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26 Things Americans Think Are Weird About The Rest Of The World
No two people are the same, and it seems that this can also be said about countries. All you do is cross a line that separates geographical areas, and suddenly the free toilets you were so accustomed to are paid, and the meal portions get strangely stingy.
This time, Americans had the chance to take this burden off their shoulders and share the myriad of weird behaviors they witnessed while traveling outside the US. From living without air conditioning to putting milk in bags, below you’ll find an assortment of things the rest of the world does that somehow rub the citizens of America the wrong way.
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#1
Honestly? I understand most of it. People are raised where they're raised. They eat food they know, watch entertainment that is local, follow the traditional sports in their neck of the world. I totally get that. I think people are the same the world over, they just want to have a good life and a better one for their kids. They don't want to be hungry or poor or unhoused. I get ALL that. What I don't get is Eurovision. What the actual [darn]? EDIT: Holy [darn], I may not be the brightest fork in the drawer but I'm not a f*****g idiot. I am well aware of the format of Eurovision. I do not understand the hype around Eurovision. I do not understand the politics around Eurovision. I do not understand the song selection OR performances of Eurovision. I do not understand how countries NOT IN EUROPE can be in a competition called EUROvision. There you go, ya pedantic f***s. Happy now?
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#3
When you rent an apartment in Germany, in most cases it doesn't come with light fixtures, kitchen cabinets and counters, appliances, etc. You either have to purchase and install these yourself, or hope that the previous tenant is willing to sell theirs to you. In my last apartment search, there were even a few apartments where I would have had to supply and install my own flooring. It's insane.
An American thinking that paying for water in a restaurant is weird or putting potatoes on pizza is gross is a perfect example of ethnocentrism. This means they’re evaluating other countries from their culture’s point of view. They’re judging or making assumptions about the food of other countries based on their own norms, values, or beliefs.
However, this can lead to negative judgments and discrimination against different cultures and people. To avoid this, cultural relativism suggests approaching unfamiliar ways of life without imposing their own bias on what is wrong, right, or normal. Instead, we should try to understand cultural practices in their own cultural context.
#4
I don't know if it's everywhere , but I noticed a conspicuous lack of screens in windows while I was in Europe. It's so simple, and it prevents bugs. I was woken up by bugs in 4 separate European countries. Why?! You don't need to live like that.
#5
The assumption that all Americans are similar instead of a diverse group with a vast variety of backgrounds and beliefs.
#6
Not "the rest," but some countries throw toilet paper in the trash can, and that is f*****g horrifying.
As an alternative, one should ask, “Why do some cultures eat fried insects?” They might learn that they are full of protein in Mexico, are a famous part of the cuisine, and have been eaten for thousands of years as a healthy food source.
#7
Not the rest of the world, but I will never understand arranged marriages. I can’t imagine being forced to have children with someone you may not like.
#8
I'm addressing Europe and I guess probably Belgium specifically, because that's where I encountered this the most. Y'all are unnecessarily f****n' stingy with the beverages at restaurants. Like for real, you stop somewhere for dinner, and the server comes by and asks if you want water. After the awkward exchange about whether you want "shparkling or steel," they come back roughly 30 minutes later with something the size of a toddler's sippy cup with water in it. If, by some happenstance, you find yourself drinking all 8oz of the beverage supplied with your entire meal, and successfully perform the esoteric dark ritual of summoning the server back to your table to check on you, they will be shocked. "Hm, you are very thirsty tonight! It seems you have guzzled down your entire thimble of water in a mere 50 minutes. Would you like me to try to bring another?" It's water, you m***********s. I know that back in like the 1500s all your waterways were basically sewage and so you culturally got accustomed to drinking only heavily-fermented snifters of your own saliva during meals, but I KNOW YOU HAVE PLUMBING NOW.
#9
Specific to Europeans but yall have no business judging Americans for our issues with racism given how yall talk about and treat the Romani.
Appreciating one’s culture can be healthy, as it can result in a shared sense of community and connect people in a society. However, all cultures are beautiful in their own ways and shouldn’t be blindly criticized because of that.
#10
Lack of disability access. Don't give me that c**p about how old your buildings are, you had no problem rebuilding most of the ones that were leveled after WWII, you can install a concrete ramp.
#12
That you believe we are all the same. There are over 339 million people in America. We are all different, some born here, some moved here. When we hear "Americans are dumb" or "Americans are ruining the world" - just know none of us think you are talking about us. There are dumbasses, who live here, just like people where you live and others all over the world. There are also amazing, intelligent, beautiful, fantastic people who live here that care about the world outside their front door. We are not all ethnocentrists or Nationalists. Many of us want the world to be a better place. A safe place. A happy place. But, to lump almost 339,000,000 people into one group and expect them all to have the same traits is absurd, especially in a country that has a higher incoming immigration rate than almost any other country in the world. A country that was built specifically for immigrants to come get a fresh start, build their dream, and live a peaceful life. By contrast: The entire UK has 67.7 million people. Germany has 83 million. France has 64.7 million.
#16
That smoking is still so common. This goes for Europe, Asia, South America. Probably other places too. I know we in the US have since started embracing vaping which is its own problem but at least we made cigarettes uncool. The rest of the world is dealing with both in huge numbers. There were a few glorious years in the US before vaping but after cigarettes were uncool where almost no one smoked. That was amazing.
#18
I don't know if it's everywhere or just certain countries, but having to pay to use a public restroom. Even if you're filling your tank and buying snacks in the store you still have to pay extra to take a leak at a gas station. I could maybe understand charging non-customers, but if I'm a paying customer of your establishment I think it's a little weird to charge me extra.
#19
Apartment rentals not coming with kitchens… how does anyone afford to install new kitchens every time you move?? And you can’t even take it with you as every apartment had a different arrangement.
#21
Absurd... I find it absurd that many Asian cultures have a deep seated aversion to having fans on in the bedroom when sleeping. I find it absurd that in many European countries ice in a drink, like water, is viewed with disdain. I find it absurd that in Italy it may be 21C outside but if a newborn baby is in the room the windows are closed up, the baby is wrapped up in a blanket, and people think the red skin color of an overheated infant is a sign of good health! I also find the driving habits of Italians to be absurd.
#23
I wouldnt call this ‘absurd’, but when i lived in Norway finding out nearly every store closed all day on Sundays was crazy. Additionally- they put CORN on pizza, ew.
#24
This may be because of my proximity to New York City, but: Tourists from around the world come to our big cities, and spend a huge chunk of their time and money shopping at Macy's and Target and Sephora. Not all, obviously, but a lot... EDIT: I understand the idea of shopping for the novelty of it. I do that too. That's not my point. The key words above are "huge chunk". Like, people fly several hours across an ocean to come here, and some spend the vast bulk of their time buying stuff that's mass produced in factories and available in 3,000 locations nationwide. EDIT 2: Ok, maybe it's me, because I grew up in the middle of New Jersey, with access to at least five shopping malls within an hour drive, and all of them had Macy's, JC Penney, etc. EDIT 3: Although I was aware of the gap between the US and other countries in terms of price, selection, and availability... holy moly I didn't realize it was such a major driver of tourist commerce. Forgive me, please, for my ignorance.
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