4 ms·

I'm wondering now when all these classic behaviors become imprinted. I'm born in America, grew up in Germany for the most part. Apparently I eat and stand like

by carlmr 8y ago

I'm wondering now when all these classic behaviors become imprinted. I'm born in America, grew up in Germany for the most part. Apparently I eat and stand like an American.

akuji1993 8y ago
Probably you watching your parents eat?
- collyw 8y ago
  A lot of mannerisms appear to be inherited / learned from parents. Just look about some family gathering.
  - JoeAltmaier 8y ago
    My son's girlfriend acts and talks just like her mother. I was surprised to learn she was adopted!
    - collyw 8y ago
      Learned makes a bit more sense. I would be surprised if that sort of thing is genetic.
fossuser 8y ago
Another interesting one people don't notice is counting money. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g87HVlu55mQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g87HVlu55mQ I saw this video and didn't think much of it until I saw my friend counting money the Asian way. He didn't know that wasn't how Americans typically did it - I guess you pick up a lot of little things like this by watching your parents.
- miluge 8y ago
  I felt the same when moving to Romania, they have a different way of counting money compared to France. I barely paid attention to it until one of the ladies from shop told me. Cultural difference is found in a lot of small things you do in your daily life, it's just like that scene from Inglourious Bastards when he is showing the German 3 and the British 3.
  - CosmicShadow 8y ago
    Yeah, there are lots of little things out there. My wife and I were just discussing how as Canadians, we don't perceive ourselves to have any accent and sound just like "normal" people on American TV, however after she speaks with US based co-workers or folks she meets when she travels, they instantly know after only a simple Hello or maybe 3 words that she is Canadian (and they point it out!). There are just certain words that we pronounce just a tiny bit different that we don't notice because we can say it the Canadian or American way interchangeably, but to Americans who aren't inundated with Canadian TV like we are with American media, we believe they can instantly detect any deviation from their culture's norms. It's kind of maddening because we can't detect the other way around nearly as easy. She said she'd been caught on words such as Hello, Syrup and Being, to name a few. Perhaps it was just that she said Hello in a happier tone or with different emphasis? I'm not sure, that one seemed ridiculous. Imagine trying to change all those words you don't even realize you are saying different unless you repeat it with the person multiple times.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
    - carlmr 8y ago
      >She said she'd been caught on words such as Hello, Syrup and Being, to name a few. Perhaps it was just that she said Hello in a happier tone or with different emphasis? I'm not sure, that one seemed ridiculous. I lived in Canada for a bit, and I would have guessed sooorry, tomooorow, oout, aboout. At least that's what Ontarians sound like to me. They really stretch those o sounds.
- wp381640 8y ago
  If you spend time in casinos you notice the counting money differences. There are also occupational differences, and differences in how wallets are used, back pocket vs front pocket vs top pocket, if money is taken out of a wallet or counted inside the wallet, if money clips are used, if the money is folded etc. I sat at a poker table once with a guy who could swear he could spot drug dealers and money launderers by the way they fold and count their money by counting the roll out and also throw money vs placing it when putting it on the table
- carlmr 8y ago
  So, I also count money like an American (although the video didn't show German counting).
maxxxxx 8y ago
" Apparently I eat and stand like an American" Interesting. When I lived in Munich I usually could spot American tourists from far away just by looking at posture and the way they walked. But I couldn't tell you what exactly the difference is.

by carlmr 8y ago

I'm wondering now when all these classic behaviors become imprinted. I'm born in America, grew up in Germany for the most part. Apparently I eat and stand like an American.

akuji1993 8y ago

Probably you watching your parents eat?

collyw 8y ago
A lot of mannerisms appear to be inherited / learned from parents. Just look about some family gathering.
- JoeAltmaier 8y ago
  My son's girlfriend acts and talks just like her mother. I was surprised to learn she was adopted!
  - collyw 8y ago
    Learned makes a bit more sense. I would be surprised if that sort of thing is genetic.

fossuser 8y ago

Another interesting one people don't notice is counting money. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g87HVlu55mQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g87HVlu55mQ I saw this video and didn't think much of it until I saw my friend counting money the Asian way. He didn't know that wasn't how Americans typically did it - I guess you pick up a lot of little things like this by watching your parents.

miluge 8y ago
I felt the same when moving to Romania, they have a different way of counting money compared to France. I barely paid attention to it until one of the ladies from shop told me. Cultural difference is found in a lot of small things you do in your daily life, it's just like that scene from Inglourious Bastards when he is showing the German 3 and the British 3.
- CosmicShadow 8y ago
  Yeah, there are lots of little things out there. My wife and I were just discussing how as Canadians, we don't perceive ourselves to have any accent and sound just like "normal" people on American TV, however after she speaks with US based co-workers or folks she meets when she travels, they instantly know after only a simple Hello or maybe 3 words that she is Canadian (and they point it out!). There are just certain words that we pronounce just a tiny bit different that we don't notice because we can say it the Canadian or American way interchangeably, but to Americans who aren't inundated with Canadian TV like we are with American media, we believe they can instantly detect any deviation from their culture's norms. It's kind of maddening because we can't detect the other way around nearly as easy. She said she'd been caught on words such as Hello, Syrup and Being, to name a few. Perhaps it was just that she said Hello in a happier tone or with different emphasis? I'm not sure, that one seemed ridiculous. Imagine trying to change all those words you don't even realize you are saying different unless you repeat it with the person multiple times.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - carlmr 8y ago
    >She said she'd been caught on words such as Hello, Syrup and Being, to name a few. Perhaps it was just that she said Hello in a happier tone or with different emphasis? I'm not sure, that one seemed ridiculous. I lived in Canada for a bit, and I would have guessed sooorry, tomooorow, oout, aboout. At least that's what Ontarians sound like to me. They really stretch those o sounds.
wp381640 8y ago
If you spend time in casinos you notice the counting money differences. There are also occupational differences, and differences in how wallets are used, back pocket vs front pocket vs top pocket, if money is taken out of a wallet or counted inside the wallet, if money clips are used, if the money is folded etc. I sat at a poker table once with a guy who could swear he could spot drug dealers and money launderers by the way they fold and count their money by counting the roll out and also throw money vs placing it when putting it on the table
carlmr 8y ago
So, I also count money like an American (although the video didn't show German counting).

maxxxxx 8y ago

" Apparently I eat and stand like an American" Interesting. When I lived in Munich I usually could spot American tourists from far away just by looking at posture and the way they walked. But I couldn't tell you what exactly the difference is.