The truth is in the eye of the beholder. For Americans, this means endless free refills, red solo cups and supermarket aisles dedicated to an entire kingdom of cereals, sour and crunchy, salty and sweet, family boxes and portion size. For Europeans, this is something they only see during Netflix TV series while shamelessly devouring entire seasons on rainy Sundays.
But in order to find out what cultural differences really stand out as major when comparing the American lifestyle and the rest of the world, one has to look at what people themselves have to say. So we compiled a list of the best answers that reveal what’s totally normal in the US but looks very out-of-this-world in other countries below.
If you have something to add, please hit us in the comment section! And in case you’re in the mood for more culture shocks, check out our previous article on an American living in Italy who shares the incredible USA vs. Italy culture differences she has experienced.
#1
Date Order (MM/DD/YYYY)
Image credits: -Sinister-Shadow
#2
Gratuitous violence in entertainment is normal. But show one boob and people lose their [minds].
Image credits: danno49
#3
Not owning kettles and MICROWAVING their water for coffee/tea.
Image credits: gibbylewd
#4
American flags everywhere. I traveled throughout Europe and the Caribbean and I usually only saw their flag on government builds and here and there. Where as here in the USA the flag is like Franks Red Hot. We put them on everything. Magnets, churches, cars, condoms, every front porch, and street lamp. #murica
Image credits: doughydonuts
#5
Being legally allowed to drink only when you reach 21
Image credits: I-am-a-Mango
#6
Ambulance rides costing money seems pretty absurd to people from other countries.
Image credits: Meemesfourdayz
#7
Toilet cubicles, where people not only can peek, but an adult person could crawl into your cubicle, there is so much space under the "door".
Image credits: TitanicBeta
#8
Portion sizes.
Image credits: pourmewhineoh
#9
Bankruptcy because you went to the hospital#10
Pledge to the flag in class
Image credits: r93gd4dg1t
#11
Putting a ton of sugar in products like bread.#12
Having police patrol the school
Image credits: alexis0292
#13
When you are 18 years old, you can be shipped to a foreign country to kill humans, but you are not allowed to drink alcohol.#14
Being concerned when anyone speaks a language you can't understand.I live in India and we have 22 language here, with multiple dialects of the each language.
#15
Not putting the final price on the tag. I'm not sure whether it's still like this, but a few years ago one never knew whether the $1.00 item in McDonald's or Burger King is actually $1.00 or maybe $1.08.
Image credits: TitanicBeta
#16
Prescription drug ads encouraging people to ask their doctor about the drug being advertised.
Image credits: unknown
#17
When I was there during the last election I was shocked at how phrases like ‘well they have the black vote’ or the ‘Latino vote’ came up all the time on the radio. Obviously it’s not racist but it’s just something that would never come up in my country. Like, why would latino people all vote for the same person?
Image credits: Adam-West
#18
Actively avoiding healthcare visits/checkups because if there's something wrong and you don't have the money to pay for treatment, then you'd rather just not know
Image credits: unknown
#19
Being able to vote before reaching the legal drinking age
Image credits: dingdongimprblywrong
#20
Having only two parties: Republicans and Democrats. I know there are some smaller parties, but the system is stacked against them.
Image credits: K_51
#21
The enabling customer service culture.It’s created excessive portions in restaurants, created Karen, gives way to a disposable attitude towards products, and generally gives a sense of entitlement where most people start adding it to their list of rights.
#22
As a Brit living in America the amount of pharmaceutical commercials on TV is creepy.#23
This one is more on the positive side, because I think we could learn some from it.Talking and sharing your life with complete strangers. I have met quite a few americans so it seems the norm that you share and engage with strangers in public. The bus, train, parks etc. And then you go on your way.
In Denmark you'd be a "freak" if you did that.
Image credits: WuuutWuuut
#24
A flag in every corner of a classroom, and Americans being very patriotic to the stars and stripes. Other countries barely give a [poop] about their flags#25
While on my travels I've noticed that Americans have a totally different expectation on what service you get in restaurants and cafes and sh*t in Europe. Like the waiter arrives at their table seconds after they've sat down and takes their order and when he's out of ear shot they complain about the bad service. It's like if they don't get the OMG HOW ARE YOU GUYS MY NAME IS MIGUEL AND I'LL BE YOUR WAITER THIS EVENING and then have their water topped up every 20 seconds then it's bad service#26
The idolization of politicians. They are public servants, similar to a courthouse clerk or a city hall coordinator. They are not rock stars. You dont need to scream their name, buy their merch, fully commit your life to them and believe everything they say. Just... treat them like public servants. Sure, they get power and position, but hold them accountable when they abuse it. Dont let corporations and politicians take over, the political system is created by the people, FOR the people. It just... boggles the mind.#27
You have $4.50 in your pocket. The fancy drink is advertised at $3.99. Do you have enough money to buy it? Dunno!#28
Home owners associations.#29
Attack ads against political opponents, ads for law firms or lawyers. These kinds of ads are illegal and considered unethical in our country. Also expecting a teenager to be out of the house by the time they're 18. I live in Southeast Asia. There's no stigma about living with one's parents. Most of the time, there will be three generations living in one house.
Image credits: HollowMist11
#30
I got off the plane and asked the cap guy how far the hotel was and he said about 30 miles. I almost had a heart attack... turns out cabs are cheaper than the UkI can't remember the price I paid but I was presently surprised.
The UK cabs are like £4 per mile
also you would get laughed of the taxi for asking to go 30 miles and not taking the train
#31
They have garbage disposals in their kitchens. That's just so wild to me.#32
That women only get about 6 weeks off work after having a baby and it's most likely to be unpaid.#33
Willingly putting yourself massively in debt for a college degree.I come from a place with free university education (which has its own drawbacks of course), and the fact that you can make such a huge, life-altering decision at 17 is considered normal over there, that seems downright bizarre to me.
Image credits: I_hate_traveling
#34
Side effects on medication adverts.With James' Hayfever meds, I can get through the day with ease!
Side effects may include:
Loss of sight
Loss of hearing
Loss of sense of smell
Coma
Headaches
Fever
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Loss of consciousness
and death.
#35
Asking everyone “what do you do?” when you first meet them. I live outside the US and realized there are some people I’ve known for years and I still don’t know their job. I think in the US jobs are a bigger part of a person’s identity than in some other places.
Image credits: Ssffxx
#36
Joining the army for college money and free healthcare.Also how religious they are
#37
That American kids eat straight sugar. Walked on to the playground and saw kids chugging these long thin sticks. I try and it was just colored sugar lol. Called them pixie sticks.#38
I never understood why people in American TV series lost their house and job just because they got really sick.Then I found out that it can happen in America.
#39
The extent of the tipping culture is frankly shocking to me.#40
Extra large bottomless cups for cola or soft drinks.... you could bathe in those....
Image credits: SlyDigits
#41
Registering to vote. As a Canadian, you're automatically enrolled when you turn 18 and get a notice where your polling station will be for every election.#42
Not using the metric system. Counting in football fields/moon landings instead... I don't get it.#43
Drink sizes.When my family visited in 2017 we landed in Texas for a stopover. First thing I saw in the shops part of the terminal was a dude who was drinking from what looked like an actual bucket - here in NZ our “large” drinks would be considered an American “small” or maybe “medium”
#44
Free soft-drink refills in restaurants. Like wth#45
2017 in Athens, Georgia I passed out at work and was fine but my boss had already called an ambulance and insisted I get checked out...a less than 2 mile ambulance ride cost me $950 with insurance. I was only dehydrated...#46
The minimal amount of paid days off you get from work. A friend of mine from Wisconsin was very proud he got 20 days off per year. If someone in Germany would offer me only 20 days, I would laugh at him and leave.#47
Sports Bars are actually exactly how they're portrayed on TV#48
Why tipping is considered part of someone's paycheck.#49
Why the big amount of flat-earth and antivax people?? Is your education system not doing well??#50
Limited sick days.#51
My maternity leave was an unpaid 6 weeks, and I had to fight them on not shorting me because I went past my due date and didn’t keep working until the day I went into labor.
Image credits: robot_cupcak3
#52
Literally anything about what goes on in Florida.#53
I've had several German friends who were amazed that at house parties everyone actually does drink out of red Solo cups. They thought that was just a weird thing people did in movies and now they think it is a huge conspiracy or something#54
Driving everywhere.#55
Injured people try to avoid getting ambulances called for them.#56
Just the sheer scale of it. I could drive the distance from the most northern part of Scotland to the most southern part of Cornwall and still be in Texas. How is that possible?!#57
Nipples, or in general the hyper-sexualisation of nudity#58
Calling a main course an entree.#59
Why people censor swears that are totally obvious#60
As an American I was shocked to learn that not every school internationally has a building cop#61
I'm an American (born and raised), but I've heard that in other countries, strangers don't say hi or strike up conversations with each other. I know non-Americans are confused but let me explain:Sometimes if you are say at an amusement park for example and you're waiting in line for a ride, strangers would strike conversations with you and such and this is actually pretty normal. Or say you are walking around in a park and you walk past by someone, you usually smile and say a quick "hi" as you are walking past that person.
I've had countless times where I've had people strike conversations with me that I didn't know. White people do this, but especially Black people do this a lot as well. Like you would see an old Black lady at a store and she'll just start talking to you.
I've had Europeans tell me that people would think you are mentally ill if you were to strike up conversations with strangers in Europe for example. Especially in Asian countries no one does this (I've heard). Strangers absolutely do not say a word to each other in Japan or China for example.
Side note: This may also be a regional thing in the US. I've lived in southern states mostly (like Texas) and people are really damn friendly down there. Now I live in Connecticut and people are way less friendly over here (no offense).
#62
Sueing for any possible reason. It's so common that there are commercials on tv and radio telling you to sue "x" company for "reason". Lawyer ads are also very common because of this.#63
That Dolly Parton has her own theme park in Tennessee. I thought it was a joke.#64
I've been to New Orleans, and everyone was calling me "honey", "sugar", "babe", "sunshine", and "love". I found it very sweet, blushed every time and generally, couldn't get enough of it.On the other hand, the amount of ice you put in drinks is ridiculous.
#65
There was a 24-hour pharmacy across the street from our apartment. Nothing shocking there, except it also sold booze and cigarettes.#66
At least in the Midwest, the soft smiles you give to strangers if you make eye contact while walking past them. Did not go over so well in Germany.#67
Most shopping carts in the US have fixed backwheels. In Germany all 4 wheels are able to freely turn 360° which makes moving the cart around much easier.#68
Just "dealing with" preventable and curable diseases instead of seeking medical attention out of fear of crippling debt.#69
Lemonade. I'm America, but there was a post going around a while back about an American who ordered a lemonade at a restaurant in Australia and was confused to receive a Sprite. The op of the post was the server, and thought it was just the American being snooty for being confused. Then commenters from other nonUS countries chimed in on what a lemonade is to them. It blew my mind, because in the US lemonade is so iconic as a summer drink, and is often homemade.Eta: lemonade is not water with lemon in it. It requires sugar and preparation.
Second edit: to all the people commenting "hello America, I'm dad" pay your child support. You can't just walk out on an entire country like that and show up suddenly now that I've got karma
Image credits: glassssshark
#70
When I went to New York I was flabbergasted by the amount of people just loitering on the streets or having phone conversations that everyone can hear on the train like npcs from GTA.People outside of the USA don't hang out in public or let other people into their business on public transport.
I managed to hear a woman talk about how her baby daddy wasn't going to her daughters birthday party and I started to pick side's in her personal life, while walking through Central Park I heard two friends with a substantial age gap talk about everyone in their friend group having mistresses and they were trading information on the mistress facts each of them knew for their respective friends, I got invested in that one so I folliwed them for a while (pretending I wasn't) because I wanted the tea.
#71
Having to take out a second mortgage because you twisted your ankle in the wrong state.#72
Circumcision and medical debt#73
The "Take me out to the ballgame song" thats apparently sung at baseball games. still not entirely sure that guy wasnt taking the piss out of me#74
30 degrees Fahrenheit#75
Probably not really European but Finnish, memes about forgotting to connect your phone to wifi. Here we have unlimited internet and it's working almost everywhere. Also the unlimited mobile data costs here like 30€ in month#76
Living "paycheck to paycheck" despite making like 4 grands a month#77
Say "I'll just have water" at a restaurant and not be charged for it or be asked "What kind?"#78
That the entire traffic has to stop when a school bus stops.#79
I always thought that the Olive Garden in The Simpsons was just code for ‘generic restaurant’#80
One positive thing I've noticed, foreigners love how big Halloween is here.#81
Not really crazy, but I just learned you guys have like outdoor sirens that get tested somewhat frequently. I’ve only heard those noises in video games and movies until my friend sent me a clip, because I had no idea it actually happened.#82
That higher education can cost upwards of $50,000 per year.#83
I've never seen a Canadian drive down the road with two of their nation's flags on the back with flames shooting out from the sides of the truck.#84
That there are many libraries of all kinds in the United States.#85
Being loud and rowdy when sober seems to be a very American thing.Funny thing is, I’m American and considered a loud person in America. I can only imagine that my voice must sound like a f**king air horn to foreigners.
#86
Taking condiments extremely seriously.#87
That you can rack up 100,000$ upward in debt easily through student loans.#88
How cheap food is - I was in Chicago so it was good food tooTasty cheap food, who wouldn't get fat?
#89
People of Walmart#90
Apparently, rolling coal is actually a thing.#91
Biscuits and gravy is a legit thing. Also you can ride motorcycles without helmets in some states??? And your iced tea isn't sweetened unless you ask for sweet.#92
American here:When I was studying in the UK I had to send some financial documents back to the US. The only way these documents were considered valid was if the original was mailed in, or if I faxed a copy. When I asked the printing office if they could fax it for me they looked at me like I was an alien and said the school hadn't owned a fax machines for like a decade. Then they asked me if I still use a VCR.
from Bored Panda https://bit.ly/3epgTS0
via Boredpanda
