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I definitely don't single out Americans. In my experience it's just the same in Western Europe and other places. People who live in places where they are force
by nir 16y ago
I definitely don't single out Americans. In my experience it's just the same in Western Europe and other places.
People who live in places where they are forced to exist "closer to the metal", eg Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa tend to be less naive. Not smarter or better in any way - just more aware of the forces that shape the world.
The morning of 9/11/01 I was in a hostel in Adelaide, Australia. An American girl was in the TV room in tears, crying, "why would anyone do such a thing?". I don't mean to belittle her sorrow one bit, but I remember how the way she perceived this as illogical seemed so otherworldly to me. I mean, we grew up thinking it's obvious someone would attack our homes, if they could (and sometimes they did).
- netcan 16y agoI have seen those same tears in Kfar Saba. That said, I agree with you that the naive 19 year old in the US is more naive than her counterpart elsewhere. That doesn't say anything about Americans perception of Iraqi/Afgahni values. I don't think Americans are more naive about these than other people about similar things. Probably less. Fallacies, naivety. These are pretty wide.
- nir 16y agoIt's not the tears. I could tear up as well. It's the disbelief that anyone would want to harm you, even though they never met you, just because you belong to a group (eg nation) they're opposed to. It was strange to me, since I grew up knowing there are people who never met me who'd harm me given the chance. It was actually happening pretty close by, from time to time. I didn't realize, until then, that there are people who don't grow up with the same notion. Again, I'm not singling out Americans at all. I actually seem to have a higher opinion of America & Americans than most of my fellow New Yorkers..