Even if you try to escape the influence of American culture, it will be very difficult to escape its influence, especially in Western countries. From cartoons to high school TV series, Hollywood movies, sitcoms, drama shows, YouTube channels, and more, the medium feels saturated with American life.
We consume so much U.S.-based content, but there is still some that raises questions. One Reddit user I wondered what foreigners were still doing don’t understand america, and people flooded the thread with questions. To be fair, some of the things mentioned are confusing to Americans as well.
Since then, we have received over 36,000 comments. bored panda We’ve selected the most common responses to what foreigners don’t understand about America. If you’re from America, you may be able to answer some of these, if not, there are a few things you’d like American Panda to clarify. Leave your questions in the comments section below!
Just culture… talk to strangers and strangers, stand up and start conversations, or join conversations.
I am British and we spend a lot of time not talking to people.
indoor shoes.
That’s *very* weird. As a result, the floor either gets dirty or needs more frequent cleaning, and there seems to be no good reason.
What’s going on with the Homeowners Association? Why pay your impatient neighbor (sorry neighbor) to dictate what you can and can’t do on your property? I know you live in a housing complex and pay maintenance fees, but is it a house in the suburbs?
Why are there small openings between the doors in public restrooms?
Why is everything so gigantic?
When I went to America for the first time, I went to buy Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee. I ordered the Large and my friend… do you really want the Large? I expected something similar in the UK as I feel the big ones are less overwhelming. Oh my god, it was like a bucket of coffee. Maybe the little ones are equivalent to the big ones in the UK, and I think the lesson was learned quickly.
So why buy politicians’ products? Shirts, hats, banners, stickers, etc. I’m a civil servant, not a rock star. Also, generally the more boring the better.
The way people appear to be liberal or conservative and stand by their side no matter how bad a decision they make. In Ireland, they often change allegiance when it comes to political parties, favoring the party that is doing the most for the people at the moment. We are people-centered, not party-centered. I couldn’t understand this about America.
Prices for health care and higher education. Wouldn’t society benefit most from ensuring a healthy and educated population?
The tipping culture is very unfamiliar to me and I worry that if I go to America I will make a mistake or not tip enough. Because it is not common in Denmark.
pledge allegiance. To me it’s just silly. I love my country, but I never expect or expect you to stand and salute the flag at school (or it’s just a movie).
Why do Americans put their TVs high up on the wall? Maybe it’s because there’s a fireplace underneath where they should be, but how do you watch TV without straining your neck?
We have a lot. But when I visited America for the first time in December, one thing that caught my attention was Billboard. along the highway. Billboards everywhere. Most of them are for bad-looking lawyers. why this?
Americans are really friendly and helpful and I had a great experience every time I traveled there. We often see the quirky side of your vast country on TV and elsewhere, but your average American is nice to meet you.
I find it strange that service industry workers are not paid properly.It really stresses me out knowing that tipping is not just a bonus for great service.Also you better deserve medical care.
The fact that workers have to file their own taxes even though the government knows how much everyone owes. But they won’t tell you. They make you do complex math based on an ever-evolving set of rules to make sense of it.
Valet parking service. Why would you want a stranger to mess around with your car? I can park my car, thank you very much.
My mother is from Soviet-era Moscow and is perplexed why there is no teacher-student hierarchy. She finds it odd for teachers to participate in school plays or talk informally with students.
She also doesn’t get pajama days. For her, it’s the strangest thing in the world. In Russia, there is an important difference between “home clothes” and “outing clothes”. There is the concept of “house clothes” that you change after school or work. At bedtime, change from “house clothes” to pajamas. As a result, in Russia pajamas are considered a very private thing for both adults and children. My mom perceives Pajama Day as something extreme like wearing only underwear to school.
Why is there so much water in your toilet? I just got back from vacation and it’s very deep. In some places previously heard of in drought conditions, water seemed wasted.
Also the gap in the door of the public restroom. I’ve heard it mentioned on reddit before, but didn’t realize it until I experienced it. I’ve never seen that gap anywhere in the world I’ve been.
American high school. Growing up with American media has greatly skewed my perception of high school. Apparently at some point in your late teens to mid-twenties, you’re still in school, you’re in a pretty serious relationship, you have a car and a job (not to mention a pretty dedicated sports career). neither). If you’re really motivated, you can even become a band or tutor while managing the yearbook, school newspaper, and local Shakespeare productions. And another 2 hours to have lunch with friends at the mall!
It’s pretty strange to wait eight weeks after an election for a new man to take power.
college and even high school sports. He was one the last time I was in America and passed high school. Their football field looked like a college stadium, complete with lights, stands, logos and advertising. My Canadian high school also had football, but nobody cared except for the team and the players’ families.
Scottish here but available for work/always work culture. Minimal vacation time, minimal maternity/paternity leave and the fact that you can pretty much let go. It makes me sad to think about it!
But I love how much you guys pack in your off time – you guys love road trips!
I’m American, but I’ve worked with a lot of people who aren’t. One thing they’ve always wondered is why Americans are so into the NFL. They think it’s a boring sport. They explained, ‘You wait 30 seconds, you hike the ball, there’s about 5-10 seconds of action, you wait another 30 seconds, then another 5-10 seconds of action, then the commercials come on.’ Did.
Why do so many parents say, “You go do it yourself” when they kick their kids out at 18 and are in financial trouble in their early 20s?