“Europeans, What Do You Imagine Life In The United States To Be Like?” (30 Answers)
Interview
When you picture the United States, where does your mind go? Gorgeous national parks featuring almost every biome, friendly people who will say hello to you as you pass them on the street, a diverse population where you can certainly find people you mesh with, and a wide variety of fascinating cities? As an American who lives in Europe, I’m always curious what people think about my home country. They say the grass is always greener on the other side, but do Europeans really think that about the United States?
Reddit user DerpDerp3001 recently started a conversation asking Europeans what they imagine living in the United States is like, and hundreds of people weighed in with their honest answers. We’ve gathered some of their replies down below, so feel free to upvote the ones you resonate with and dispel any misconceptions in the comments. Keep reading to also find interviews with travel writer Maria Haase, of Europe Up Close, and the person who sparked this conversation in the first place, DerpDerp3001 on Reddit.
If you’re an American, let us know how accurate you think these Europeans were, and if you’re from Europe or anywhere else around the globe, we would love to hear how you picture the United States as well. Then if you’re interested in checking out a Bored Panda article examining what Americans find odd about Europe, look no further than right here.
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Constant worry.
Worry about if I have an accident & it costs me hundreds of thousands in medical bills.
Worry about getting a job which will allow me to have some sort of health benefits in the first place which will still cost a lot of money.
Worry about making it through the day and not being shot because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Worry about the cost of living from any job I do get because everyone seems to have two jobs as standard.
Worry about being r*ped, becoming impregnated and then forced to raise the child because men in power have more rights over my body than I do. Also worry about being able to afford to care for said child as the same men who refuse me an abortion, will not allow me help to feed it/care for it.
So yea, I can’t imagine life in America being at all relaxing.
The greatest country in the world. Just uses its citizen for labour and military.
greatest country in the world for about 1% of the people that live in it
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I am American, and I constantly worry about money. I was just diagnosed diabetic and I worry about the burden that is going to put on my family and now worry about what next medical catastrophe will financially destroy us. The day after my diagnosis my water heater broke, a fear I had been living with for a while now. With help I was able to get it fixed but I am 45 and I feel like I have spent most of my adult life worrying how I will survive the next financial catastrophe.
No one should ever have to worry about medical bills. Capitalism on steroids
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Are you telling me that if I move to europe my overall anxiety will improve? Because sign me up
I don't worry about any of those things happening and I live in Europe. I holiday in the USA a lot and flights are fairly cheap, so nothing stopping you visiting back home every once in a while! Come on over!
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These worries are my real life nightmares. OP hit the nail on the head. The last worry I will add is worrying about getting sued. People in America love to sue. I marvel at the lack of liability Europe takes and moreover their attitude of, “use common sense. What did you think would happen, idiot?” Lololol
I was always curious about that. Here in the US it's common practice to sue everyone and everything involved when it comes to medical mistakes or failed procedures. I believe it's the reason medical benefits cost so much. Are you allowed to sue your doctor or surgeon in Europe?
Load More Replies... I imagine that if it continues on its current path, the US will be the next country ruled by a tyrannical religious cult. they have already taken a pretty good choke hold on the supreme court.
It's been ruled by tyrannical Christian ideologies since its inception, this is not new
Load More Replies... This may be the most terrifyingly accurate perception of what’s going in the US
Completely inaccurate. I have yet to meet a person who is not addicted to drugs that does not get what they need. And if you actually work and dedicate yourself you will end up with more than you can imagine.
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Row vs wade is the beginning of downfall. Medical care, cost of living, jobs, listening to the news is depressing as can be. The greed is so sad, the line of wealth and below is incredibly sad. The racism is disgusting. Yet- not all of us are horrible, just trying to live and set those anxieties aside if/when possible to find some joy. Private prisons. Min wage? Joke and sad. I'm scared of the outcome from November elections. I cannot think too much about it because I'm worrying about the tree that fell on my house and paying off daughters student loans and medical bills. So yeah.
I'm American. I agree. Where do you recommend moving to? I'm ready to go
Western or northern Europe. All of those countries speak English and have civilized laws and social systems.
Load More Replies... I'm still on a payment plan from a medical bill from 2017 and today just received another medical bill for $569.00 for out patient one day surgery.
Sad and true. I’m one major medical incident away from having to declare bankruptcy.
I am an American and so much of this is true. I would add-the feeling of helplessness bc it’s so hard to change these policies.
When I had uterus cancer, it cost me nothing. When I had sepsis due to gall stones, again nothing. When my dad had a stroke, broke his ankle, broke his hip, got vascular dementia and needed 24 care all on separate occasions, no cost. Mum had 2 corneal transplants, a hysterectomy, broken hip, bypass surgery, all no cost. Brother had a severe stroke at 32, 12 months rehab and hospital care, years of follow up issues and specialist care, cost nothing. Nephew had a cancerous tumour, surgery and allow follow up, cost nothing. All in Australia. America sucks big time on caring for each other via healthcare, you don't want to pay tax that would save another's life. I paid tax for 30 years and was glad about every penny that helped others. 30 years later it became me who needed it and I have been well cared for.
I feel like a lot of people from other countries don't know a large portion of Americans have Medicaid. American insurance is a scam, for sure, but Medicaid covers almost everything if you're in poverty. We aren't just hung out to dry. Plus most workplaces offer medical benefits.
Workplace benefits range for terrible to decent (none of them compare to European nationalized healthcare). At my last job, I was paying about $30,000/year out of pocket for my daughter's physical therapy alone, and my insurance premium was $900/month for a high deductible plan, where I had to pay for the $9,000 out of pocket for the things the insurance actually covered (they didn't cover physical therapy). My current insurance is MUCH better, but still doesn't cover physical therapy, and I make too much to qualify for Medicaid.
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Thursday afternoon and this is number 1. I started read and wondered if this would be an assault on Americans which is frankly quite tiresome, and I'm from the UK. However, I realised I that I agreed with all of these points, but also wanted to add I lived near a large Army base in the 80s and tourists were warned of terrorism from the IRA. It's not how I remember it but it was what the world saw.
That's pretty accurate. Three out of the first four are pretty ubiquitous. I'm male, so I can't speak to the last one. I'm not worried about being shot, but I know it is far more likely here than elsewhere.
As an American, I can verify that all of these worries are accurate. Except for the worry about getting shot. As long as they kill me, then I don't have to worry about any of the other stuff on this list.
I'm so glad that I chose to stay and live in Switzerland, I've never regretted San Francisco. Here I can walk my dog for her last pipi from 22:00 to 00:00 without fearing for my life or well-being. My neighborhood has pubs, restaurants, Tea Rooms, shops, bank, dry cleaners, several pharmacies, schools for children up to the age of 16, daycare centers, hairdressers, a home for the elderly, a medical center, doctors, dentists, the only thing we don't have is a mortuary parlor and cemetery. Of course supermarkets and small supermarkets with ethnic goods.
USA has many, many programs to assist the poor … you just have to apply for them. They are not automatic. The right to an abortion because of rape, incest, injury or within 15 weeks ... will return in most states. In the mean time intelligent adults must use common sense. Ignorance is not an acceptable excuse for stupidity. The USA does expect a lot from it's citizens … being educated, is #1… even though our academic institutions desperately need to completely overhaul their ideas of modern core curriculum. Being a drug addict or a bum on the streets is no excuse these days … unless you are a mental patient. If you are uneducated, you end up a laborer and will make good money, however when you get old … no pension . Going into the military is a choice, vets leave with an education and life long benefits. It's all up to the individual … be an educated middle-class success or part of the uneducated working-class poor.
Lol, can confirm, I hope if someone does shoot me, I don't survive, because the debt would ruin my life.
Wait it's normal to not fear for your life in Europe? Must be paradise
Former wife of a software developer here. As a single mom I now worry about this every day.
As an American I 100% understand and agree. Pretty apt description. Am elderly friend of the family fell and broke her femur. The hospital and medical bills drained her retirement account. She broke. At least she owns her own home, social security keeps the lights on and Medicare/Medicaid pays most of her medical expenses. I spend most of my time taking care of her and her 4 cats.
As an American I can confirm. I worry about all of these things all of the time. We've been told the rest of the world is worse though and unless Americans have traveled they still think the U.S. is safer/better than the rest of the world. It's madness tbh. I wish I knew how to get out.
Stop watching corporate media. Life outside big city sewers is safer than Europe.
Because you're a paranoid spaz who buys into the propaganda. Stay in zour country...wouldnt want you getting in the way of our bullets and medical bills with breakfast
I've guns and weed and whiskey huhu God loves America What else do I need???
Americans open your eyes learn the last 12 words of the Constitution they the U.S. Government is in direct Violation of the Constitution and the people they can not change the Constitution as the last sentence/statement prevents the changes they have tried to make 11 to be exact the last 12 words are QUOTE ; any changes or amendments to the articals above are null and void: UNQUOTE ;
I am a American. The American government is overreaching and has been the last 12 words of the Constitution says quote: any changes or amendments the the articles above are null and void :unquote; now we're does the U.S.Government think it's ok to make these changes just because it takes the rights from the people that's why and a wage is not income a income is where your paid a salary or is the bottom dollar a company makes a month a wage is what a person receives Doing a job for a company or individual. (I.E. flipping burgers or shoveling s**t in a barn ) and is not taxable
One other thing- the only place in my LIFE I've almost been stabbed was in The Netherlands red light district. Been thru the WORST ghettos of the states, and live not far from the worst ghetto in Canada today on Maine And Hastings (no further description needed). European crime is every bit as violent as our own.
I'm Cherokee...an indigenous person. The interesting part for me is how much of this could have been avoided had people just been happy with their life and country, and not invaded the "New World." Not being offensive...just my opinion...
We all came from Africa. Humans are nomadic. If they weren't you wouldn't be an indigenous person.
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Accurate. An I live in a "Blue" state, where we do have abortion rights. But the health, job, money issues, trying to save for retirement, because companies will renege on their retirement payments to past employees who worked for them for 20 years. And Republicans want to privatize and'/or just gut Social Security, so that won't be available when I do retire.
Don't want a sound like some old conservative f**k, but try living in Saudi Arabia or Russia, f*****g fools. LOTS of problems with America- some so bad, like the current S.C., that I frankly lose hope. But if ONE COUNTRY is going to rule the world, THANK F*****G GAWD IT'S AMERICA, and not China, Russia, or some psycho trillionaire murderous Prince from Saudi. He just arrested all the Judges because they were too soft!! Apparently beheading for adultery and criticism of government. not enough! To lenient!!
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Yeah, these are all pretty accurate. I am currently on employer-paid medical leave (very lucky to have that), and it expires in March. I will likely not be able to go back to work that soon, so I will lose my medical benefits and disability pay. My care will change if I go on medicaid, as everything takes forever to be approved. My treatment will be interrupted, so it will just take me longer to get better while increasing my stress. I will not get social security disability benefits if I can work at all, even if I'm only able to work 15 hours a week at minimum wage, as that somehow is considered "gainful employment." I'm also always concerned about my nieces and nephews going to school with there being so many shootings.
There is a legitimate concern about needing medical care and not being able to afford it. I have health insurance and I'm afraid to go to the doctor because I know I'll get a surprise bill and I won't know how much it will be.
Ignorant much? Life is great in America. Don't go walking in the bad part of a big city and you'll be fine.
What kind of third world dystopian hell hole does this person think America is? Jesus Christ
Oopsie. Excuse us for being afraid of an out-ot-control country with massive armed forces and a huge nuclear arsenal who can crash the global economy. Never mind the burning of irreplaceable resources to support your population, it's all fine.
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No, not really. It seems that most media concentrated on the negative in any story, the more scandalous, the better. Certainly, bad things happen, but that is true anywhere. People get killed by wildlife and that was all over the news, but if you are not trying to pet the Bison or Moose, he will leave you be. Some of the cities are riddled with crime, but most are not. It sounds like you are exposed to a lot of left-leaning media.
Yeah, that's not even close to what life in America is like. You need to turn away from hardcore left wing propaganda and see what life is actually like for us.
It’s not that bad. A lot of us have adopted a kind of fatalistic outlook. We don’t worry all the time because we’ve realized worrying doesn’t do anything but make us feel bad. We hope, instead - either that it won’t happen to us, or that we’ll find a way out if/when it does. That doesn’t help, either; but, it feels marginally better.
im a US citizen and nobody i know is afraid abt being shot during the day. its not as common as you guys think it is
As a foreigner who came here as a refugee, you're playing whataboutism. It's a week argument. I came here because my country is was extremely violent, and my mother was put into a government kill list because she was a University professor with ties to left-wing organizations. One thing that the United States does well, is that it has liberal immigration laws (or at least it had, I came here in the 1980s). But is the quality of life better here, or in Europe? Depends upon where in Europe I suppose. I have spent time in the UK and Germany. If I had to choose, I'd pick either of those countries over the United States. Unfortunately my wife is an American, and she refuses to move.
Load More Replies... Blanket statements about any place or group of people are rarely accurate, so it’s important to note that anyone who attempts to generalize the entire United States is likely to be a little off in their assumptions. After living in Sweden, England and Lithuania, as well as traveling to many other nations, I’ve heard just about every stereotype and misconception in the book. No, I’ve never seen guns in the grocery store, and I’ve never personally seen or handled one at all. (And I have no desire to.) I’m from Texas, but I don’t have a horse, live on a ranch or eat meat. And I know, I don’t “sound like” I’m from Texas, much to many people’s disappointment.
But I can’t really blame people for assuming some of these things about the US. From Europe, it seems so far away, and most of the media about the United States that we receive over here doesn’t paint it in the best light. Every country has its own issues, but I understand how some people can only hear about guns, healthcare, Donald Trump, obesity rates and the lack of public transit and assume the entire United States is a cesspool.
I spent six months there in the nineties and loved it.
However when I read about employment rights/healthcare/abortion issues, tbh it sounds like it's going backwards fast.
I suspect the U.S is like most countries, great if you're rich, pretty s**t if you're poor.
Actually that last sentence is not true. Obviously money smooths life’s edges but I live in a poor Southern European town. No one has to worry about medical bills, ever. Education is the same, high quality for all. No one in this town is ever short of food, ever. Unemployment is high but the authorities know this and turn a blind eye to the ‘grey’ economy of cash in pocket for casual labour. There are four union offices in the town and they help anyone with paperwork etc for free.
To hear how this conversation started in the first place, we reached out to Reddit user DerpDerp3001. “I was inspired as I am curious of how people interpret things and stereotypes,” they shared. They told us that they are American, so we were curious what their opinions are on the US and if they enjoy living there. “I would say the United States could be better but, it isn't bad by any metric. If I had the option, I would stay in the United States in my home state Tennessee, though I would move to Ecuador if I had the chance.”
We also asked if they feel the US is ever unfairly stereotyped or if it deserves some of its negative reputation. “I do think the United States is unfairly stereotyped, though many of them are heavy exaggerations of real issues,” they noted. “The best thing about the United States is the diversity as it is a melting pot. The worst part is probably the voting system they use.”
It's to live surrounded by people who believe a myth of exceptionalism and have never interrogated the why of their own society.
I've been to the US (the East coast) about a dozen times and from experience people are well educated and completely lacking in critical self reflection.
The middle and upper class in the US sometimes pity the working class, but they don't understand how their society has created the inequality that is rife.
When you go out and speak to working class people the overriding sense is fear and anxiety. Will I have a medical bill I can't afford to pay today? Will I be sacked for no reason? If I am fired will I get unemployment? You see it on Reddit every day.
To me, as someone who believes in equality and egalitarianism, the US is a hellscape. It is a snapshot of a world where greed is king, where the entire society is structured around providing wealth for a tiny few, where the fascists weren't confronted and have attracted nearly half the vote, where race somehow matters to people on a fundamental level in a way that it just doesn't here.
It's even worse for those with mental illness and/or substance abuse.
Uncertain..the fact that you can get fired just like that, the lack of paid sick leave or paid absence due to giving birth, the cost of health services...I don't know how you guys do it, without having a panic attack every week.
To gain more insight on this topic, we also reached out to travel writer, photographer and Editor-in-chief of Europe Up Close, Maria Haase. As someone who has experience living in both Europe and the United States, Maria is the perfect person to speak on this subject. "I grew up in Germany, and my family would travel around the US every year in a motorhome. We'd drive from San Francisco to New York, LA to Florida, San Diego to Seattle and many places in between," she shared.
"While I saw a lot of the States, it was still through the tourist lens, and I wanted to get to experience the 'real' US," Maria told Bored Panda. "So I signed up for a High School Exchange Year. I was placed with a host family in rural Louisiana, where my host dad would shoot squirrels for dinner, and the biggest attraction was going to Walmart on Saturdays. Talk about culture shock! But I also met some of the kindest and friendliest people there that turned this year into an amazing experience for me. And I certainly got what I was looking for: To get to know the 'real America'."
I’ve been to the US a few times and never had a bad encounter. A lot of really nice people, genuinely nice interactions.
As an outsider looking in, the working rights and the healthcare is absolutely insane to me and a crying shame for some of the kindest, most giving people I’ve come into contact with as a foreigner.
First world country with third world problems
Third world country pretending to be a first world country and getting closer to being a fourth world country!
"After a short stint back in Germany, I moved back to the US," Maria explained. "This time, I ended up at a small international university in San Diego, where I met my now husband. Because of him, I got 'stuck' in San Diego. There are definitely worse places to get stuck in than San Diego."
We asked Maria what the main differences were that she observed between the US and Europe. "Culture shock between the US and Germany is not as obvious, but it exists and sneaks up on you," she shared. "Americans are much more focused on the individual while Germans tend to focus on the benefit of the whole community."
"One stereotype that I found to be very true were the various cliques in high school," she added. "Before I moved to the US, I always thought that was a movie cliché, but it turned out to be a reality when I did my senior year in the US."
Moved to the US from Europe 5 months ago. What's most noticeable to me is that you have to drive everywhere and that everyone calls me soft-spoken... In Europe I was perceived as loud.
As someone who has travelled to America lots of times and absolutely loves a lot of aspects of the country especially the landscapes, the national parks and food. I can say for me the US is a beautiful country with lots of great places and lots of great people. But everything you need from a country to make life nice when you actually live there is missing unless you are wealthy.
We were also curious if there were any misconceptions about the US that Maria wanted to dispel. "I think one of the biggest misconceptions about the US is to think of it as one culture," she said. "Yes, they are all Americans, but someone from California vs someone from Louisiana probably has about as much shared culture as someone from Sweden with someone from Italy. There are so many different cultures within the US, it is impossible to think of it as one shared culture."
Expensive healthcare. Me who fought cancer for 2 years with free med care in Norway would have been destroyed in USA. I can rather say that i could not imagen a life in USA, cause i would be dead over there and lost my life.
You are lucky to live in such a country. I battles cancer and lost my job because I was battling cancer and was not eligible for FMLA yet as I was two months shy of my one year mark.
Big. Big country, big cars, big buildings, big voices, big personalities, big ambitions, the Big Apple, the Big Sky Country, Big Sur. Big portions.
Finally, we asked Maria if she prefers one country or continent over the other. "When you have experienced multiple countries for long periods of time, you will have a unique perspective on the benefits and drawbacks of both," she told Bored Panda. "As a small business owner, I'm grateful for how easy the US makes it for me to run my business. On the other hand, I wish the US had more of a social safety net and more progressive politics. Each country has things they do extremely well, and other things that they could learn from other countries. I love living in San Diego, but I also hope to spend more time in Germany in the next couple of years."
If you're interested in gaining travel insight from Maria, be sure to check out Europe Up Close right here.
Impossible to generalise. To the best of my knowledge, it varies enormously place to place, between socio-political and economic backgrounds, and between various groups.
It seems to have every good and every horrible thing thinkable of.
Overall, I'd say the standard of living is comparable, and in the grand scheme of things world class, but if things go bad, life becomes hell, and when things go well, they go brilliantly .
If it helps, I really found visiting America great fun, and found out most Americans are nice people, and you have this sense of optimism and hope, which I really appreciate.
While this is mostly true, from living in various countries and the US, I can say that we grossly underestimate how many Americans live in the “bad” circumstances you describe. 1 in 9 or more people in the US experience going hungry on a daily basis, 10% have no access to sanitation, etc. In contrast, in Germany for example these numbers are below below 2 in 100 or 1% respectively… When visiting I never noticed the extent of this, but living in different states you start to see it.
I better get a driver’s license if I end up living there.
The picture actually shows one of the few US cities where that doesn't apply (NYC)
One of the comments on this Reddit thread referred to the United States as “basically 50 countries under a trenchcoat”, and I could not have said it better myself. Europeans often don’t want the entire continent of Europe to be generalized, and understandably so, as there are a wide variety of countries, cultures, languages and landscapes here. But if we try to think about the United States in the same way, it starts to make a little more sense. Depending on the state and city you live in, you could have a vastly different experience than someone else living thousands of miles away. I mean, Alaska and Hawaii are both the United States, and those certainly feel like different countries.
Yes, certain issues are prevalent everywhere. I will be the first to address the issues of healthcare, inequality, lack of public transit, guns and more. But I have to agree with one of the comments on this post stating that the United States is probably “pretty ordinary”. I never spent my days fearing that I would be shot in public or that I would end up in the hospital with a $100k bill. For the most part, life was not that different there, and I have to admit that I was happy.
Seems like the social ladder is just overstretched. It's better to be a cashier in Europe than in the US, better to be a software developer in the US than in Europe.
I definitely prefer Europe in that regard, even if I know for a fact that I'd be making three times as much in the US. imo It's just part of the social contract that those at the bottom of the ladder should be able to live life in dignity, even if it's at the "expense" of those at the top. It's not the only reason, among other things american work culture would overwhelm me, 8 hours of work, 8 hours of leasure, 8 hours of sleep is how it should be. And I'm not about to burn the midnight oil and burn out and not have a life outside my job just because "that's how things work around here", too depressing of a prospect for me. (at will law is insane by the way)
That said It's on my bucketlist to visit it one day. Seems like a lovely country to do tourism in, but working and living there isn't that enticing.
To be said: the 8 hours work, 8 hours leasure and 8 hours sleep mostly doesn’t work and has to be changed too. Commute and household eats up so much free time, that you sometimes have to cut on the 8 hours sleep too, to get All done. And you can rarely make it just with one income for two people if one stays at home to do the chores
I don’t understand how you are letting Roe v Wade be overturned.
‘Yeah we want to force women to get unsafe illegal abortions or carry pregnancies to term no matter what harm it will cause. Because once you’re pregnant, you don’t matter.’
Edit: I know Roe v Wade mandates access to safe medical abortion. You know that not everyone living in the states that decide to remove that right have the ability or desire to pack up and move to another place where pregnant women aren’t discriminated against.
It's all a way to control people. Rich people will always have access to abortion when they need one. They want poor people to stay in poverty, you can't rise up if you're poor and are more concerned about where your next meal is coming from.
On the other hand, I will admit that my quality of life has certainly improved since moving to Europe. I enjoyed my life in the United States very much, and certain things were easier of course, like making friends and just feeling more comfortable everywhere I went, knowing that I “fit in”. But living in cities where I can walk, bike or take buses everywhere I need to go has changed my life. Not to mention it has made me much healthier, and I spend so much more time outside enjoying a beautiful day during my commute to and from work.
Many things are also just simpler. After spending a week in the hospital incredibly ill with sepsis, I did not have to pay a dime. My insurance covered it without any issues. When I got Covid, my employer gave me a paid week off without asking any questions or pressuring me to start working before I was healthy. I was definitely used to toxic work culture, hustle culture and the idea that everyone having a car is just a necessary evil when I lived in the US, but my perspective has definitely shifted since moving.
Honestly, I've always been so grateful that I don't live in the US, that is because of the things I see on the media. (Healthcare costs, politics) I know there are also so many reasons why people love it, but for me it would be the way you can go from a beach to mountains to big cities and even tropical, desert and winter climates without leaving the country. That's pretty cool.
Heck, in Southern California, you can go from big cities, to mountains, to the desert, to snow, and to beaches, all within a two-hour drive of each other XD
An exhausting and unfair journey into debt and/or the grave.
Or if you're born rich : a nice stroll where the whole system is built just for you.
There are pros and cons to living anywhere, and I certainly miss aspects of the United States at times. For example, in the cities I have lived in, people are just so friendly and kind. I sometimes miss chatting with a cashier at Trader Joe’s about all of the new products I have to try and my excitement for the seasonal items. (Okay, on the list of things I miss, Trader Joe’s has to be at the top. Coffee creamer is in the second slot.) But Europeans have it pretty good too. So no matter where you’re from, I ask that you approach this list with an open mind. No nation or continent is a monolith, and we have no way of knowing what everyone around us is experiencing. Keep upvoting the replies you agree with, and we look forward to reading your own thoughts in the comments. Is the grass greener on the other side?
Pretty ordinary TBH. Media highlights most of the shi**y bits.
Dangerous.
Dangerous to send a kid to school, dangerous to have said child walk to school alone or use public transport.
Dangerous to walk or bike anywhere you want - a car no sidewalks, a car will hit you crossing the street or biking on the side, random attacks, tresspassing by mistake and getting attacked, whatever.
Dangerous to leave the front door unlocked.
Dangerous to speak openly; someone will get offended at the pronouns you use, ideas you express, how you look at them, that you look at them, that you don’t look at them… something; you will get harrased, sued, attacked, cancelled, something.
Dangerous to be black.
Dangerous to go to college if your parents can’t afford to pay for it; you might be enslaving yourself for life.
Dangerous to get hurt or ill, or even pregnant. You might lose your job, get into debt, be unable to afford adequate care and die of entirely preventable things that kill nobody in the developed world.
Dangerous to drink tap water.
Just… dangerous.
It sounds like this person does not understand how large and diverse the US is.
I'm Norwegian. I have many American friends. Most are musicians. They generally don't have heathcare, and work pretty much hand to mouth. No savings. Conversely, most of these people have toured and seen things, so they are progressive and rad. They are not the norm, though. I imagine life in the US being harder, unsafe and a little more chaotic than in Euro. But there's also an entrepeneur spirit there that I admire. Y'all are very positive.
Unsafe, weird beliefs and laws (lgbtq, guns, abortion), f*cked up politicians, a country where Trump was able to become president and -this worries me the most - might become president again. A place where I would never feel comfortable living ever (have been there several times and even have friends there).
I wonder if many people don't understand how a US president gets elected. Short version- it is NOT by majority vote. It is through the antiquated Electoral College which essentially has resulted in "gerrymandered" districts (look it up), states that give all or nothing of their Electoral College delegates to a single candidate, etc. A vast majority of people absolutely despise Trump in this country. Our political system has essentially been hacked and we live in minority rule in local, state and federal elected offices.
Pretty much any episode from South Park.
South Park is sensationalized and made overly-dramatic as it’s humor/parody, but at its core… yeah :/
An accurate description of all the flaws of the capitalistic system.
Wack.
99% like anywhere else but extremes are more extreme. Extreme violence in nature and people. Extreme wealth and poverty. Extreme differences. Its not really a country but a conglomerate of very different countries.
This is the most annoying thing to explain. People living outside the US don't seem to get it. The regional differences in culture, food, even the laws vary so highly. When someone says "Americans do this" or "Americans think that" I always have to explain that's as dumb as generalizing and saying "Europeans all eat baguettes and drink wine." like wtf?
British person here, I would think that the houses would be really nice and spacious for the same price as a tiny uk house. However, I also feel artificial foods would be everywhere and unnecessary amounts of fat would be in most foods. I feel people would either obsess over my accent or make fun of it by saying “bo ole of wo a” and their classic tea and crumpet joke. FYI: I don’t like crumpets, and i don’t drink unruly amounts of tea
I genuinely don't understand the "bo ole of wo a" comment. What is being referenced? I'm trying to think of any British phrase I've heard used mockingly by Americans taking on fake British accents and can only come up with "Gov'nah" and "Cheerio" and "Bob's your uncle" (not one of which I've ever heard an Englishperson say while I was in the UK). For the record, I'd rather listen to a British accent than a Texan accent any day of the year.
My worse nightmare, no health care, no gun control, zero job security, no labour laws at least no labour laws functioning properly, Karens, irresponsibility everywhere but being irrationally about their kids almost as if their made of porcelain, all in all just horrible
That's a very generalized statement that doesn't fit a country the size of the US with a population of over 300million.
its such a f*****g mixed bag of everything. The united states values libertarian thought to such a degree that youll find literally every cultural subset, political idea, food, and religion. Even the legal codes vary INSANELY across state lines. I could theoretically buy semi auto rifles and huge amounts of marijuana legally in one state then travel across an arbitrary open border and the people will treat you like a terrorist there if caught. This is totally what the founding fathers wanted mind you, just a perfect amount of nuts i guess.
Honestly this country is really f*****g stressful as f**k and you have to have a lot of context and reasoning and awareness to not p**s people off and see the good parts in america. Living in a blue state is totally different than living in a red one. Definitely a lot to s**t on for sure.
From my understanding, the founding fathers wanted the US to operate more like the EU does now than the way we actually do. That's what the libertarians are mostly on about. State over Federal governance. They're a bunch of nut jobs, but I don't totally disagree with them on this one.
All my American friends are highly educated and middle to upper middle class, they have it ever so good. I know they are far from the norm, but if you have skills in high demand, the opportunities are almost endless it seems.
Even then, a cancer diagnosis or a child with a serious condition like ms can bring it all crashing down surprisingly quickly.
I imagine the distances to be huge, the life in the unpopulated areas to be extremely calm but not like what we call rural in Europe and everything else, as well as life in the cities, to be a touch artificial, like lacking tradition. It's also very clear that your streets don't have 400 years and the suburbs have been built very fast to accommodate a lot of people. I have 2 very very close, almost relatives, living in Seattle and everything I see from them is not like social media, they just work to have a quiet comfortable life but the social media side of the Us is always excess, consumerism and interaction-farming. Also, I try to not rely on these prejudices because the country has 330 million people, 1% is already 3,3 million people which means that everything is massively amplified even if it's only 0,5% of the population doing it. I also think your country has the biggest potential to reward your work but the safety net is weak and I feel not many people have responsible financial education, which neither does my people, but our safety net seems a big stronger
Not very different for the most part tbh, just some small differences with supermarkets and restaurants obviously, more car dependency which kinda sucks, no 'free' university or healthcare. Day to day life wouldn't change.
This. We just live our lives good or bad. We can't change our politics or health care. We live here by birth not choice. If you live here you don't worry about safety you just know where to go and not go. I would love to have free health care and free education but it doesn't consume my thoughts. I just worry about going to work and paying my bills and just living one day to the next. I feel everyone does this around the world.
Note: this post originally had 63 images. It’s been shortened to the top 29 images based on user votes.
Oh boy, it’s that time everyone! Time for BoredPanda’s weekly America is the land of unwashed backwater yokels and land of cultural depravity. Hide your children and head for the hills. Repent for the end is nie my friends. Those evil Americans will suck the souls from your body with their massive doom burgers 🍔 and concrete jungles of sin and mayhem! Honestly though, as a Scottish expat woman stationed in the US for work I’m so freaking sick and tired of these “listicles.” They are lazy and reinforce stereotypes and show that BoredPanda can’t write their own content. Yes, I understand that the US has a lot of problems (I repeat A LOT) but I’ve also met some amazing people here and seen some pretty cool sites and ate a lot of tasty food from around the world. Also, I have no place to bash since the UK is going through a little thing called Brexit...yeah.
Thank you for this. (And my sympathies on Brexit. Seeing that movement hit its stride warned me, a US citizen born and bred, of what to expect here, alas.) Every nation has its issues, most people in every nation just want to be given a fair chance at a decent life, humanity is remarkably similar no matter where it lives or what language it speaks. And everyone has misconceptions about other nations. if I went off what popular images say, then I'd assume (which I don't) that every British citizen cried at the queen's death; that all Italians make great pasta (they don't); that anyone from Pakistan is a terrorist (definitely not, and also make great pasta, btw)... The list goes on and on.
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Now let’s do the UK: I imagine after tea brought by your manservant (who’s named Jeeves, and is smart as a whip, but has a dry, understated wit), you’re always looking for your kids, who’ve disappeared off to hogwarts, narnia, or neverland. Then the inspector comes around to inquire about the murder you didn’t know happened in your giant mansion. Everyone’s a spy, and a police call box will just show up in your front yard for no reason.
Actually my manservant is named Sir Humphrey and he’s a bloody fool—we keep him around because he’s a family relic. Can’t even boil a proper cup of tea ☕️. Unfortunately, I just got notified that my little Hamish got kicked out of Hogwarts for setting a classmate on fire and my eldest Lizibet has run off with a mysterious fellow who calls themself the Doctor. Now I’m off to meet the inspector and scrub those baffling bloodstains off the stairwell before my doting husband comes home from his job at the Jammy Dodger factory and demands his Sunday roast. -Your’s faithfully, A real living breathing expat Scottish women living and working in the US and who finds listicles like this utterly baffling, lazy, and stupid
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We need people to realize what life is really like in other places. TV and film do not represent reality. Most of us around the world are just going to work, trying to have a good life, want a fair return on taxes spent, etc. Poland, Germany, Mexico, US, UK, it's all the same ------ most people in every nation are getting by the best they can, and most nations have circumstances that make a "slum" in the US look like heaven, so.... Don't judge till you've been there and really talked to the people there, okay?
Fully agree, and well-put. Everywhere has its pros and cons. My theory on why these USA dunking stereotype posts are so popular: 1. USA is so dominant (pop) culturally (TV/film/etc.) (and politically ,I guess) in the west that it's the only country everyone feels like they know a bit about and can comment, and 2. One of the stereotypes of the US is that the people are ignorant of other cultures and are very vocal in US being best in the world (I stress 'stereotype', as some American commenters here prove that it's not the case for all), so it feels like knocking down someone arrogant with a "well, actually...". I don't think it'd work as well with somewhere like Spain, for example - it's not dominant enough, fewer people will feel like they "know" Spain, and you don't feel like you're knocking them down a peg or two because the stereotype of believing their country is #1 is less established (tho in my experience, about as true as it is for USans). Xould be wrong but that's my theory.
Load More Replies... Another original cr@p-on-America post. I get that these always get you clicks, but wouldn't you rather write something positive or different?
Pffft,that means that BoredPanda staff actually has to use their brains and write something original...
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Please do! Politics and some very obvious issues aside, the US is a very beautiful and diverse nation.
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1500-1800: Europeans exploit the Americas. 1800-present: Europeans criticize the results.
A word of caution about some of the replies to the comments. The US is a large place and there are those who have never travelled to other parts of it and form their opinions about other parts of the country based on media reports as well.
They called me ma'am when I went, which I found weird as in the UK only the Queen usually gets called that. 😆
I lived in the US (Florida) for 33 years. Moved to Canada about 10 years ago. Most Canadians will argue with me but, yall are just as bad tbh. Less gun crime maybe, but you'll still die waiting for that "free" healthcare. Politics is just as gnarly. Still no living wage. Most jobs don't offer benefits because the government pays for the bare minimum. Doctors relocate due to horrendous hours and low pay, making the wait longer. Still lots of racism against indigenous people. No freedom of speech. Out of control homeless population. But hey, you can smoke green and show your t*ts in public so wheeeee!
More space for us in America if we can trick everyone into thinking it sucks. Strange though, people can't stop coming here!
Wow this was some of the dumbest s**t I've ever read from such highly educated and cultured folks.
As a red-blooded American, I found these answers to be awesome. Some are the typical caricatures of American life and all have at least a tinge of truth. If you can't laugh at the absurdity of much of what makes us unique as a country, and accept the compliments for what they are, you really need to step back and take a breath. I will say that the political extremism as mainstream is a pretty new development. It has been creeping in for decades but exploded in 2016. Prior to 2016, I could never have imagined family members disowning each other due to their political beliefs, but sadly, that's a new reality. We've always had divisions, but not like this. It's like there are two completely independent, disconnected realities. And it's tragic. Sociopolitical tribalism is now rampant. I think it's part of a global phenomenon though. We just do everything "bigger".
What I do not get, you statistically pay more for healthcare, for a service that is not as good as other first world countries with Universal healthcare (Unless you are very rich) and your insurance companies can even refuse you certain treatments and operations if they determine it is not required or not covered by the insurance policy. How is this allowed?
Because our political system is very corrupt. Healthcare is for profit and those who make the money at it are not going to let go of that control.
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Lol I haven't read it but I'll bet the farm that BP couldn't find one European that thinks anything positive about Americans. They hate us cuz they ain't us :)
@Fishbear: Incorrect. That is not what they are saying. What they are saying is, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Totally different concept. We can all agree we have serious issues in this country, and that we are worried that things could be getting worse, not better. BUT: the people posting in this article suffer from a little bit of arrogant delusion as well. Spain has the highest unemployment rate in the EU, the prime minister in Britain just resigned after serving for the shortest amount of time since PMs started serving in the UK about 400 years ago, Italy (which has a huge issue with government corruption) just elected a new prime minister that many see as fascist. I could go on! It's not like those countries have all exactly right. So those Europeans looking down their noses on Americans as if they all live in Utopia is a bit, um, ridiculous.
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This post is 'Europeans imagine life' not just the UK. I like the US and the Americans I've met so I've no axe to grind here and I am very aware that all countries have their problems, but how does something that happened such a very long time ago have any relevance? What about making laws that are fit for purpose today?
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American here. 1. We are not the greatest country on earth 2. There are some truths here 3. There are some stereotypes 4. It's a big country. Dense cities + suburban + rural 5. We live in minority rule because our political system was poorly designed and has been hacked. 6. Trump and his ilk took advantage of the flaws in the system and has made life much more stressful. The vast majority of people want him and his hateful followers to go away but our Electoral College is a clusterfuck.
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Oh boy, it’s that time everyone! Time for BoredPanda’s weekly America is the land of unwashed backwater yokels and land of cultural depravity. Hide your children and head for the hills. Repent for the end is nie my friends. Those evil Americans will suck the souls from your body with their massive doom burgers 🍔 and concrete jungles of sin and mayhem! Honestly though, as a Scottish expat woman stationed in the US for work I’m so freaking sick and tired of these “listicles.” They are lazy and reinforce stereotypes and show that BoredPanda can’t write their own content. Yes, I understand that the US has a lot of problems (I repeat A LOT) but I’ve also met some amazing people here and seen some pretty cool sites and ate a lot of tasty food from around the world. Also, I have no place to bash since the UK is going through a little thing called Brexit...yeah.
Thank you for this. (And my sympathies on Brexit. Seeing that movement hit its stride warned me, a US citizen born and bred, of what to expect here, alas.) Every nation has its issues, most people in every nation just want to be given a fair chance at a decent life, humanity is remarkably similar no matter where it lives or what language it speaks. And everyone has misconceptions about other nations. if I went off what popular images say, then I'd assume (which I don't) that every British citizen cried at the queen's death; that all Italians make great pasta (they don't); that anyone from Pakistan is a terrorist (definitely not, and also make great pasta, btw)... The list goes on and on.
Load More Replies... Now let’s do the UK: I imagine after tea brought by your manservant (who’s named Jeeves, and is smart as a whip, but has a dry, understated wit), you’re always looking for your kids, who’ve disappeared off to hogwarts, narnia, or neverland. Then the inspector comes around to inquire about the murder you didn’t know happened in your giant mansion. Everyone’s a spy, and a police call box will just show up in your front yard for no reason.
Actually my manservant is named Sir Humphrey and he’s a bloody fool—we keep him around because he’s a family relic. Can’t even boil a proper cup of tea ☕️. Unfortunately, I just got notified that my little Hamish got kicked out of Hogwarts for setting a classmate on fire and my eldest Lizibet has run off with a mysterious fellow who calls themself the Doctor. Now I’m off to meet the inspector and scrub those baffling bloodstains off the stairwell before my doting husband comes home from his job at the Jammy Dodger factory and demands his Sunday roast. -Your’s faithfully, A real living breathing expat Scottish women living and working in the US and who finds listicles like this utterly baffling, lazy, and stupid
Load More Replies... We need people to realize what life is really like in other places. TV and film do not represent reality. Most of us around the world are just going to work, trying to have a good life, want a fair return on taxes spent, etc. Poland, Germany, Mexico, US, UK, it's all the same ------ most people in every nation are getting by the best they can, and most nations have circumstances that make a "slum" in the US look like heaven, so.... Don't judge till you've been there and really talked to the people there, okay?
Fully agree, and well-put. Everywhere has its pros and cons. My theory on why these USA dunking stereotype posts are so popular: 1. USA is so dominant (pop) culturally (TV/film/etc.) (and politically ,I guess) in the west that it's the only country everyone feels like they know a bit about and can comment, and 2. One of the stereotypes of the US is that the people are ignorant of other cultures and are very vocal in US being best in the world (I stress 'stereotype', as some American commenters here prove that it's not the case for all), so it feels like knocking down someone arrogant with a "well, actually...". I don't think it'd work as well with somewhere like Spain, for example - it's not dominant enough, fewer people will feel like they "know" Spain, and you don't feel like you're knocking them down a peg or two because the stereotype of believing their country is #1 is less established (tho in my experience, about as true as it is for USans). Xould be wrong but that's my theory.
Load More Replies... Another original cr@p-on-America post. I get that these always get you clicks, but wouldn't you rather write something positive or different?
Pffft,that means that BoredPanda staff actually has to use their brains and write something original...
Load More Replies... Please do! Politics and some very obvious issues aside, the US is a very beautiful and diverse nation.
Load More Replies... 1500-1800: Europeans exploit the Americas. 1800-present: Europeans criticize the results.
A word of caution about some of the replies to the comments. The US is a large place and there are those who have never travelled to other parts of it and form their opinions about other parts of the country based on media reports as well.
They called me ma'am when I went, which I found weird as in the UK only the Queen usually gets called that. 😆
I lived in the US (Florida) for 33 years. Moved to Canada about 10 years ago. Most Canadians will argue with me but, yall are just as bad tbh. Less gun crime maybe, but you'll still die waiting for that "free" healthcare. Politics is just as gnarly. Still no living wage. Most jobs don't offer benefits because the government pays for the bare minimum. Doctors relocate due to horrendous hours and low pay, making the wait longer. Still lots of racism against indigenous people. No freedom of speech. Out of control homeless population. But hey, you can smoke green and show your t*ts in public so wheeeee!
More space for us in America if we can trick everyone into thinking it sucks. Strange though, people can't stop coming here!
Wow this was some of the dumbest s**t I've ever read from such highly educated and cultured folks.
As a red-blooded American, I found these answers to be awesome. Some are the typical caricatures of American life and all have at least a tinge of truth. If you can't laugh at the absurdity of much of what makes us unique as a country, and accept the compliments for what they are, you really need to step back and take a breath. I will say that the political extremism as mainstream is a pretty new development. It has been creeping in for decades but exploded in 2016. Prior to 2016, I could never have imagined family members disowning each other due to their political beliefs, but sadly, that's a new reality. We've always had divisions, but not like this. It's like there are two completely independent, disconnected realities. And it's tragic. Sociopolitical tribalism is now rampant. I think it's part of a global phenomenon though. We just do everything "bigger".
What I do not get, you statistically pay more for healthcare, for a service that is not as good as other first world countries with Universal healthcare (Unless you are very rich) and your insurance companies can even refuse you certain treatments and operations if they determine it is not required or not covered by the insurance policy. How is this allowed?
Because our political system is very corrupt. Healthcare is for profit and those who make the money at it are not going to let go of that control.
Load More Replies... Lol I haven't read it but I'll bet the farm that BP couldn't find one European that thinks anything positive about Americans. They hate us cuz they ain't us :)
@Fishbear: Incorrect. That is not what they are saying. What they are saying is, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Totally different concept. We can all agree we have serious issues in this country, and that we are worried that things could be getting worse, not better. BUT: the people posting in this article suffer from a little bit of arrogant delusion as well. Spain has the highest unemployment rate in the EU, the prime minister in Britain just resigned after serving for the shortest amount of time since PMs started serving in the UK about 400 years ago, Italy (which has a huge issue with government corruption) just elected a new prime minister that many see as fascist. I could go on! It's not like those countries have all exactly right. So those Europeans looking down their noses on Americans as if they all live in Utopia is a bit, um, ridiculous.
Load More Replies... This post is 'Europeans imagine life' not just the UK. I like the US and the Americans I've met so I've no axe to grind here and I am very aware that all countries have their problems, but how does something that happened such a very long time ago have any relevance? What about making laws that are fit for purpose today?
Load More Replies... American here. 1. We are not the greatest country on earth 2. There are some truths here 3. There are some stereotypes 4. It's a big country. Dense cities + suburban + rural 5. We live in minority rule because our political system was poorly designed and has been hacked. 6. Trump and his ilk took advantage of the flaws in the system and has made life much more stressful. The vast majority of people want him and his hateful followers to go away but our Electoral College is a clusterfuck.
Load More Replies...