from somewhere else. We are distant with strangers. The only people who aren't distant are those looking to be an a*****e. The nice folks exist, they just don't randomly go talk to strangers.
Beer - yes, a lot, and a lot of good beer. Except Kölsch, that one sucks.
Dirndl/Lederhosn - regional traditional clothes, only worn on some occasion by some people in the southern region. Not really a thing for like two thirds of the population.
Rammstein - apparently one of the biggest associations foreigners have with Germany. For most Germans, it's a "hate them or love them, no inbetween" type of situation.
I'm Danish, you'd usually hear that all Scandinavian (not just the Swedish) are "cold".
It's kind of true, but not really. I think we tend to be more reserved than the southern Europeans for example, we also don't for friendships as easily as others, but the friendships we do have tend to last for life and be very loyal! It can be really hard to get new friends as an adult and particularly an immigrant, not because we don't want to, but it takes **a lot** of time and effort! We also don't say hello to random strangers we see on the street, we also don't say "how are you doing?" to someone unless we really do want to know, we actually hardly speak to people we don't know, especially not strangers passing by in the street, the metro or elsewhere in public.
So in summary, I think we may come off as cold to strangers, but I don't think it's at all true when it comes to people that know each other. I also think that people living in the city are less likely to talk to strangers than someone living in a small town in the countryside.
Get a Dane drunk however and they'll most likely be pretty chatty.
I've found the Danes and Swedish to be wide open swingers compared to the Norwegians and Finnish.
Fat American checking in here. I don’t own any guns but pretty much everyone I know does. And as an Austin Tx native. I’m pretty liberal, love music and eat tacos and bbq all the time.
Greece: yes we are loud, we are always late and we religiously believe we have the best food in the world.
However, we dont smash plates screaming opa on a daily basis. I’d say keep that for a wedding and if that!! Kinda starts to die
I’m from London and I constantly hear “the land of knives and stabbing”
Is it true? Sort of. Knife crime is definitely a problem but you have a higher chance of witnessing or you yourself being robbed than being stabbed.
The UK having bad food; I disagree. The UK has the best range and quality of ethnic food in Europe. If I want curry, Thai, Mexican, Japanese food, I can probably find a good and close to authentic place in the bigger cities. London especially.
Totally true about the food. Yes, British food is terrible, but that's why we have so much variety to choose from. You don't eat Chinese when you are in Italy, do you? I have 6 different nationalities of food in a 300 metres radius
People say french (but especially Parisiens) are rude and arrogant or something. I've been to other countries and spoke to non-french people and it just seemed like they had much more of a "filter" than french people do so that might explain it.
Been to France many times and have never found the French more rude than most other tourist places. The Parisiens can be less helpful, but I attribute that to being in the "Big City." Same is true for Hong Kong, London, Tokyo. They are not rude, just don't have time for us rubes that are in their way.
**Sweden: Stereotyped as tall, slender, and blond, with a strong commitment to gender equality and a problem with alcohol. They are also viewed as somewhat arrogant and unfriendly by their Scandinavian neighbors.**
**Finland: Seen as introverted, silent, and fond of vodka, with a stereotype that includes living in the woods and a strong sauna culture.**
**Denmark: Known for a high quality of life, punctuality, and being reserved yet open-minded and easygoing. Danes are also stereotypically heavy drinkers.**
**Netherlands: Perceived as tall, liberal, and cycling enthusiasts, with a global image of being constantly stoned due to liberal drug policies. The country is also seen as the unofficial gay capital of Europe and somewhat frugal.**
**Belgium: Known for a love of chips, beer, and comic books, with a complex political system. There's a mutual stereotype between Dutch and French speakers within the country.**
**Germany: Viewed as efficient, disciplined, and car lovers, but also as stiff and lacking a sense of humor.**
**Austria: Described as hardworking, serious, and traditional, with a love for winter sports and a strong sense of domestic life.**
**Switzerland: Stereotyped as reserved, punctual, and obsessed with privacy and financial frugality.**
**Italy: Seen as fashion-conscious, talkative, and passionate about football and family, with a stereotype that includes a deep connection to traditional foods like pizza and pasta.**
**Czechia: Known for beautiful women and a love of beer and absinthe, with a rich history in crystal and Art Nouveau.**
**Slovakia: Described as bad-tempered, with a dark sense of humor and a stereotype of being heavy drinkers.**
**Poland: Stereotyped as religious and hard-drinking, with a complex relationship with Catholicism and alcohol.**
**The British: Known for drinking tea, eating scones, and possessing a quick wit and sarcasm that entertains the rest of Europe.**
**The French: Famous for wearing stripes, eating onions and berets, and being considered rude, a stereotype that even French respondents acknowledge.**
**Italians: Seen as passionate, generous, and family-oriented, with a strong emphasis on traditional values.**
I always thought that Germans were really nice. The language sounds harsh, the people aren’t By nationality, I’m Belgian and Luxembourgish. They each love talking about stereotypes of the other country, so I get to hear about them all the time. Belgians are apparently dumb and drunk all the time. Dumb? No, but the prime minister singing La Marseillaise instead of the Belgian anthem did not help with that particular stereotype. Drunk? They do love their beer, but to be entirely honest, the Luxembourgish tend to drink a lot more often in my experience. Luxembourgers (the word always cracks me up) are apparently stuck-up, rich and narrow-minded. To be entirely honest, some are are stuck-up and narrow-minded, but it tends to be my generation. They grew up with parents who were able to make a lot of money just because they were in the right country at the right time (and worked for it!). The older generation has been able to get good, well-paying jobs without a the degrees that would be required nowadays. But, they worked hard and they took advantage of Luxembourg’s languages (German, English, French). They tend to have a lot of general knowledge and common sense. The younger generation on the other hand, often seemed to expect to go down the same path as their parents and grandparents, but in a world where degrees are an absolute must. A lot don’t speak the languages (I’ve even met some that only speak Luxembourgish) and lack the common sense and general knowledge that the older generation has. The older generation has raised a very entitled younger generation, who is growing up in a country where the price of life is constantly rising and who will soon not be able to live there anymore.
We Italians are seductive, spend half of our day in front of the mirror, and constantly gesticulate when we talk.
Americans are an arrogant lot.
Sounds like this was written by someone who only knows Americans from our tourists and popular media. I can assure you most of us are not like that.
Note: this post originally had 40 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
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Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics German, the lovers Italian and it’s all organised by the Swiss. Hell is where the chefs are British, the mechanics French, the lover’s Swiss, the police German and it’s all organised by the Italians.
Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics German, the lovers Italian and it’s all organised by the Swiss. Hell is where the chefs are British, the mechanics French, the lover’s Swiss, the police German and it’s all organised by the Italians.
