3 ms·

Not really. Pleasantries are common all over the world. If you've ever spent time in Latin America then you'd know it's rude not to ask anyone how they are bef

Not really. Pleasantries are common all over the world. If you've ever spent time in Latin America then you'd know it's rude not to ask anyone how they are before engaging in any sort of conversation. The Middle East (i.e East Asia) has very similar mannerisms. Engaging in these pleasantries signals I view you as a person rather than you are just a means to an end. It's the literal equivalent of foreplay before sex.

WJW 6y ago
It's not the performing of pleasantries, but the level at which Americans perform them vs the norm in most of western Europe. The average level of American "OMG so excited to meet you" is usually reserved for actual celebrities in Europe. When you have seen them talk like that to everyone in the room, the conclusion for the European is that the American is lying about being excited to meet you, which is much more offensive than if they just said "pleased to meet you".
- dragonwriter 6y ago
  > The average level of American "OMG so excited to meet you" is usually reserved for actual celebrities in Europe I've been an American all my life, and I've never seen anyone say they were excited to meet someone other than either an actual celebrity or someone who has been significantly talked up in advance to the level of being at a quasi-celebrity level in context (and even in the latter case, “I'm glad to finally meet you”, possibly followed by an explanation of the reason they've been looking forward to it, is much more common than expressions of excitement.) Honestly, the behavior you seem to be describing is one which would strike most Americans as both unusual and deeply disingenuous.
  - bittercynic 6y ago
    Things are very different from one part of USA to another, and even from one social group to another. Though I haven't participated in any social situation where "OMG so excited..." is the norm, it is easy to imaging it exists.
    - secondaryditto 6y ago
      my experience (as us-born/bred) is that this exists, but is more a personality trait than anything else. And some personality traits can co-exist among others with the same trait more easily, and that 'so excited' outward expression can often get amplified in a group, but even individuals can be like that. I don't see it as uniquely American, but... it may be somewhat here. By comparison, traveling in Russia, public displays of enthusiasm/positivity/emotion were far less common at all (although in small groups of friends they came out).
thaumasiotes 6y ago
> The Middle East (i.e East Asia) You mean West Asia? East Asia is the Far East; that's the whole point of using the term "the Middle East" for what was originally just "the East".
- stevenjohns 6y ago
  Yep, my bad.

WJW 6y ago

It's not the performing of pleasantries, but the level at which Americans perform them vs the norm in most of western Europe. The average level of American "OMG so excited to meet you" is usually reserved for actual celebrities in Europe. When you have seen them talk like that to everyone in the room, the conclusion for the European is that the American is lying about being excited to meet you, which is much more offensive than if they just said "pleased to meet you".

dragonwriter 6y ago
> The average level of American "OMG so excited to meet you" is usually reserved for actual celebrities in Europe I've been an American all my life, and I've never seen anyone say they were excited to meet someone other than either an actual celebrity or someone who has been significantly talked up in advance to the level of being at a quasi-celebrity level in context (and even in the latter case, “I'm glad to finally meet you”, possibly followed by an explanation of the reason they've been looking forward to it, is much more common than expressions of excitement.) Honestly, the behavior you seem to be describing is one which would strike most Americans as both unusual and deeply disingenuous.
- bittercynic 6y ago
  Things are very different from one part of USA to another, and even from one social group to another. Though I haven't participated in any social situation where "OMG so excited..." is the norm, it is easy to imaging it exists.
  - secondaryditto 6y ago
    my experience (as us-born/bred) is that this exists, but is more a personality trait than anything else. And some personality traits can co-exist among others with the same trait more easily, and that 'so excited' outward expression can often get amplified in a group, but even individuals can be like that. I don't see it as uniquely American, but... it may be somewhat here. By comparison, traveling in Russia, public displays of enthusiasm/positivity/emotion were far less common at all (although in small groups of friends they came out).

thaumasiotes 6y ago

> The Middle East (i.e East Asia) You mean West Asia? East Asia is the Far East; that's the whole point of using the term "the Middle East" for what was originally just "the East".

stevenjohns 6y ago
Yep, my bad.