35 ‘The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This’ Memes To Confuse And Amuse You (New Pics)
Interview
Social media can be a bafflingly hilarious place at times. It’s very hard to guess what memes will go viral (or why!). Nor can we ever be certain what will end up becoming a part of internet culture in the long run. However, the relatability of a meme is one major factor to keep in mind. Case in point, ‘The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This’ memes continue to raise eyebrows as they both amuse and confuse internet users in the United States and Europe.
To put it simply, these witty and slightly self-deprecating memes are a way for Americans to gently poke fun at European culture—as well as their own—by showing how different they think they are. The entire point is to post something from the US that might (semi-ironically) ‘shock’ someone living in Europe. Scroll down for the freshest memes and a reminder about how strange internet humor can get.
Bored Panda reached out to Substack blogger and X (formerly Twitter) user @JSlaughterEsq, one of the people who created some of the first 'The European Mind Can't Comprehend This' memes. He was kind enough to share some of his thoughts about the popularity of these memes, as well as American culture and self-perception. You'll find his insights below.
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Substack blogger and X user @JSlaughterEsq shared his thoughts with Bored Panda about why 'The European Mind Can't Comprehend This' memes have been such a big hit on the internet.
“I believe the meme is popular with Americans because we have something similar to an inferiority complex, and the meme allows us to project our culture as something that is too extreme, rugged, or masculine for Europeans,” he shared his perspective.
"It is partly a defense mechanism but simultaneously speaks to the reality that America has a rugged spirit that appears nonexistent in Western Europe."
904 area code - Jacksonville FL. Which tracks. But having lived in TX for 9 years...also valid.
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Nope, I’m a Brit and I’m not surprised at all, in fact the only thing that would surprise me is if I went into that gun shop and the gun wasn’t deep fried
Topped with white sausage gravy and mashed potatoes just like grandma use to make
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While this American mind can comprehend them. This American body dies everything within it's power to avoid them, especially the klassy ones that offer to sell a gun for Valentine's Day.
not even the american mind can begin to fathom the american strip mall
And thank whoever is responsible for our existence we couldn't.
Smells like Farmington Missouri. Gun shop and literally six feet away a Family Fun center (it's really just an arcade, the rides broke).
Umm... UK here... I wanna buy her a selection of ammo to go with her gun too! Ooh, chiropractor?
Except, strip malls exist in Europe. More arbitrary anti-American BS.
We Americans spread out their towns, and have business zones separate from residential. Strip malls are garish. There is more incentive to be noticed than to be aesthetic.
I am British when I was 18 I went to New York I could only afford to stay in a very cheap hotel just off Times Square everyday I was amazed that I could buy with my morning bagel and pack of cigarettes...I could purchase without question a gun ammunition knuckle duster flick knife ....and a gigantic drink called big gulp! All in the same establishment...I stayed for 6 months and loved every minute!
To be fair, strip malls are terrifying. Mall malls are not like this. Anything called a 'Village' is going to be expensive but AMAZING.
Missing the P**n shop, Liquor store and bails bondsman Or payday loan place, the liquor store, the odd little church and the Weird dojo run by a white guy
That was p**n shop by the way* But lovely of bored panda to catch it, and change it to something much worse!
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as a brit it would be more surprising for america NOT to promote guns
Get a tattoo, buy life insurance for your wife, shoot your wife, then bribe the chiropractor to say you were with him at the time?
The phone number for the chiropractor doesn’t have an area code. Is that real?
If you live in a small town, there's only one area code and everyone knows it. On the flip side, as an example, my city is pretty large, and has three area codes, so businesses ALWAYS put their area codes on their signs/ads XD
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Why I refuse to visit the "open carry" state south of my Canadian province
It’s not the open carriers you n need to worry about 🤦♀️
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Some internet users who see these sorts of memes take them a tad too personally. We were curious to get the blogger's thoughts on how everyone can learn to take these memes, as well as themselves, slightly less seriously.
"I think people need to realize there is truth in most memes—that is why they are funny, and that laughing at our differences is a way for us to better understand each other," @JSlaughterEsq said.
The blogger also shared a few thoughts about the possible culture shocks that someone from Europe might face when they visit the United States for the very first time.
"The size of the US is something that may shock most Europeans," he said. "Visiting New York is not the same as visiting Alabama. It would be similar to visiting Germany and comparing that experience to Spain."
He added that the Southern US is incredible when it comes to hospitality. "Many Europeans would be shocked at how friendly Southerners are. Plus, the gun culture is something most Europeans cannot seem to understand.”
This is how you know it's going to have the one product you can't find anywhere. These things.
The trend to create and (re)share ‘The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This’ memes first started taking root on the X social network less than a year ago.
At the core of the meme is the idea of posting jokes about real or perceived cultural differences between living in the United States and the European continent.
According to Know Your Meme, the earliest recorded version of a ‘The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This’ meme was spotted on July 27, 2023. The post on X featured performer Micahel ‘Chili Dawn’ Castleberry, who played the guitar using a beer bottle, using it as a slide. That particular post, made by user @TPropositi (now @JSlaughterEsq, whom we got in touch with), got 26k likes in a month.
Actually many European countries have rare monster truck tours (shows? whatever they are called), but one or two days per year is more than enough to entertain everyone inrerested.
Two days later, after that popular post, the meme took its first steps toward even greater virality. X user @rob_mcsta shared a photo of an ice box with the tag ‘The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This’ and got 3k likes in a month. Things ramped up after that. On September 4, user @powerbottomdad1 shared a screenshot of how long it takes to travel from NYC to LA by car, getting 67k likes in just two days.
In response, some X social network users started posting ‘The American Mind Can’t Comprehend This’ memes. Some popular examples of this meme, which got thousands of likes on the platform, included pictures of a handle being used to crack open the top of the window, as well as a European Union ID card.
Yeah, Ranch dressing is big here. I'm guilty of putting ranch on lots of things... save salads. I prefer Italian or vinaigrette.
Many folks enjoy these memes, as evidenced by the constant stream of activity on the X social network. X users love making new memes. Other internet users, however, aren’t such big fans of the concept behind ‘The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This.’ They believe that the memes are ‘evidence’ that one culture is ‘better’ than the other. Or they see it as an ‘attack’ on American or European culture. This can’t be further from the truth.
LOL it's not in the US, it's in Ontario - why get damp ogling Niagara Falls with this bad boy down the road? Move over US! (Though if BP asked for "American" eyesores, it would be a win.)
Most of these content creators only ever make these memes to make people laugh and smile. They do this by sharing spot-on insights, purposefully exaggerating cultural differences, or using irony to hone in on popular stereotypes. This doesn’t mean that we should celebrate low-level humor (it’s important to be honest with ourselves about what is and isn’t funny).
However, it does mean that we owe it to ourselves not to be overly serious about something as straightforward as silly internet pics. Travel broadens the mind, and if anything, these memes are an invitation for everyone to expand their cultural horizons.
Most of us probably know that all cultures have their pros and cons. A big part of humor means being self-aware and comfortable enough to accept reality and to gently make fun of our own flaws.
In this case, this means acknowledging that one’s culture might not be ‘perfect’ and embracing those quirks with the help of some lighthearted content. It’s meant to be amusing, not analytical.
Since humor is the main topic here, we have to accept that some of these posts are going to be subjectively (un)funny to some people. Simply put, we tend to like different jokes. Also, you can’t expect all of these cultural comparisons to make sense—many of these differences are hyperbolized to a massive extent, all for the sake of comedy. Some people love it. Others don’t.
The point is not to take the memes (or oneself) too seriously: these images are not objective insights or in-depth analyses of culture. There might be a kernel of truth in them, but the focus is on the comedy!
Cheers Doodles, or that there are different brands in different countries..? 208231011_...716858.jpg 
Again, nobody wants this. It might be made for Americans, but nobody I know would drink that.
I mean, you add some veggies and swap out a meat or two and you've got a Full English. Which leads me to the idea that this should be called a Full Kansas City (or a Full Research Triangle depending on your sauce).
What are your thoughts about these silly memes, dear Pandas? What do you personally enjoy the most about American and European culture? Did you experience any serious culture shocks when you traveled to the US or Europe for the very first time? We always enjoy hearing your opinions, so feel free to share yours in the comment section.
Wait? America has water, frozen into blocks to keep drinks cold? I’m learning so much
They absolutely have stores like this in the EU....even here in Romania. Auchan and Carrefour are akin to walmart, Metro, and selgros are wholesale stores much like costco...though admittedly they do not sell guns, caskets and engagement rings
As an American, I can say that I cannot comprehend most of the things on the list... because many/most of them are not common, albeit a few are. Short version- every country has its bizarre things.
I've lived in New England most of my life, and I can't comprehend a lot of things that are common in other regions.
Load More Replies... Bored Panda continues its quest to create strife between the United States and the rest of the world.
Creating strife is the job of the MAGAts and Retrumplicans. They don't need any help from BP.
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BP isn’t “bashing” Americans. The curate the content of others. Are the top of the page says, this came from Twitter. Take it up with the guy who started the thread; BP had nothing to do with its creation. The info is there; you have only to read it. Then remember this from now on every time you wanna bash BP over what they post.
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It’s just as easy to put together a list for Europe. We have our fair share of weird / odd stuff.
now do one where americans can't comprehend that the worst exists outside the USA
Re comments below - It's not that serious - a Floridian American. I love to see the differences between countries & cultures, and all of them have good & bad & funny. It's like looking at the world from another point of view. But then my favorite movies are fish-out-of-water plots.
The European mind really couldn't give a toss about any of this.
Here's one: King Ranch in Texas is still privately owned: 825,000 acres (over 3,300 square kilometers), and has over 35,000 cattle.
Anna Creek Station has an area of 23,677 km2 (9,142 sq mi; 5,851,000 acres). It is 8,000 km2 (2,000,000 acres; 3,100 sq mi) larger than its nearest rival, Alexandria Station in the country's Northern Territory.
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I thought this was going to be another one of those tired, lame bash-America posts. But claiming Europeans can't understand most of these seems like bashing Europe.
So it's only okay when it's bashing Americans but not when it's bashing Europeans?
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My European mund could not comprehend any if this, Americans are a different breed.
Most Americans can’t either, we are not a monolith
Load More Replies... As an American, I can say that I cannot comprehend most of the things on the list... because many/most of them are not common, albeit a few are. Short version- every country has its bizarre things.
I've lived in New England most of my life, and I can't comprehend a lot of things that are common in other regions.
Load More Replies... Bored Panda continues its quest to create strife between the United States and the rest of the world.
Creating strife is the job of the MAGAts and Retrumplicans. They don't need any help from BP.
Load More Replies... BP isn’t “bashing” Americans. The curate the content of others. Are the top of the page says, this came from Twitter. Take it up with the guy who started the thread; BP had nothing to do with its creation. The info is there; you have only to read it. Then remember this from now on every time you wanna bash BP over what they post.
Load More Replies... It’s just as easy to put together a list for Europe. We have our fair share of weird / odd stuff.
now do one where americans can't comprehend that the worst exists outside the USA
Re comments below - It's not that serious - a Floridian American. I love to see the differences between countries & cultures, and all of them have good & bad & funny. It's like looking at the world from another point of view. But then my favorite movies are fish-out-of-water plots.
The European mind really couldn't give a toss about any of this.
Here's one: King Ranch in Texas is still privately owned: 825,000 acres (over 3,300 square kilometers), and has over 35,000 cattle.
Anna Creek Station has an area of 23,677 km2 (9,142 sq mi; 5,851,000 acres). It is 8,000 km2 (2,000,000 acres; 3,100 sq mi) larger than its nearest rival, Alexandria Station in the country's Northern Territory.
Load More Replies... I thought this was going to be another one of those tired, lame bash-America posts. But claiming Europeans can't understand most of these seems like bashing Europe.
So it's only okay when it's bashing Americans but not when it's bashing Europeans?
Load More Replies... My European mund could not comprehend any if this, Americans are a different breed.
Most Americans can’t either, we are not a monolith
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