4 ms·

I don't believe Americans are fake, but I do believe that Americans are trained since an early age to display at all times that they're not a threat, and that i

I don't believe Americans are fake, but I do believe that Americans are trained since an early age to display at all times that they're not a threat, and that is kind of sad.

floxy 3y ago
>I do believe that Americans are trained since an early age to display at all times that they're not a threat Interesting. Since I'm the fish who can't see the water, could you provide me with some examples of this?
- bananamerica 3y ago
  Just look at how some primates use an abundance of facial muscles to establish they're not a threat. Or how having the local accent can show you are not an invader. The sing-songy greetings,the smiles, etc, can be read as demonstrations that you are not a threat. Americans have to do that in almost all times and contexts.
  - PaulDavisThe1st 3y ago
    This is an interesting point, but I think the reason for it is a little different than you're suggesting. When I was younger and would go hiking or climbing in Scotland and Wales, I would definitely have to be quite mindful of "showing I was not a threat" when entering small village stores and pubs there. The more densely and contiguously populated and area is, the easier it is to (a) feel a part of the "in group" (b) not feel aware of the difference between "insiders" and "outsiders". My experience is that the behavior you describe in Americans is roughly proportional to population density and tourism levels. Areas with lots of people and/or lots of visitors do not require this "low threat establishment". Areas with less people and/or less visitors often do so. I think this is true of Europe just as much as the USA, and I would guess it is probably the same worldwide.
yonaguska 3y ago
I would hazard that this is a function of our Wild West/Frontier culture. America had individual gun ownership since inception. Unlike Europe where lethal weapons/training were not available to every level of the social strata. America was a free-for-all for a very long time with very different cultures clashing constantly. You did not want to present as a threat in a world like that. I wonder if this is still common in less developed countries where life is cheap and access to lethality is easy. More contemporarily, I can speak specifically to black culture- if you're black interacting with white strangers in a foreign environment, you may find yourself being overtly friendly to strangers simply as a means to compensate against any potential stereotypes. I'm sure being a minority in any situation can elicit this reaction though, including being a white minority. And I've also experience d the opposite, where I'm a "white" minority- and I had to simultaneously present myself as not being a threat, but also not an easy victim.

I don't believe Americans are fake, but I do believe that Americans are trained since an early age to display at all times that they're not a threat, and that is kind of sad.

floxy 3y ago

>I do believe that Americans are trained since an early age to display at all times that they're not a threat Interesting. Since I'm the fish who can't see the water, could you provide me with some examples of this?

bananamerica 3y ago
Just look at how some primates use an abundance of facial muscles to establish they're not a threat. Or how having the local accent can show you are not an invader. The sing-songy greetings,the smiles, etc, can be read as demonstrations that you are not a threat. Americans have to do that in almost all times and contexts.
- PaulDavisThe1st 3y ago
  This is an interesting point, but I think the reason for it is a little different than you're suggesting. When I was younger and would go hiking or climbing in Scotland and Wales, I would definitely have to be quite mindful of "showing I was not a threat" when entering small village stores and pubs there. The more densely and contiguously populated and area is, the easier it is to (a) feel a part of the "in group" (b) not feel aware of the difference between "insiders" and "outsiders". My experience is that the behavior you describe in Americans is roughly proportional to population density and tourism levels. Areas with lots of people and/or lots of visitors do not require this "low threat establishment". Areas with less people and/or less visitors often do so. I think this is true of Europe just as much as the USA, and I would guess it is probably the same worldwide.

yonaguska 3y ago

I would hazard that this is a function of our Wild West/Frontier culture. America had individual gun ownership since inception. Unlike Europe where lethal weapons/training were not available to every level of the social strata. America was a free-for-all for a very long time with very different cultures clashing constantly. You did not want to present as a threat in a world like that. I wonder if this is still common in less developed countries where life is cheap and access to lethality is easy. More contemporarily, I can speak specifically to black culture- if you're black interacting with white strangers in a foreign environment, you may find yourself being overtly friendly to strangers simply as a means to compensate against any potential stereotypes. I'm sure being a minority in any situation can elicit this reaction though, including being a white minority. And I've also experience d the opposite, where I'm a "white" minority- and I had to simultaneously present myself as not being a threat, but also not an easy victim.