European cultures can seem less smiley-friendly, but also more honest and genuine we had this discussion a few months ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id

European cultures can seem less smiley-friendly, but also more honest and genuine we had this discussion a few months ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39006092 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39006092 as a european i strongly prefer the the american approach. which btw is also found elsewhere in the world. as an individual who has difficulty making friends i need a lot of opportunity to interact with others before that happens. and a surface-friendly culture just makes that a lot easier. "fake it until you make it" somehow strangely fits here. it helps keep every day interactions friendly, and allows probing for deeper connections. i lived in the US two decades ago. maybe something changed in that time that i am not aware of.