4 ms·

Ten things the average American doesn't know about America

20 points by chunky1994 13y ago

Millennium 13y ago
This article blurs the line between fact and opinion rather heavily: its list of "ten things" is, arguably, evenly split between the two.
- Baustin 13y ago
  Yeah, it's a blog post. It's not based in science or excruciatingly fact-checked. It's just one guy's slightly cynical take on American culture.
nemothekid 13y ago
I thought I was having extreme deja vu because I've read this before, but the the article was dated May 8th. Turns out I'm not a time traveler, the story was republished from the post masculine, which was posted July 10th, 2012. http://postmasculine.com/america http://postmasculine.com/america
voidlogic 13y ago
Some are good points, but others seem entirely depending on the view of the culture passing judgement. For example, the remark about Anglo culture being seen as "cold and passionless" by Latin cultures is meaningless. The Latin cultures are seen by Anlgo cultures as "uncomfortably and inappropriately intimate". Just ask any American or British woman who has visited Italy and has had random men talk to them. I find the empirically verifiable statements, like those on health, or economics much more interesting.
digitalsushi 13y ago
"The American public is becoming docile and complacent. We’re obese and entitled. When we travel, we look for giant hotels that will insulate us and pamper us rather than for legitimate cultural experiences that may challenge our perspectives or help us grow as individuals." I am lame like this. I go on a vacation and then look for chain restaurants and hotels I have across the street back home. I have no idea how to bust out of this. It pegged me. It got me right. Sigh.
usaar333 13y ago
I found most of the points either to be well known or somewhat false: 1. Obvious toward an individual. Though most of the world familiar is interested in America. 2. Obvious 3. Obvious and applies to all countries. How many people in X country would know where Sudan is? 4. "Poor" is highly opinionated; that we are on the "cold" side of affection is also comparing America to a limited set of cultures. I could find plenty of cultures (Middle East, East Asia come to mind) where telling a random women " a) I wanted to meet her, and b) she’s beautiful" would creep the hell out of her. 5. By world standards, the qualify of life for the average American is awesome. I'll admit it looks less great compared to other developed nations. 6. No one in the US thinks other developed nations are crap. But it's being intellectually dishonest to claim that the quality of life for the average person in a developing nation (e.g. Cambodia) is on par with America. 7. Maybe. Another case of selecting certain examples. Counties like say China are on par with or less friendly than America. A stranger in China inviting you to a BBQ? 50% chance trying to scam you. 8. As someone who's spent time in East Asia, the idea that America has some insane consumer culture is laughable. 9. Sure, by developed country standards, the US looks bad. By world standards? pretty good. 10. Hardly unique to America
- nickff 13y ago
  I agree with all these points, and it seems like the article should have been "Ten Unsupported Opinions the Average American Doesn't Share with Me".
- Svip 13y ago
  To be honest, when I saw the title, I had hoped it was 10 interesting facts about the USA, not this. Trust me, as a foreigner, these articles are getting boring, and I strangely read a lot of them. I am not sure if they are supposed to make me feel superior or sad, but in reality I feel neither. I also find that these articles portray an image of Americans that is either not true or very misleading, which cannot be healthy or useful. The fact that I know where Sudan or the Ivory Coast (I refuse to use its French name in an English context) is, doesn't mean everyone in my country do. And in regards to point 1; this just doesn't ring true at all to me. Yes, we cover other countries' elections, but not in the way we cover the US presidential elections. And even people I know to be anti-American, often have something to say about the elections. I sometimes fear we cover the US elections more than our own elections. Then again, our elections last for four weeks.
ianstallings 13y ago
Thank you oh wise one for enlightening me.
waylandsmithers 13y ago
Should be retitled, "Ten things I think about America"
kunai 13y ago
Most of these are painfully obvious, but number 7 really rings true. I don't think any media in any other country is as hysterical and quick to judge as the media is in the United States, which results in a mass wave of delusion and fear. It's the reason we have the TSA. It's the reason people think that .22 caliber AR-15s are designed for use in war theaters (if they were, Iraq would have obliterated the United States). It's the reason people think that 3D printers are going to be legislated to death (they're not, chill out people.) The same goes for 8, 9, and 10, but I would argue that 10 applies to many other countries besides the United States, even if the U.S. is the biggest offender. Look at Japan. The home of zen, origami, bonsai, meditation, and a host of martial arts, now being abstracted from that culture due to complacency. The same is happening in Europe, although on a smaller scale.

20 points by chunky1994 13y ago

This article blurs the line between fact and opinion rather heavily: its list of "ten things" is, arguably, evenly split between the two.

Baustin 13y ago
Yeah, it's a blog post. It's not based in science or excruciatingly fact-checked. It's just one guy's slightly cynical take on American culture.

nemothekid 13y ago

I thought I was having extreme deja vu because I've read this before, but the the article was dated May 8th. Turns out I'm not a time traveler, the story was republished from the post masculine, which was posted July 10th, 2012. http://postmasculine.com/america http://postmasculine.com/america

voidlogic 13y ago

Some are good points, but others seem entirely depending on the view of the culture passing judgement. For example, the remark about Anglo culture being seen as "cold and passionless" by Latin cultures is meaningless. The Latin cultures are seen by Anlgo cultures as "uncomfortably and inappropriately intimate". Just ask any American or British woman who has visited Italy and has had random men talk to them. I find the empirically verifiable statements, like those on health, or economics much more interesting.

digitalsushi 13y ago

"The American public is becoming docile and complacent. We’re obese and entitled. When we travel, we look for giant hotels that will insulate us and pamper us rather than for legitimate cultural experiences that may challenge our perspectives or help us grow as individuals." I am lame like this. I go on a vacation and then look for chain restaurants and hotels I have across the street back home. I have no idea how to bust out of this. It pegged me. It got me right. Sigh.

usaar333 13y ago

I found most of the points either to be well known or somewhat false: 1. Obvious toward an individual. Though most of the world familiar is interested in America. 2. Obvious 3. Obvious and applies to all countries. How many people in X country would know where Sudan is? 4. "Poor" is highly opinionated; that we are on the "cold" side of affection is also comparing America to a limited set of cultures. I could find plenty of cultures (Middle East, East Asia come to mind) where telling a random women " a) I wanted to meet her, and b) she’s beautiful" would creep the hell out of her. 5. By world standards, the qualify of life for the average American is awesome. I'll admit it looks less great compared to other developed nations. 6. No one in the US thinks other developed nations are crap. But it's being intellectually dishonest to claim that the quality of life for the average person in a developing nation (e.g. Cambodia) is on par with America. 7. Maybe. Another case of selecting certain examples. Counties like say China are on par with or less friendly than America. A stranger in China inviting you to a BBQ? 50% chance trying to scam you. 8. As someone who's spent time in East Asia, the idea that America has some insane consumer culture is laughable. 9. Sure, by developed country standards, the US looks bad. By world standards? pretty good. 10. Hardly unique to America

nickff 13y ago
I agree with all these points, and it seems like the article should have been "Ten Unsupported Opinions the Average American Doesn't Share with Me".
Svip 13y ago
To be honest, when I saw the title, I had hoped it was 10 interesting facts about the USA, not this. Trust me, as a foreigner, these articles are getting boring, and I strangely read a lot of them. I am not sure if they are supposed to make me feel superior or sad, but in reality I feel neither. I also find that these articles portray an image of Americans that is either not true or very misleading, which cannot be healthy or useful. The fact that I know where Sudan or the Ivory Coast (I refuse to use its French name in an English context) is, doesn't mean everyone in my country do. And in regards to point 1; this just doesn't ring true at all to me. Yes, we cover other countries' elections, but not in the way we cover the US presidential elections. And even people I know to be anti-American, often have something to say about the elections. I sometimes fear we cover the US elections more than our own elections. Then again, our elections last for four weeks.

ianstallings 13y ago

Thank you oh wise one for enlightening me.

waylandsmithers 13y ago

Should be retitled, "Ten things I think about America"

kunai 13y ago

Most of these are painfully obvious, but number 7 really rings true. I don't think any media in any other country is as hysterical and quick to judge as the media is in the United States, which results in a mass wave of delusion and fear. It's the reason we have the TSA. It's the reason people think that .22 caliber AR-15s are designed for use in war theaters (if they were, Iraq would have obliterated the United States). It's the reason people think that 3D printers are going to be legislated to death (they're not, chill out people.) The same goes for 8, 9, and 10, but I would argue that 10 applies to many other countries besides the United States, even if the U.S. is the biggest offender. Look at Japan. The home of zen, origami, bonsai, meditation, and a host of martial arts, now being abstracted from that culture due to complacency. The same is happening in Europe, although on a smaller scale.