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> I live in New York, which has a basic culture of "hyper aggressiveness" A defining trait of American culture is hyperactivity. Commenting on trivial stuff, m

> I live in New York, which has a basic culture of "hyper aggressiveness" A defining trait of American culture is hyperactivity. Commenting on trivial stuff, moving around restlessly while holding a drink, despise for idle time. The "kindness" thing is a form of hyper-expressivity which is rarely seen in calm cultures.

awillen 6y ago
This is one of those generalizations that just doesn't work for a country with hundreds of millions of people. You think those in the South and Midwest are hyperactive? Hardly. Those in sleepy beach towns? Nah. If you think that there are defining traits of that many people in a country that varies so greatly in terms of geography, lifestyle, religion and culture, then you just don't know what you're talking about.
- momokoko 6y ago
  I definitely think Europeans and others from homogeneous or smaller countries struggle to understand the variety and diversity of culture of the United States.
  - morlockabove 6y ago
    In europe, the surrounding countries are your equivalent to the different states in the us
    - momokoko 6y ago
      That isn’t really accurate. There is much more diversity in individual states depending on where you are than in most European countries. That statement is kind of what I mean. I don’t think most people outside, and to some extent inside the US, appreciate how much diversity of culture exists in the US.
      - dukeyukey 6y ago
        I think morlockabove meant that thanks to the size of the US, the density of different cultures in many orders of magnitude higher in Europe than the US. Th cultural difference between Texans, Washingtonians and a New Hampshireite is minuscule compared to France and Germany, let alone France and somewhere like Estonia.
        momokoko 6y ago
        I believe it misses the fact that there are very different cultures within Washington or Texas. For example, Austin is very different from Houston and even north Houston is very different from south Houston. Eastern Washington is completely different culturally than western Washington(Seattle etc). No where else in the world has the massive amount of diversity that the US does at the scale of the US. It’s not even close anywhere else so it is difficult for both US residents and people of other countries to fully comprehend.
        WitCanStain 6y ago
        That seems incredibly unlikely. So unlikely that I'm going to say it's not true. There are certainly cultural differences across the US but you'll have a very hard time convincing people that these differences are greater than those that exist between Finland and Italy, say. Or between Cameroon and Kenya.
        morlockabove 6y ago
        Sounds like a fully general counterargument
        tpm 6y ago
        The European Union has the scale of the US and arguably more diversity given there are a few more languages spoken and each one is associated with a different culture. And that's only a part of one continent, and there are more continents.
        dukeyukey 6y ago
        I completely believe there are differences, but are they really that different compared to areas of similar size in Europe, where you might go through a dozen different languages, different religions, massively varying political party support? And if you look at India or Indonesia, the cultural diversity becomes even more again.
- what2build 6y ago
  The majority live in urban areas where constant input of human activity is probably making them anxious and insane. I have tinnitus in the city. I go to the mountains and it’s gone. Keeping ratings and quarterly growth up is, to my mind, emergent of people who live densely. Intuiting incorrectly that lots of people moving around organically means life is to be lived on the go.
- bluetomcat 6y ago
  As a European, I have had numerous work relationships and occasional acquaintances with Americans from California, Arizona, Idaho and NY. Yes, everyone has a different personality and the region matters, but compared to my own Eastern European culture, the difference in mood, confidence and talkativity is rather consistent. Maybe my sample of American people is not completely representative, but these are just my observations as an outsider.
  - readarticle 6y ago
    It’s actually interesting those are the samples as I would probably characterize the West & (North) East they’re all from as the most “hyperactive” parts of the country vs the South & Mexican Border at the other end of the spectrum, with the Mid West & rest of the East somewhere in between (but probably closer to the coasts than the south & border). Look out for any exciting opportunities to visit El Paso, Texas or Birmingham, Alabama for a proper comparison sometime if you can. Bonus points for Brownsville, Texas where you can get a well steeped mix of the South & border along with a rocket launch!
  - Tarsul 6y ago
    also, if you converse in English the Americans have it easier to talk which enhances this phenomenon.
- js2 6y ago
  I'm from Miami. Years ago, I was visiting my wife (girlfriend at the time) in the keys. We went out to dinner. I was apparently still in Miami mode. The server said to me (and this took about a minute for him to say): "Relax ... man ... you're ... in ... the ... keys ... now." So, yeah.
50 6y ago
Furthermore, there is this idea of egoism. To think merely of profit - which you see in major cities with millions of people in the United States, it seems - is to be egoistic. The root of kindness is egotistical poverty. After all: egoism overlooks, kindness sees. You may substitute the words 'humility' or 'attention' for 'kindness' for the former and latter claim, and it will still hold true. And therefore, egoism is really inattention for it pays attention to what does not matter.
- bluetomcat 6y ago
  I would call it outwardly-expressive utilitarianism. The idea that the individual should channel their views, emotions and experiences through self-expression and self-identification, for the purpose of achieving tangible worldly goals. It’s an interesting amalgam of the traditions of Anglo-Saxon liberalism and of Protestantism with its practices for preaching and confession, transitioned on a new geographic and institutional reality.
  - 50 6y ago
    The mention of utilitarianism reminds me of this idea of insensibility. A calmer culture, I assume, is grounded in sensibility.

awillen 6y ago

This is one of those generalizations that just doesn't work for a country with hundreds of millions of people. You think those in the South and Midwest are hyperactive? Hardly. Those in sleepy beach towns? Nah. If you think that there are defining traits of that many people in a country that varies so greatly in terms of geography, lifestyle, religion and culture, then you just don't know what you're talking about.

momokoko 6y ago
I definitely think Europeans and others from homogeneous or smaller countries struggle to understand the variety and diversity of culture of the United States.
- morlockabove 6y ago
  In europe, the surrounding countries are your equivalent to the different states in the us
  - momokoko 6y ago
    That isn’t really accurate. There is much more diversity in individual states depending on where you are than in most European countries. That statement is kind of what I mean. I don’t think most people outside, and to some extent inside the US, appreciate how much diversity of culture exists in the US.
    - dukeyukey 6y ago
      I think morlockabove meant that thanks to the size of the US, the density of different cultures in many orders of magnitude higher in Europe than the US. Th cultural difference between Texans, Washingtonians and a New Hampshireite is minuscule compared to France and Germany, let alone France and somewhere like Estonia.
      - momokoko 6y ago
        I believe it misses the fact that there are very different cultures within Washington or Texas. For example, Austin is very different from Houston and even north Houston is very different from south Houston. Eastern Washington is completely different culturally than western Washington(Seattle etc). No where else in the world has the massive amount of diversity that the US does at the scale of the US. It’s not even close anywhere else so it is difficult for both US residents and people of other countries to fully comprehend.
        WitCanStain 6y ago
        That seems incredibly unlikely. So unlikely that I'm going to say it's not true. There are certainly cultural differences across the US but you'll have a very hard time convincing people that these differences are greater than those that exist between Finland and Italy, say. Or between Cameroon and Kenya.
        morlockabove 6y ago
        Sounds like a fully general counterargument
        tpm 6y ago
        The European Union has the scale of the US and arguably more diversity given there are a few more languages spoken and each one is associated with a different culture. And that's only a part of one continent, and there are more continents.
        dukeyukey 6y ago
        I completely believe there are differences, but are they really that different compared to areas of similar size in Europe, where you might go through a dozen different languages, different religions, massively varying political party support? And if you look at India or Indonesia, the cultural diversity becomes even more again.
what2build 6y ago
The majority live in urban areas where constant input of human activity is probably making them anxious and insane. I have tinnitus in the city. I go to the mountains and it’s gone. Keeping ratings and quarterly growth up is, to my mind, emergent of people who live densely. Intuiting incorrectly that lots of people moving around organically means life is to be lived on the go.
bluetomcat 6y ago
As a European, I have had numerous work relationships and occasional acquaintances with Americans from California, Arizona, Idaho and NY. Yes, everyone has a different personality and the region matters, but compared to my own Eastern European culture, the difference in mood, confidence and talkativity is rather consistent. Maybe my sample of American people is not completely representative, but these are just my observations as an outsider.
- readarticle 6y ago
  It’s actually interesting those are the samples as I would probably characterize the West & (North) East they’re all from as the most “hyperactive” parts of the country vs the South & Mexican Border at the other end of the spectrum, with the Mid West & rest of the East somewhere in between (but probably closer to the coasts than the south & border). Look out for any exciting opportunities to visit El Paso, Texas or Birmingham, Alabama for a proper comparison sometime if you can. Bonus points for Brownsville, Texas where you can get a well steeped mix of the South & border along with a rocket launch!
- Tarsul 6y ago
  also, if you converse in English the Americans have it easier to talk which enhances this phenomenon.
js2 6y ago
I'm from Miami. Years ago, I was visiting my wife (girlfriend at the time) in the keys. We went out to dinner. I was apparently still in Miami mode. The server said to me (and this took about a minute for him to say): "Relax ... man ... you're ... in ... the ... keys ... now." So, yeah.

50 6y ago

Furthermore, there is this idea of egoism. To think merely of profit - which you see in major cities with millions of people in the United States, it seems - is to be egoistic. The root of kindness is egotistical poverty. After all: egoism overlooks, kindness sees. You may substitute the words 'humility' or 'attention' for 'kindness' for the former and latter claim, and it will still hold true. And therefore, egoism is really inattention for it pays attention to what does not matter.

bluetomcat 6y ago
I would call it outwardly-expressive utilitarianism. The idea that the individual should channel their views, emotions and experiences through self-expression and self-identification, for the purpose of achieving tangible worldly goals. It’s an interesting amalgam of the traditions of Anglo-Saxon liberalism and of Protestantism with its practices for preaching and confession, transitioned on a new geographic and institutional reality.
- 50 6y ago
  The mention of utilitarianism reminds me of this idea of insensibility. A calmer culture, I assume, is grounded in sensibility.