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Theoretically, most folk understand that people around the world do things differently. However, it’s pretty easy to fall into the assumption that, by and large, we all have the same assumption about, say, pineapple on pizza or if one can casually ask someone what their salary is.
Someone asked “What's something that's acceptable and widely done in your country that would be considered offensive in many countries?” and people from across the globe shared their examples. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to add your own thoughts and stories to the comments section down below.
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#1
Openly carrying a firearm.
Daisydaisy 1 day ago
I would be terrified if I saw anyone other than a police officer carrying a gun (Australia). I'd assume I was in the presence of a dangerous lunatic
RELATED:
#3
Having an affair in the US can break your life, in France this is « only » considered as private and none of your business.
The story at the Coldplay concert which broke internet for days reminds me this cultural difference.
#4
I wouldn't say its completely acceptable and there are obviously situations where you should not do it at all.....but generally, swearing is extremely common here and you'd have to be a really special person to be offended by it.
#6
Walking around in bare feet in public.
#7
Being late. it's so past the point of being accepted that punctuality in social events is actually frowned upon in Brazil.
#9
*Not* showing any especial respect for elders, religious figures or politicians.
I’m not saying everyone hates on those groups here but we’re a less hierarchical culture and that knee jerk respect isn’t common.
#10
Being naked in sauna with strangers.
#12
Being American, from my experience. I'm being a little facetious there but it does get old when people get mad at me for stuff our government does. Trust me, I don't like them either. I wish they weren't doing that either.
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 1 day ago
I pity the sensible, everyday American citizens who didn't vote for that orange fart-face. They're just being dragged along for the ride.
#13
Taking my shoes off as I enter my house. And guests do that as well. They may or may not be offered anything to eat or drink if it’s not an invitation and it’s perfectly fine.
#14
FKK stands for Freikörperkultur (free body culture)
Part of a beach or sea where you have to go naked, everyone.
Ace 1 day ago
Naturism is not limited to German-speaking nations. Although TBF it is perhaps more common therein.
Kristiina Männiste 1 day ago
Yep. Our most popular beaches also have parts set aside for that
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Nicole Weymann 1 day ago
You don't "have" to go there at all if you don't want to - plenty of other beaches around. But FKK people are somewhat sensitive to Karens and clothed creeps looking for "entertainment", hence the assigned beaches. (Germany, BTW)
JB 1 day ago
That’s not what was meant. Of course you don’t have to go to that area of a beach if you don’t want to. However, if you do go into those areas, you *have* to be (go) naked, just like everyone else.
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Geoffrey Scott 1 day ago
As a 60+ yo American man speaking for/about himself..."Ain't NOBODY wants to see that".
BarfyCat 23 hours ago
My friend lived in Germany for several years. FKK is everywhere, according to her. She couldn't use her balcony because there was always a naked man sunning himself on the opposite balcony.
Moving Enigma 6 hours ago
and why did that mean she couldn't use her balcony?!
Load More Replies... #15
State’s control of individual religion. We’re a multicultural country with 4 big religions, but born-muslims and (official) muslim converts are not allowed to leave Islam officially (on paper), which dictates many aspects of our life.
#16
I don't know about *many* countries, but every now and then on reddit I see an American have a meltdown because we let our pet cats roam outside whenever they want and no one minds.
#17
Finnish Sauna where everyone is naked. Especially mixed with men and women together.
Dragons Exist 1 day ago (edited)
The transphobes who think that "men" should stay out of women's restrooms would have a heart attack upon hearing this — edit: you transphobes who're replying to me can fuck right off; this site is starting to approach Twitter levels of bigotry
#18
American work culture with European taxes and salaries. It’s bad.
Smoking grass in public and the ability to buy almost anywhere legally.
LGBT rights and protections.
#19
Pushing someone's face into their birthday cake. Stupid tradition but still pretty widespread and expected that it'll happen to you on your birthday.
#20
Australia: Stealing road signs (?)
China: Beijing bikini (?) Actually, no. Smoking in restaurants, directly in front of a "no smoking" sign.
#21
In Poland, there's a custom called "Jew for good luck." It involves hanging a portrait of the most stereotypically looking Jewish man counting coins in home, hoping it will bring financial success to the family. Of course, it's based on the classic anti-Semitic trope that Jew = money hoarder.
And if that's not bad enough, sometimes the tradition is to regularly turn the painting upside down so that the money the Jew has accumulated will fall out of his pocket into the hands of his owners.
Forrest Hobbs 1 day ago
This one is such appallingly bad taste that, erm, I laughed. Turn the rácist Jewish stereotype upside-down so you can steal all his money? Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.😬🤣
#22
Just a simple thing : dip a toast/biscuit/cake/pastry in our coffee/tea. Some think it's disgusting, but here in France, we think that's better well soaked.
Ace 1 day ago
Dunking biscuits in tea (proper strong black tea with milk, though, none of the dreadful weak teas and infusions so common in France) is almost a religion among many British people. (I hate it myself, always have, even back when I used to drink tea all the time like most other Brits).
#23
Trying to bring thousands of year old religious doctrine into law.
Geoffrey Scott 1 day ago
"Congress shall make no law establishing a religion, nor the free exercise thereof" The US founders weren't dopes, they KNEW most wars are fought over 'whose God is better'.
#24
Eating raw pork maybe?
Multa Nocte 1 day ago
This is from Denpasar, Denpasar City, Bali, Indonesia - original poster.
#26
Eating with hands
Just look at Zohran Mamdani's hand eating discourse.
#27
I guess kissing each other on the cheek to say hello.
#28
The Israeli style of speech can be perceived as an insult in other countries.
Direct questions like "What is your salary?"
Any style of humor is also accepted here.
I once told a Hitler joke at a party in Germany, and some German was offended by me.
Why was he offended? His grandfather tried to end my grandfather. If anyone should be offended, it's me.
#29
Homophobia.
#30
Atheism.
Multa Nocte 1 day ago
I am happy to say (writing from France) that this poster is French. NO ONE talks about God here - no one. Well, sometimes except when we swear, but it's usually more realistic terms like putain, merde, and bifler. ;-)
#32
Men walking around with their shirt off in public in the summer. In supermarkets, pubs etc. .
#33
Maybe not that offensive anymore in other parts of the world, but we pretty much always address teachers by their first name.
Multa Nocte 1 day ago
I worked in a special education school where all the children called us by our first names, and we then got saddled with a regular education principal who forced the children to call us Ms., Mrs., or Mr. I had one youngster who couldn't get the hang of it. We had a secretary named Deloris and my young man couldn't change from Deloris to Miss Deloris (he literally didn't understand how), even though the principal insisted, and the absolute best he could do was calling her Miss-ter Lors. To this day when I meet someone named Deloris I have to refrain from chuckling and calling her Mr. Lors.
#34
Not smiling on the streets.
#35
In parts of the country, wearing shoes inside the home is common. Due the weather in my area, it is rarely done.
What do you think ?
Rose the Cook 1 day ago
It would help a lot if the countries were mentioned in every item, not just some.
Multa Nocte 1 day ago
I added in several by going back to the original posts.
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Earonn - 1 day ago
Let's see, what do we have in Britain? Queuing, obvs; not making 'a scene', which includes complaining when one should; mixing football with religion, consideration towards others on the street; bowing to 'royalty' and "good breeding"; pub = everyone is equal, relaxed work culture...
Norfolk and good 1 day ago (edited)
Putting milk in your tea, having a day dedicated to pancakes, having fireworks to celebrate a failed attempted to blow up Parliament over 400 years ago, talking about the weather, Mother's day celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent rather than May, our general attitude towards tea being the cure for everything, our inability to handle snow.
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Tara Noe 1 day ago
Lived in China for years and it's full of stuff that's totally normal there, but would horrify anyone else. Like hoarding up phlegm and spitting in public, small children in bumless pants squatting on the sidewalk to do number 1s and 2s and honking horns at EVERYTHING. (Actually started to appreciate the kids thing, despite it being disgusting. No diapers needed, therefore no toilet training needed. Kids learn from infancy what they need to do)
Trillian 1 day ago
I'd rather have kids in diapers than step into s**t everywhere.
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LilliVB 1 day ago (edited)
I'm Italian and something I realized is very rude in some other countries but totally normal in Italy is that we interrupt conversations. You aren't supposed to let someone finish before speaking, actually conversation in Italy is really dynamic, like a ping pong match with multiple players, where people go back and forth offering points of view and asking questions about whatever it's spoken about. I've never realized it was considered rude before reading about how many people were annoyed by it (not Italian people of course). EDIT: missed word
Sam Trudeau 1 day ago
We Canadians are polite with LGBTQ rights, religion, gender... until you go to Alberta. As far as I'm concerned, it's just there to beef up the landmass
Rose the Cook 1 day ago
It would help a lot if the countries were mentioned in every item, not just some.
Multa Nocte 1 day ago
I added in several by going back to the original posts.
Load More Replies... Earonn - 1 day ago
Let's see, what do we have in Britain? Queuing, obvs; not making 'a scene', which includes complaining when one should; mixing football with religion, consideration towards others on the street; bowing to 'royalty' and "good breeding"; pub = everyone is equal, relaxed work culture...
Norfolk and good 1 day ago (edited)
Putting milk in your tea, having a day dedicated to pancakes, having fireworks to celebrate a failed attempted to blow up Parliament over 400 years ago, talking about the weather, Mother's day celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent rather than May, our general attitude towards tea being the cure for everything, our inability to handle snow.
Load More Replies... Tara Noe 1 day ago
Lived in China for years and it's full of stuff that's totally normal there, but would horrify anyone else. Like hoarding up phlegm and spitting in public, small children in bumless pants squatting on the sidewalk to do number 1s and 2s and honking horns at EVERYTHING. (Actually started to appreciate the kids thing, despite it being disgusting. No diapers needed, therefore no toilet training needed. Kids learn from infancy what they need to do)
Trillian 1 day ago
I'd rather have kids in diapers than step into s**t everywhere.
Load More Replies... LilliVB 1 day ago (edited)
I'm Italian and something I realized is very rude in some other countries but totally normal in Italy is that we interrupt conversations. You aren't supposed to let someone finish before speaking, actually conversation in Italy is really dynamic, like a ping pong match with multiple players, where people go back and forth offering points of view and asking questions about whatever it's spoken about. I've never realized it was considered rude before reading about how many people were annoyed by it (not Italian people of course). EDIT: missed word
Sam Trudeau 1 day ago
We Canadians are polite with LGBTQ rights, religion, gender... until you go to Alberta. As far as I'm concerned, it's just there to beef up the landmass
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