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It’s no secret that the most powerful country in the world often stands out from the rest. And if there’s one thing we can all agree on, people seem obsessed with sharing deeply held beliefs about the nation. Whether it's hilarious memes that poke fun at the country or things America is doing right, opinions about the US are split. But as they say, with great power comes great responsibility, so why don’t we let the citizens themselves speak their minds for a change?

Well, Redditor Tell_me_why- did precisely that when they reached out to the Ask Reddit community: "Americans, what is the rest of the world not ready to hear?" The post immediately became a hit. Thousands of users wasted no time typing out the quirky things that people from other countries are unaware of, and sharing some hard truths along the way.

To get to the bottom of this question, we’ve gone through the thread and picked out some of the most surprising and thought-provoking responses to share with you all. Continue scrolling to read through these answers, as well as our interview with travel writer and blogger from the US, Megan Starr. Then upvote the posts you agree with and be sure to share your own takes with us below in the comments!

#1

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers The dumbest Americans often speak the loudest.

nevillebonglottom , Rodrigo Sümmer Report

#2

More Americans would travel if they could. There is criticism of Americans not being curious of other cultures. Some of that is valid, but travel isn't easily within people's means in the US. With no mandated vacation time and crippling low wages, having the time and money to travel to other countries isn't realistic for most Americans.

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Mirabelle Skyrim
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You don't need to travel the world to learn there is a world outside of the USA, there are other ways to learn: literature, films, heck even youtube videos!

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#3

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers The only reason "Florida Man" exists is because of Florida's laws about the accessibility of crime documentation, which makes it a goldmine for tabloid journalism.

Agent_Onions , David Veksler Report

On the Fourth of July, millions of Americans celebrate their nation’s birthday by having parades, setting off fireworks, and, apparently, reflecting on the values that have carried the country since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. After all, we’re used to hearing non-citizens having some strong opinions about the US, but according to this viral Reddit thread in question, Americans have plenty to say as well.

We reached out to Megan Starr who is originally from Virginia, US, to hear more about this topic. She is one of the founders of a travel blog called Megan & Aram that’s all about visiting Scandinavia, the Eastern bloc, and beyond. Before going on her adventures to explore and learn more about the world, she also traveled across the US, visiting every undeniably beautiful corner from Hawaii to the Great Lakes.

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Megan told Bored Panda she has been living abroad for 12 years of her adult life but is currently visiting her family back home. "The atmosphere is sad," the blogger revealed. "The division is sad. Everything is politicized currently, and regardless of which side someone stands on, no one really seems content here at the moment."

#4

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers I went to Italy and there was a restaurant selling "American pizza" which was pizza with french fries hot dogs and more ranch than pizza. He said it's authentic American pizza and it's how everyone eats pizza over there. I told him I'm from America and I've never once seen anyone eat that... He told me i was wrong and it's how all Americas eat pizza

Y'all are crazy too

Arik_the_Bruce , Vaishnav Chogale Report

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Łukasz Markuszewski
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is the usual way to sell "original food from..." in another country. Creators are selling dishes they saw on TV but on steroids.

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#5

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers Despite there being an obesity epidemic, there are many MANY children who are hungry. Unfortunately, the foster care system is a worse outcome sometimes. We have many, many hungry children.

RioBlue93 , Ben Wicks Report

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Who Panda 420
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And America will have lots more uncared for children soon enough. Thanks so much supreme Court /s

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#6

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers The government is not an accurate reflection of the people. The vast majority of Americans are moderates who have views all over the spectrum depending on the topic.

spade13F , Marco Oriolesi Report

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When asked about her thoughts on the situation in the US right now, Megan said it seems like people are stuck in a never-ending circle, and no one sees the bigger picture. "Even the ones merrily taking rights away from others are still whining about things," she referred to the Supreme Court's recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, clearing the way for dozens of states to ban abortions and ending the constitutional right to safely terminate pregnancy for millions of Americans.

But according to Megan, it doesn’t stop there. "You have people complaining about losing their 401k, yet they donʻt want more government involvement to help people have a seamless and stressless retirement. You have others complaining about gas prices, yet they donʻt want to invest in electric cars or research or public transportation. You have others whining about having to get a vaccine because it is 'their body, their freedom,' yet many of these same people want to impose restrictions on female bodies."

#7

A lot of the world may know the origin story of America. At its core, it began as an experiment in decentralization of authority with the goal that there would be no overarching ruler deciding what you can and can't do. That's why the concept of states' rights exist.

What the world may not know is how extreme that concept has become over the last 50 or so years. At this time, it's more apt to say that your employer's HR policybook has far more say over your life than any law, be it local, state, or federal. Things have become so skewed in favor of "job creators" that depending on who you work for, you could be free as in freedom, or you could be no better off than an indentured servant. Think about what other countries' governments give their citizens as a right of citizenship: health care, higher education, comped maternity leave, childcare subsidies, guaranteed minimum time off, adequate public transit, just to name a few. Think about what the US government doesn't offer: all of the above, and more. But there are some corporations who do offer equivalents to those: health insurance, tuition reimbursement, per-employer maternity leave policy (which is typically not very generous), and lately some have been extending perks like unlimited vacation (still subject to your manager's approval), transit pass reimbursement, or private shuttles.

The truth is our government really is only good at two things, and that's incarcerating people and findng money to build weapons with. Everything else, they delegate to "job creators". That's why there's such a huge obsession with job creators here - they're the only way most will experience even a fraction of the amenities that other nations' citizens take for granted.

It's a double-edged sword though. Many states are "at-will" states - meaning your employer can fire you for any reason at any time, including no reason. That, combined with everything I described above, means that most people live under the fear of losing their job. Because if you lose your job in America, you have nothing. Employers have taken this position of power and leveraged it to have near-complete control over the day-to-day operations of society, and to government, to an almost equal extent. Labor has little power over their lives and their country.

America isn't a dictatorship. It's a nation of a hundred thousand micro-dictatorships, each presiding over everyone on their payroll.

EDIT: made wording less unjivey

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#8

Most of us are just normal folks, trying to get by - it's just 10% at each end of the political spectrum that are dingbats, but they get all the media coverage and give the rest of us a bad name.

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scagsy77 avatar
$cagsy
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unfortunately, people going about their business quietly and being kind to others never makes the news.

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#9

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers We aren't uncultured because we don't travel, it's just that our states are the size of your countries. I can drive 8 hours in my state, and still be in my state.and then you have Texas

Glittering-Clock-332 , Surface Report

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Jill Rhodry
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hmmm...dunno, 'bout the reasoning given here - Australia isn't a great deal smaller than the US and we're a long way from a lot of places, yet we're big on travelling and we definitely hold a lot more passports percentage wise than the US.

caried1 avatar
Cdickson
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My Kiwi hubby says that much of Australian interior is inhospitable or dangerous to visit. In the U.S , climate and geography allow for much of the country to be accessible.What are your thoughts about the relationship between geographic accessibility and travel?

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Monday
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think this person quite understood what we mean by "uncultured". A person who has traveled to every country in the world could still be more uncultured than someone who has never left their little hometown.

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adiiantryx
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the problem is perhaps your education system is similarly narrow-minded, focusing on the us, when learning about the world through non-american lenses would broaden perspectives

nathanjones_2 avatar
Nathan Jones
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a false assumption made by non-Americans, and I don't even know where it came from. In 12 years of schooling, we have 1 year of U.S. history. Just 1. No more, no matter what school system you were in.

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Octavia Hansen
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't fool yourself -- there are a whole lot of people proud that they do not venture far from home.

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Rosie Hamilton
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The size of your country doesn't alter how easy it is to get on a plane and go to a different country - carbon footprint aside. Travelling doesn't = cultured either. You can learn about other cultures and stay put and you can travel and learn very little - a lot depends on the person.

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Someone Somewhere
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Easy to get on a plane and go to a different country? Lol alot of people live paycheck to paycheck and can barely afford to spare the $200 for the passport let alone airfare, lodging and food that it would take to make that easy trip to a different country possible.

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Daria Z
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a Russian who has never traveled abroad, I can confirm. Though many of us actually ARE uncultured and narrow-minded because of that.

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Katherine Mulholland
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My state, Queensland, in Australia is two and a half times the size of Texas. And Western Australia is almost 4 times as big. Yet Australians are some of the most travelled people on the planet, particularly the girls.

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Jonathan Miller
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The original post didn't have great context, and the response is equally unsatisfactory. I point out that Texas has a larger population than all of Australia and multiple huge metropolitan areas. Add up two of the largest metro areas in the US, New York and Los Angeles, and the population far exceeds Australia--imagine what is inbetween. Of course Australians have to leave the continent to see diverse culture. The lower 48 states are highly diverse. You can be proud of leaving a few coastal cities more frequently, we can be proud of not having the need. Not to mention, our national parks alone are larger than half of western Europe.

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flutterbyy
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As someone from a small country, I am forever blown away by the existence of multiple timezones in large countries.

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Awsomemom52
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I said it before... I also never travel because I don't have the money for it... and I still learned (and still learn) a lot about other cultures. Talk to your neighbor from another country... for starters, or use the internet. It's not about traveling to other countries, it's about the lack of interest for other cultures.

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Charlotte Stockwell
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can fit Texas into my home state of Western Australia three times with some left over real estate. Our capital city, Perth, is the most isolated capital in the world, and yet … we travel - a lot and over very very long distances.

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setsuriseikou
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a Russian I have to say, uhm, no, they aren't. And yet, we travel.

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Josurf
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

True...I drive an hour I'm in the Netherlands, or in France or in Germany. But again I have never been in Japan but I know a lot about that country, and so many others. A few years ago I even started to learn a basic of the language. When I go somewhere I try to learn about the habits and culture of that place. I went to Spanish territory (Canary Islands for example) I learned a bit of Spanish.

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Paul O'Connor
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be fair, travelling from say New York to Alabama may provide some diversity within the overall homogeneity of the USA but it is hardly the 'cultural' equivalent of travelling from England to Cambodia for example.

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Richard Keel
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not really about the geographic distance travelled, but the cultural distance. Travelling from NY to Montana to California to Texas is a shorter distance than travelling from Scotland to Spain to Greece to Poland. In this American journey, you'll still have the same supermarkets, food-chains, TV stations, language etc compared with the European journey

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Toni Maroni
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We aren't uncultured, cause our states are big. Hm, seems legit.

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Viau Anna
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nah you guys are mentally and intellectually lazy af. You don't give a single f**k about anything outside of your own backyard.

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Tarryn Louise
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is a 29 hour drive from my house in Western Australia to my sisters place in South Australia. Which is a neighbouring state to WA. GET ON OUR LEVEL ;)

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Elaine Henderson
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We can do that in Australia too - and we have a "ranch" here that is bigger than Texas, So. . .

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Biliegh Berrie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I grew up poor, stayed poor and now my mom has dementia. I will never be able to afford travel, even in state. It all boils down to money.

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Rhiannon K
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's an excuse for laziness and incuriosity. Libraries are free and reading costs nothing, but yanquis would rather spend time and money looking at Lim Trashcan and netflix than get a free education.

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April Walters
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Who or what is Lim Trashcan? Netflix does have some documentaries, but I actually prefer YouTube. There are not only documentaries, there are college lectures that I can watch. I love getting a free education!

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Murray Lachman
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hahahaha thats laughable i live in Queensland Australia when i go on holidays i travel nearly 1900 kilometers (3 day drive) one way and im still in Queensland

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Jes Morey
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Australia is much bigger than most Americans realise. I live in NSW driver 11 hours to my mum's house and I'm still in NSW. Then there's Northern territory

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TheOneWithTheNose
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's pretty easy to learn about different cultures and countries without traveling when you're interested....

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Brendan Tennick
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can drive 36 hours in my state in Australia and still be in my state (Queensland)

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Peta Hurley-Hill
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm Australian. As a nation, we quite well travelled.And know a lot about other cultures. Our state of New South Wales is 1.15 times as big as Texas."Many people don’t realize that Australia is really large, in-fact its about the same size as continental USA.How big is Australia? To put it in perspective, traveling from Sydney to Perth (East Coast to West Coast) is about the same as traveling from New York to Los Angeles. Victoria (the small state I live in)is only a slightly smaller than California and as big as the U.K.It would take about 14 hours to drive across it.FLYING across Australia takes about 6 hours. download-5...6ed637.jpg download-5-62c3f8b6ed637.jpg

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Steven John
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same here, but we've been to Europe and our airfares had some Yanks I spoke in shock at how high!

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Anne Mitchell
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No excuse. Australia has several cattle stations (ranches) bigger then the state of Texas, In in the north the states are small enough that if you lean out of your car window your upper torso is in a different state

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Sean Kirkwood
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Disagree. We are uninformed because we don't travel outside our states, or our country. As someone who travels a lot, I can tell the difference between those who do and those who don't.

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Jelena Putinja
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

you don't have to travel to learn of other cultures - internet can take you everywhere - you just have to want to know

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Stijn Kraft
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yet Europeans can point out Texas and Alaska and Florida and California on a map, at least. Many Americans have no idea where France is. It's got more to do with the self-centered education system than with anything else, but the whole travel and getting 'cultured' thing is not the issue.

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Fat Harry
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I see this a lot. It's nonsense. A big country is no reason not to leave it.

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Rachel Veldhuizen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Canadians are on average way more knowledgeable than Americans about the rest of the world and the provinces are WAY bigger than the US states, so there's that.

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Edu Vips
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Airplanes ? The flights in US are so cheap (or were when i was there on 2000). The people are uncultured because of your education system, which is designed to keep the people under control.

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Aria de Saint-Iuz
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Culture has nothing to do with travel. You're either curious and want to learn about other cultures and places, or not. Idk how sizes of states are an excuse to be uncultured. Also, culture is not only knowledge, but behaviour, intelligence and understanding.

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Emily
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you!! We can travel a lot within our own country, and unfortunately almost any international travel comes with a long flight over an ocean, putting it financially out of reach for the vast majority of Americans. If we do go somewhere it has to be "worth it," so we're gonna stay for as many vacation days as our boss will let us have and see as much as we can while we're there. That's why American tourists look so ridiculous, we aren't relaxing, we are trying to maximize our experience because we'll probably only get to do it once! No casual travel for us, we need a vacation from our vacations.

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Nelly Panda
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not that long…try living in NZ or Australia. New Zealanders travel overseas a lot for a country of 5.5 million (honestly, you are always tripping over them when you backpack) and it is damn expensive and takes a long time for them to get anywhere except Australia (even that takes ages). Also, NZ is a beautiful country, so there’s no need to leave to find gorgeous everything.

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Don Hummy
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ummm.......Canada! I can drive 15 hours and still not leave my province. Poor excuse.

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censorshipsucks
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can also you know, read about countries online too, you know. That's what I do because I can't afford to travel either.

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Kristine Ellis
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

With access to the Internet, one can always widen one's knowledge base. Travel in the mind if not the body.

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Who Panda 420
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Florida is crazy to drive through tip to tip. Sore buns on motorcycle 🤣

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DebK2tog
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ahem ... Check out Australia sometime soon. Oh, btw, that's AUSTRALIA, not Austria :D

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Johnny Hammarberg
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well almost any students from a country outside US in the EU can mention and place your states on a map together with the rest of the countries in the world together with the different stats needed do define that country.. I have seen so many youtube videos with tourists asking students outside your universities about geography outside US and fail that would make you cry...

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Johnny Hammarberg
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well in Sweden we are thought about every different state you have and all the other countries on earth, can US students only focus on their own states?

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Susie Kamper
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree that it’s not because of that you are uncultured. (No offend. I have lots of American friends and we just joke around)

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Destiny Harrison
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm from Texas. I can get from Dallas to Galveston in about 7 hours. Dallas to El Paso is about 11.

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William Hicks
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm in the middle of Tx and can get out of it in less than 8 hours in 3 directions.

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Jaimee Bickar
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Agreed. There is enough to explore in the USA without ever having to deal with the hassle of leaving.

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Marilyn Ransberry
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Canada is the second largest country in the world . Most of our provinces are larger than Texas but wherever you travel into the world you’ll meet Canadians.

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Guillaume O'Perucha
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

American don't travel first because they simply don't have the time for that. They need to work, work, work.

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Dora Sztojka
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Its not really the size thing, if we talk about cultural differences. Europe is tiny. I travel 4 hours from home and Im in Venice or an hour and Im in Güssing, Austria or 2 hours and Im in beautiful Slovenia. Different lingo, culture, cuisine, architecture etc. You travel thrue Nebraska and/or Ohio and is still - you know - Nebraska and Ohio....and that take you ages to do so.

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Sapphire Dragon
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The sun has ‘ris, the sun has set, and I ain’t out of Texas yet.

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Nelly Panda
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Try a 3500km drive and still in the same state. Driving nonstop, you might do it in 38 hours or so. Size of state is no excuse. Western Australia is enormous, and we travel overseas a lot, well except for the last couple of years.

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Phred
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

>I can drive 8 hours in my state, and still be in my state. I had a car like that once. But seriously, the closest I got to out-of-country travel other than Canada was dropping out of my college's semester in London program because I couldn't afford the airfare. Fortunately, the US and Canada have a lot of beautiful places to visit.

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Phred
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Edit to above: add a line break between "my state." and "I had". Add another one between "once." and "But".

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KC C
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Canada is the same! If I want to go to France, I will take a ferry from St John's Nfld to St Pierre Island. If I want to go see Canada's version of France, I take a train to Montreal. Same with America, if you want to go to Mexico, Texas and Southern California are great alternatives. Haiti or Cuba? Go to Florida, the UK? Canada (especially Victoria BC) and the East Coast of the US have pockets of English culture. You can see a lot here in North America... ---Kristin

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Timmy Pillinger
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think it's more a culture choice. We have the same in the UK. Some people just don't take an interest

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Kusotare
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Texas is a state of mind as much as it is a place. If you're a Texan and you drive 20 hours in any direction, you'll still behave as if you were still in Texas.

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dev mehta
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Americas don't travel because the sheer size and diversity of the country. It takes a lifetime to explore America

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Adam Zad
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If they cut Alaska in half, Texas would be the third-biggest state.

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TeenieMeanie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel this one. I live in a county that is bigger than West Virginia. Three hour drive in any direction to reach a major travel hub, so there’s always a bit of a to-do to fly. San Bernardino County, California if you feel like looking it up. We huge!

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Unni Panda
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not traveling canNOT equate ignorance at this day and age...ungortunately this is a trait that is absolutely US'ian

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Jose Cabanas
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What??? This is probably the worst take of all this post. Sorry, just not a very good one at all =:3

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"The entire political atmosphere of the country is just sad and nearsighted. There is no separation of church and state, and there is no religious freedom here anymore," Megan told us.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom when it comes to her homeland, the blogger stressed. Citizens want to create a better country for themselves and the generations to follow, and change is slowly coming. "I want people outside the US to know that most of the younger generations get it and we are fighting. But, we are fighting a two-party political system where one part leans towards extreme right-wing and the other is called a democrat but is still right-wing."

"We are fighting a broken system that doesnʻt represent our society well at all," she added. "And instead of voting on issues, we vote for people and the entirety of what they come with."

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#10

Everyone likes to harp on our past of slavery but we didn't invent, nor were we the biggest ones to do it. If we cast a light upon other countries past they would look bad also. Humans in general are incredibly sh*tty throughout time.

Sparrowhawk-Ahra Report

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have a horrible history when it comes to the treatment of our Indiginous people in Australia. And we still have a loooong way to go.

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#11

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers Most New Yorkers aren't psychopaths

All of us are

You8mypizza , Eddi Aguirre Report

#12

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers That someone personally spent over $400 million on a replica of Noah’s ark in Kentucky. Like actually. I’m not even kidding. It’s several football fields long.

Csj2454 , Elias Null Report

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Octavia Hansen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This money spent on homeless, hungry and education could save so many. HATE when religion only glorifies itself.

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One positive trait Megan pointed out about fellow Americans was their sociability. She told us that people who visit the US often feel surprised at how genuinely friendly they are. "Even in today's tense climate here, people are still so sweet and it feels like you never meet a stranger. I have been living on the other side of the Atlantic for so long that it always shocks (and pleasantly surprises) me when I come back to the US."

#13

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers Europe has a racism problem as well. I moved from America to Europe and yall jump through so many hoops to pretend that America is the only place with racism despite how blaringly blatant it is in Europe.

Edit: obviously I know Europe is not a singular country, I just did not feel like listing all the European countries I've lived in or traveled too.

Editedit: If yall really wanna focus more on the fact that I said Europe instead of listing every country I've ever been to than on the racism thing then you're really just proving my point.

AzzyKaz , Markus Spiske Report

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#14

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers Twitter/Reddit are probably the worst representation of american culture possible. Life outside these two platforms are completely different no matter what way you spin it. Reason being, extremist opinions are the ones that get the most fake internet points, so thats all you will ever see.

WRiPSTER , Marten Bjork Report

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Daria Z
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I guess most people out there are more or less level-headed, but being one won't bring them any likes. As a political centrist, I regularly get banned for expressing my reserved opinion on both leftist and rightist platforms. Especially since recently...

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#15

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers Children are not your retirement fund

TheeAngelness , Dmitry Vechorko Report

We were also curious to learn about the biggest differences between her homeland and other cultures she noticed throughout her travels. When it comes to the main thing that makes people there stand out from the rest of the world, Megan said it’s definitely the amount of confidence they have in themselves. "You can instantly detect it from the other side of a room," she added.

"Other nationalities have their own opinions about this, but I honestly donʻt think it is anything bad, generally speaking. We grow up in a society where even the most introverted people are somewhat extroverted." Megan said that people in the US play sports, are part of clubs, and definitely don’t shy away from having dinner alone at a restaurant. "We donʻt speak softly, we talk to strangers, and we might be lost in a city — but we will look confidently lost and going in the wrong direction!"

#16

80% percent of all Americans don’t have $500 in their savings account

Destinationfucked69 Report

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Emily Ward
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I cant even afford to start a savings account. Currently i have $5 in the bank, no gas left in my tank, another work week and i don't get paid for another week. Bills are way too expensive, food is too expensive and gas right now is crazy.

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#17

Y’all arent as smart as you think. Dont get me wrong, we are morons. But stupidity is a human trait, not just an American one.

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#18

We do **stupid**s**t. But thankfully we don't think shark fins will make our d***s bigger.

riedmae Report

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most traditional medicine is all placebo and should be banned. China has a lot to answer for when it comes to the decimation and brutality of animals for their horns, tusks, fins etc. Yes the rest of the world has issues when it comes to animal welfare but nowhere near as bad as China to be more specific.

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"America vs. the rest of the world" comparisons shared online by anyone with an internet connection are nothing new. People are always eager to chime in on the discussions about this topic, something that Megan finds pretty annoying and can’t seem to figure out. "We are a country of 325 million people (or more) with a totally different background and history than any other place on the planet. Even if there are similarities in (white) culture, it doesnʻt mean that we are the same."

#19

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers America isn’t the best by far, but as an African American I know the racism in other big countries is way more overt, I’ve experienced it and sadly realized America is one of the few places I can live in somewhat peace

Low_Lettuce_8467 , LinkedIn Sales Solutions Report

#20

We are not a monolith. The difference in culture between states, even COUNTIES or TOWNS can be massive. Making a generalized statement about “Americans” is really just disingenuous

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Making generalized, and usually highly stereotypical and based on TV which is mostly fantasy, including those erroneously called “reality”, statements about any country is fodder for keeping us bogged down in stupid non-issues. Let’s put all that aside, quit insulting each other, and start realizing we’re way more alike than different.

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#21

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers America is more welcoming than most other countries.

For example, I've been living in Korea for almost three years. I could speak the language perfectly, interact with the community, learn the customs and traditions, and yet I still wouldn't be considered Korean, or even be looked at as a Korean citizen. I wouldn't belong, because I don't look Korean.

But in the U.S, you can be from pretty much anywhere and be accepted as an American. You might look African, Asian, European, but you would be considered American. And you would belong. And it's awesome.

The U.S is one of the most welcoming places in the world.

Bioreaver , Andrew Neel Report

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Smiler
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think this is the same for countries like Australia, New Zealand and the UK, yk, the multicultured ones that receive alot of immigrants

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Megan pointed out that negative comments about the US usually stem from the fact that the country’s news, media, and movies are blasted on TVs and screens across the world, "so most people have a rough idea of what is going on." Moreover, she explained that it feels like it almost became acceptable to ridicule and share harsh reactions about her native country. "Whereas if this happened to another place, it would not be so accepted."

"Interestingly enough, many of the comments come from people who donʻt even know their own political systems. I had people from Australia and Germany come at me a decade ago for same-sex marriage not being federally legal in the US. It was also illegal in both countries (and didnʻt get passed until after the United States made it legal)," Megan told us.

#22

Most Americans, be they liberal or conservative, are not nearly as hateful as you might assume from reading Reddit posts or watching American news programs.

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Luna Crow
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

USA: Nobody is better than us at portraying ourselves in the worst light!

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#23

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers M*A*S*H is better without the laugh track.

McFlyFarm , imdb Report

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Octavia Hansen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most things are . . . but it would make viewing Congressional Hearings a whole lot more entertaining, also inserted during political speeches, and most religious news.

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See Also on Bored Panda
#24

Not all Americans have money

Edit: most don't

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General Anaesthesia
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most don't while a large number works hard at multiple jobs just to slow down the sinking.

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"We are a big country and our views are anything but homogenous. Many of us are fighting as hard as we can against a system that is set up for the wealthy white man," she said. "But it is not an easy fight, especially when the system does 'work' for some people and they have the mentality of 'if it ainʻt broke, why fix it.'"

#25

We won't stop until the rest of you are as fat as us.

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#26

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers Americans are not the only annoying tourists in the world. We can be bad sure, but I have met PLENTY of [jerks] from all sorts of countries visiting.

Sometimes reading through Reddit you get the sense that the only people in the world with bad travel manners are Americans.

GarbageBoyJr , David Todd McCarty Report

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The worst tourists I have come across are actually Asians. Edit: as some have pointed out, Asian is to broad of a term. My apologies. I am mainly talking about Chinese. I am not saying all Chinese either, it's just they do have a reputation of being disrespectful and rude as tourists.

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#27

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers The use of the Metric system is way more prevalent than you think.

Foresight2187 , Sven Mieke Report

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Dan Padgett
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The only thing that gets me about this is when I'm watching repair vids on YouTube. Yeah, this wood is 20/13ths of an inch. Cool bro, how many mm is that?

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#28

Americans Share Harsh Truths The Rest Of The World Is Probably Not Ready To Hear Yet, Here Are Their 30 Answers Henry Winkler gets even cooler after happy days.

myclueis , Super Festivals Report

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Who Panda 420
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a developmentally disabled girl who went to a convention with her dad where Henry Winkler was going to be. He picked her out of the crowd and went to give her a kiss on the cheek and she went Yuck and wiped it off. Everyone was laughing including Mr Winkler. So I believe that he's a great great guy.

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#29

Most people in the US do NOT have guns. The reason for the "There are 400,000,000 guns in the US" is because guns are counted when they are sold, but they are not counted when they are destroyed, broken or disposed of (legally or illegally) so when you have a number that only goes up, guess what. It gets really big. It's also possible guns are double counted when one owner sells a gun to another person. Also, most gun owners own more than one gun, so you can't just divide the number of guns by the number of people because you have that one guy with 20 guns.


So, when you come to visit, relax. There aren't cowboys and gangbangers on every street corner.

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#30

Twitter is a very small community where just 10% of users make up 80% of the content.

user_bits Report

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censorshipsucks
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Twitter is where people with the attention span of a flea go to get their news and outrage.

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