I think this "taarof" exists in varying degrees in all cultures. In the USA it is obviously less extreme but still exists in some scenarios. For example, peopl

I think this "taarof" exists in varying degrees in all cultures. In the USA it is obviously less extreme but still exists in some scenarios. For example, people routinely ask "how are you?" as a polite greeting without actually caring (or wanting) to hear about the deeply personal thoughts of another person's feelings.