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Why are Americans so extroverted?

Your average Joe is pretty darn friendly, and positive. I think it’s a great way to be, but is this hard wired into you at school, or baked into the culture? What are your thoughts? I’m really intrigued. American travellers are so loud and gregarious! It’s fab. When I traveled through the states this was the one takeaway I got from every encounter. Everything turned up to the max! 😁

by Anonymousreply 110January 8, 2022 3:18 PM

Exhaustingly loud. I just walked behind two swishy lower middle class American queens who you could literally hear a block away. People were turning their heads. I immediately understand why it took so long for gay rights to come to America, and why, in some cases, it's a bad idea. ;-)

by Anonymousreply 1December 29, 2021 5:56 AM

This is a good observation. Americans are extroverted, and I know for a fact that a lot of other more stoic, reserved cultures view us as perky and very earnest automatons.

by Anonymousreply 2December 29, 2021 6:08 AM

Those of us in the US with introverted personalities do not have any easy time with it.

Usually primates grinning is a BAD thing, but not in Americans!

by Anonymousreply 3December 29, 2021 6:10 AM

It's just the norm here. I don't know why.

by Anonymousreply 4December 29, 2021 6:26 AM

I’ve never felt that I fit in here as it doesn’t suit my reserved low key demeanor. It’s a strange country full of obnoxious personalities, where being “outgoing” is celebrated as the only acceptable way to be.

by Anonymousreply 5December 29, 2021 6:37 AM

Our country was settled by different groups who wanted to reject a lot of the hierarchy of the Old World and create their own wealth and destiny. Acting assertive almost aggressive is just a way to assert dominance and scare off competition. There's a lack of community and emphasis on the collective needs of society. We have a rugged individualist culture. I find a lot of my fellow Americans will talk at others rather than listen and properly converse. It's very difficult to make real connections, as people will fake happiness and initiate the idea of friendship but rarely mean it. A lot of our politicians and celebrities are dumb as dirt and seem to be celebrated for their hustle and reliability rather than their intelligence or talent. Truly an Idiocracy.

by Anonymousreply 6December 29, 2021 6:42 AM

*relatability

by Anonymousreply 7December 29, 2021 6:43 AM

The way you wrote darn and spelled traveled says you’re American yourself OP

by Anonymousreply 8December 29, 2021 6:53 AM

[quote] Acting assertive almost aggressive is just a way to assert dominance and scare off competition.

by Anonymousreply 9December 29, 2021 7:18 AM

Extroverted countries: U.S., Italy, Greece..

by Anonymousreply 10December 29, 2021 7:20 AM

There are some Americans i enjoy talking to more than almost anyone else. I find these Americans unshowily frank, genuinely open-minded and curious about other people, ideas etc. There are other Americans I find off-puttingly glib and shallow and endlessly insecure and who, i think, give the good ones a bad name.

Another thing I've noticed about Americans that makes them distinct from any other nationality I've ever spent any length of time with (and I've never heard anyone else describe them this way so am interested to see if anyone agrees with me) is their earthiness. Don't laugh. Americans are earthy! Extremely so. I've overheard Americans talking amongst themselves and casually speaking whole sentences that would have English people falling dead off their chairs from sheer embarrassment.

by Anonymousreply 11December 29, 2021 7:49 AM

American extroversion is really a regional thing. You see it mainly among southerners and Midwesterners. If you really don't care for it then go to Washington DC . Those folks could see someone having a heart attack in front of them and not bother to glance up from their laptop.

by Anonymousreply 12December 29, 2021 7:52 AM

America is the most diverse country on earth, so we've learned to be outgoing to welcome our unfamiliar neighbors.

by Anonymousreply 13December 29, 2021 8:09 AM

At least fat Americans are much nicer than smoke-stinking French bitches.

by Anonymousreply 14December 29, 2021 8:24 AM

I grew up in DC and when I moved to New Jersey I was told I came across like a snob. When I moved to yet another state I was told I didn’t smile enough. Now it’s all so Ingrained I don’t know how to be any different.

Underneath the American gregariousness is a lot of insecurity and needing to be reassured through (excessive) friendliness. That said, I do like that where I live now we say ‘good morning’ and that kind of stuff. If I still lived in a city I am sure I’d feel differently. It’s an adjustment.

by Anonymousreply 15December 29, 2021 8:27 AM

As usual, the problem isn't the "extroverted" Americans, it's the extroverted snobs. Come to the Midwest, OP, and you'll get all the assertiveness you have grown to love without the asshole prickishness. In the Midwest they hold the door open for you and then kindly encourage you to hurry the fuck up.

by Anonymousreply 16December 29, 2021 8:43 AM

How is a culture passed down in any country? May as well ask why the Japanese seem so uniformly Japanese.

In America you're told to stand up and make something of yourself. In other cultures you might be told the tall poppy gets cut down.

by Anonymousreply 17December 29, 2021 8:52 AM

It's in the water.

by Anonymousreply 18December 29, 2021 5:33 PM

"Show and Tell" in Kindergarten and subsequently celebrity / fame culture. We are taught to 'present' from a much earlier age than other cultures.

by Anonymousreply 19December 29, 2021 5:35 PM

Good point R19

by Anonymousreply 20December 29, 2021 6:15 PM

Americans tend to move around a lot over the course of their lives and not establish deep roots anywhere. If they weren't constantly trying to make new friends they'd die of loneliness.

by Anonymousreply 21December 29, 2021 6:42 PM

Americans are extroverted because their culture is conceived of as having no class barriers and they are friendly and open to all they meet.

by Anonymousreply 22December 29, 2021 6:45 PM

[quote]America is the most diverse country on earth, so we've learned to be outgoing to welcome our unfamiliar neighbors.

[quote]...they are friendly and open to all they meet.

I diasagree, R13 and R22. On the diversity front, rich stories of grandparents from Sicilian and Norwegian farmer stock aside, the U.S. ranks in 104th place in racial and ethnic diversity; for that matter Canada is the only Western country in the top 20.

Obviously one can measure diversity in various ways and to various purposes, but it's a stretch to regear the place of the U.S. as Number 1 by somehow pushing it up 103 places.

In countries that want to consider themselves the very tiptop #1 in everything, the U.S. might score with North Korea, for instance, very highly indeed.

I dont think it's so much a big cheery Welcome Committee for Immigrants, Y'all as a certain expectation of friendliness as a way to announce one's place. Try introducing a domestic partner from another country to the U.S., even a prosperous and well received one, and you'll see a never ending display of fake friendliness (puedo hospitality, maybe) wherein Americans address your partner (who speaks English and a few other languages more than well) as if he were a large stupid baby, unfamiliar with modern ways.

Americans are friendly because it's expected of them. That thing of American kids being urged to smile all the time, to put themselves forward as if they really have something to offer (a presentation at which many excel.) They speak to strangers in the too loud, too expressive, rather bossy if you let them manner of Second Grade teachers. Friendly waiters who chitchat (or don't, depending on cues) rack up nice tips. Winners are extroverts and they are friendly, "and how has YOUR day been so far?"

Americans out it all on a plate and stick it straight out toward your face. Here I am. I am friendly. They laugh at everything, and smile when they're not laughing, or at least that's the goal - anything else and they will "oh that's too bad but I hope the rest of your life is better! Smile!"

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by Anonymousreply 23December 29, 2021 8:07 PM

I was pretty introverted for the first half of my life--it was kind of lonely, actually. So I made a conscious decision to act extroverted for the next part of my life--so much better. When you are friendly and open, everyone wants to join in.

by Anonymousreply 24December 29, 2021 8:24 PM

Why are Americans so obnoxious?

Fixed for OP

by Anonymousreply 25December 29, 2021 8:34 PM

[quote]When you are friendly and open, everyone wants to join in.

I'd rather stab everyone and writhe in their blood.

by Anonymousreply 26December 29, 2021 8:37 PM

Because they view quiet and shy people as freaks, especially if you’re applying for a job.

by Anonymousreply 27December 29, 2021 8:38 PM

Americans hate stoicism, formality, starchiness. We view those things as too fake, too uppity, too cold. We are a warm and outgoing people who value expressing ourselves openly. We value the freedom to display our colorfulness, individuality, and voice everywhere. We are the land of emotional display.

by Anonymousreply 28December 29, 2021 8:38 PM

Why are Americans so fat, ugly and trashy?

Fixed for OP

by Anonymousreply 29December 29, 2021 8:39 PM

I’m British, and I find the American extroversion really refreshing, although in small doses, as I’m a natural introvert myself and like people only in moderation.

by Anonymousreply 30December 29, 2021 8:43 PM

Rest assured, it is a bad thing. Nothing about Americans can be positive.

Nevermind that when Latin Americans and Mediterraneans act the exact same way it's some sort of mystical mode of being that makes them superior to.... well, Americans.

by Anonymousreply 31December 29, 2021 8:43 PM

[quote] Americans hate stoicism, formality, starchiness. [bold] We view those things as too fake[/bold] too uppity, too cold. We are a warm and outgoing people who value expressing ourselves openly. We value the freedom to display our colorfulness, individuality, and voice everywhere. We are the land of emotional display.

Ironic then, that more often than not, Americans are viewed as “fake”. Insincere. Shallow. Superficial. Lacking in depth or understanding. Lacking in empathy or community at the expense of prized individualism.

by Anonymousreply 32December 29, 2021 8:45 PM

We love living asshole OP

by Anonymousreply 33December 29, 2021 8:55 PM

R31, do you feel better now after shitting on Latin Americans? What’s wrong with being extroverted or fake nice? I’m a secret introvert myself, but I know how to play the extrovert game when I’m around people.

There’s nothing wrong with people in different countries being different and behaving differently. Wouldn’t life be boring if we all behaved the same way and had the same face?

by Anonymousreply 34December 29, 2021 8:57 PM

R34 I was shitting on lazy Europeans and their double standards. Latin Americans are extroverted and friendly in the same way U.S. Americans are, they are also often loud as fuck (if you've ever known any Brazilians...) You can hear a Brazilian before you see them.

I don't think that's a bad thing, but I'm American. You literally read my comment backwards, by the way.

by Anonymousreply 35December 29, 2021 9:02 PM

Americans love extroverts unless they’re brown people chanting songs in the line at Walt Disney World.

by Anonymousreply 36December 29, 2021 9:04 PM

R36 As long as we're bad and wrong, regardless of the situation. Forget staying on topic, forget making sense, just make sure Americans are coded as inferior. Always.

by Anonymousreply 37December 29, 2021 9:09 PM

It’s regional. Americans from New England and big cities are reserved. Americans from the South and Midwest are more friendly. It’s also because there is no upper class culture in the U S. You’re upper class if you’re rich. No special refinement. education or breeding is needed. In fact, if you exhibit any aspects of an aristocrat you’re seen as weird. The richest people in the US dress and act like average people. I think it’s because the US never experienced feudalism.

by Anonymousreply 38December 29, 2021 9:10 PM

You know NOTHING about class in America, R38.

by Anonymousreply 39December 29, 2021 9:12 PM

Americans despise elitism and snootiness. Being stoic and reserved are traits of the despised elite.

by Anonymousreply 40December 29, 2021 9:12 PM

It's about commercialism and materialism. Showing off one's personal wealth and abundance. It's about convincing others that you are somebody in order to believe one day that you are indeed somebody.

In this snake oil salesmen driven society, people are conditioned to strive for outside approval and receive it through any means necessary.

by Anonymousreply 41December 29, 2021 9:18 PM

[quote]I’ve never felt that I fit in here as it doesn’t suit my reserved low key demeanor. It’s a strange country full of obnoxious personalities, where being “outgoing” is celebrated as the only acceptable way to be. R5

[quote]American extroversion is really a regional thing. You see it mainly among southerners and Midwesterners. If you really don't care for it then go to Washington DC . Those folks could see someone having a heart attack in front of them and not bother to glance up from their laptop.

I agree with both R5 and R12, being outgoing is celebrated, being more reserved is often questioned and in some cases even shamed.

I grew up in the DC area but currently live in Philadelphia and there is a stark contrast between the two, the atmosphere went from aloof and somewhat formal to friendly and demonstrative, at times bordering on aggressive.

by Anonymousreply 42December 29, 2021 9:20 PM

I would love an educated response on this. I believe the “show and tell” that was mentioned contributes; maybe also the way the pay in certain jobs depends on your behavior? Of course, it greases our interactions nicely.

I love the American friendliness and helpfulness. All of you saying Americans are “fake”, are you being your honest self by ignoring strangers, caring about yourself and yours only, and not being polite and friendly? Because it is easy to be honestly unfriendly, uncaring and unhelpful. Walking by. Not saying hello and giving a friendly nod. Close yourself up and give nothing away.

by Anonymousreply 43December 29, 2021 9:21 PM

Being humble is not valued in the U.S.

by Anonymousreply 44December 29, 2021 9:23 PM

We are descended from people who were optimistic enough to give up everything to take a ship to a new world where they were convinced that they would find happiness and success, even though it likely meant never seeing the people they left behind again.

Or from enslaved Africans who believed that at some point things would get better, that they or their children would be free.

That's why.

by Anonymousreply 45December 29, 2021 9:26 PM

[quote] It’s regional. Americans from New England and big cities are reserved.

Don't forget that most introverted pocket of them all -- the Pacific Northwest.

by Anonymousreply 46December 29, 2021 9:35 PM

We don't understand what you're trying to say (?).

by Anonymousreply 47December 30, 2021 1:34 AM

Self-esteem? Foreigners are always embarrassed by their country's past.

by Anonymousreply 48December 30, 2021 1:54 AM

Our culture was shaped by people who came here from somewhere else. They were no longer in a village where everyone knew their mother, their uncle, their cousin whoever, and where they knew which grocer was trustworthy or which neighbor was a thief. They had to be extroverted, every day, to build communities from scratch, to show other people they were kind and trustworthy and safe, to learn this information about others, to get the help and give the help needed, which in the old country would come from family most likely. That built interpersonal expectations passed down in our culture. My mother raised us by saying, you never know when you might need someone again, so be kind to them.

This is seen by some as shallow or transactional. Sure, when I ask a cashier how her day is going, I am not interested to the same degree I would be in a friend. But I do care. For most people pleasantries aren’t really empty, just not so weighty.

by Anonymousreply 49December 30, 2021 2:05 AM

R30 I’m a friendly extroverted Brit, and I agree it’s refreshing. I think it’s why I seem to fit in here so well. I think the friendliness and hospitality Americans demonstrate is something to be awfully proud of. Not only does it put many people at ease, but it also fosters getting to know new people much easier.

by Anonymousreply 50December 30, 2021 2:12 AM

R49 Friendly extroverts are oftentimes people trying to rip you off and testing you out.

by Anonymousreply 51December 30, 2021 2:14 AM

R23, that study measures language differences, connecting them to cultural differences. That is DEEPLY misleading. Especially when you understand English supremacy in the US.

by Anonymousreply 52December 30, 2021 2:15 AM

Well, R51, con men and medicine men are another American tradition.

by Anonymousreply 53December 30, 2021 2:17 AM

Before Grammar pests pounce, I should have typed much more easily. I’d hate to be such a poor example and let that stand here.

by Anonymousreply 54December 30, 2021 2:31 AM

R54 The problem is "fosters" not easier/easily. Write "it also makes getting to know new people much easier."

by Anonymousreply 55December 30, 2021 4:12 AM

Or if you insist on "fosters," then simply write "it also fosters getting to know new people."

by Anonymousreply 56December 30, 2021 4:15 AM

[quote] You know NOTHING about class in America, [R38].

[quote] --Paul Fussell

Oh shut up, you outdated closet case. You've been dead for nearly ten years, and that tired book of yours about class is nearly forty years old.

by Anonymousreply 57December 30, 2021 4:17 AM

R46 is correct. The OP is an idiot to assume all Americans are extroverted.

The majority in the Northwest come from Sweden, Norway, Denmark & Finland (the Introvert Capital of the World), and many of them first stopped over in Duluth (as in Dull-luth) and Minneapolis/St. Paul before moving on to the greater Seattle area. So there are a lot of introverts there as well as in many parts of the country.

by Anonymousreply 58December 30, 2021 4:20 AM

Cheers R56. I speak and read several languages well, but rarely edit here. Much of the time, I’ve been drinking TBH. Can you believe I’ve earned good money writing professionally for over twenty years? I’ve had great editors, and proofreaders.

by Anonymousreply 59December 30, 2021 4:22 AM

This is such an interesting question. I wish I knew. I am deeply reserved and I've been told I could come across as stand-offish and aloof. But when I went overseas to certain countries, I felt like I was being almost too friendly? They didn't seem to mind but it was definitely a difference in my behavior versus theirs. My thinking was that I didn't want to seem rude so I acted the same over there essentially as here, asking about their day and doing the whole good morning routine. I couldn't say why it is this way on a national level but I do know it was emphasized to me that I would come across as rude if I didn't act that way.

by Anonymousreply 60December 30, 2021 4:34 AM

American extroversion barely masks American insecurity when in the presence of those who you like to call “foreigners”.

by Anonymousreply 61December 30, 2021 4:56 AM

I do wonder if weather somehow plays a small part in the level of extroversion of a culture. The warmer, southern European countries, for example, tend to be more outgoing and boisterous than their northern counterparts.

by Anonymousreply 62December 30, 2021 5:10 AM

David Sedaris totally nailed this years ago:

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by Anonymousreply 63December 30, 2021 5:25 AM

There's sides to it. Yes, it can be obnoxious - and my friends from other countries have said as much. But, many also seem to really appreciate it. Americans are outgoing, friendly, and helpful, which sounds insane given how we awful are to each other -- though a lot of that is online and anonymously. Not that no one is rude and unfriendly in person, but "on the ground" many are indeed nice (even if it's just performative/diplomatic for some).

by Anonymousreply 64December 30, 2021 5:30 AM

Exactly, r52. The study r23 references has no meaningful application to the US, an enormous country with 350 million people, and an advanced economy, incorporating ethnic groups from all over the planet.

We have to be open just in order for everybody to get along. It's not a bad default setting to have, especially in dense metropolitan areas, where you encounter people from all cultures, either already established here or from outside the country.

by Anonymousreply 65December 30, 2021 7:11 AM

"Show and tell" was described as a long established educational practice in 1954 and is not exclusive to the U.S.. I doubt it had any more to do with extroversion as a supposed national trait than did crazy concepts of a nation of immigrants keen to welcome other newcomers, or to regional differences traced to climate or the personality traits of Norwegian farmers, or the exaggerated idea of rootless Americans moving around often, or the idea of early settlers as freedom seekers, or the size of the buckles on Pilgrims shoes.

[quote]Show and tell (sometimes called show and share or sharing time) is the practice of showing something to an audience and describing it to them, usually a toy or other children's-oriented item. [bold]In the United Kingdom, North America, New Zealand and Australia, it is a common classroom activity in early elementary school.[/bold] In a typical session of show and tell, a child will bring an item from home and will explain to the class why they chose that particular item, where they got it, and other relevant information.

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by Anonymousreply 66December 31, 2021 2:13 PM

They aren’t. Just like in any other country, we have a mix of introverts and extroverts. It’s just the extroverts who are seen and heard—and remembered. When I was vacationing in Cabo, my spouse and I sat next to some British women who were vacationing and we were having a drink and reading quietly and they asked us if we were Canadian. We said “no, we’re from California.” There are plenty of quiet Americans who just fly under the radar when they travel. When we travel as a pair, we just walk, dine, experience the culture, and talk quietly. We aren’t trying to also friends or start something. We do smile at everyone and make eye contact, which is an American thing, maybe, but we blend in otherwise.

Plenty of people travel like this and aren’t memorable to others the way louder extroverts are.

by Anonymousreply 67December 31, 2021 5:32 PM

As far as rich Americans go— I live in a rich place where the locals basically service the rich - pool companies, landscaping, estate maintenance.

The lowest tier of workers are illegal aliens.

Then you see the middle tier of locals who you see a lot more of in winter time because they’re not 8n Palm Beach. Then you have the rich. Some of them stay out here in winter because they’re renovating their condos, or it’s holiday time, so they’re out here to host and attend dinner parties for the week, etc.

When I take my cat to the vet every 2 weeks for her chemo pill I get to see everyone in the parking lot (because of shutdown, no one is allowed inside). People hand their dogs over and walk around the parking lot a little bit.

Everyone is wearing the same type of clothing. Fleece jacket, jeans or leggings, soft casual shoes, baseball caps. But I can immediately tell who is mid level & who is rich by the quality, color and fit of their clothing. Expensive clothes look better. They fit far better. They avoid pukey colors like washed-out pink. Even their baseball caps are better.

When it gets cold out, travel over to Sag Harbor, where everyone is in their Canada Goose jackets, which do not look at all like your off the rack down jacket. You’re each wearing black down jackets with vertical quilting, but there’s a bigggg difference.

by Anonymousreply 68December 31, 2021 5:43 PM

[quote] Being humble is not valued in the U.S.

I once criticized brashness to a former boyfriend (came of age during Reagan) and he responded with something like, "don't people like that?," or "don't people think it's a good thing?"

by Anonymousreply 69December 31, 2021 5:57 PM

New Englanders are plenty friendly, although in Boston itself there's that snobbishness about what school you attended.

Pacific Northwest is a hotbed of passive-aggressive!

Contrary to what Europeans decry regularly, it's not phony cheer, many Americans are friendly.

by Anonymousreply 70December 31, 2021 6:41 PM

Pacific Northwest is full of creepy depressed people who hate the world and can't admit it.

by Anonymousreply 71December 31, 2021 6:47 PM

My American family is fairly extroverted, and we have a Canadian in-law who is notably different—in some wonderful ways (humble, self-effacing, dry and quiet humor) and some tougher ones (he avoids talking about himself to such an extent that you have to really remember to ask direct questions to find out how he is and what he’s been up to, whereas the rest of us are comfortable sharing news without being asked).

by Anonymousreply 72December 31, 2021 6:55 PM

It’s not that we are so friendly. (Have you ever met a Spanish or Italian person?)

It’s more that the Brits are so sneery, mocking, hateful and rude. It’s just comparative then.

by Anonymousreply 73December 31, 2021 6:56 PM

Italian people can turn on you on a dime! Spaniards seem lovely, if Rafa Nadal is any indication.

by Anonymousreply 74December 31, 2021 6:59 PM

When I studied in Spain I was warned that Spaniards are superficially friendly but that it takes years to become a close friend of theirs, so you shouldn't get your feelings hurt if they snub you.

Sound familiar? It got portrayed as sophisticated and discerning, rather than shallow. Spaniards are all about family, you see, and close friends are treated like family so they're picky.

by Anonymousreply 75December 31, 2021 7:04 PM

I didn’t say they were perfect r74!

by Anonymousreply 76December 31, 2021 7:05 PM

That show and tell culture in America, has become very Kardashian. You see someone like Kim Kardashian and how she has to show and tell so much of her life. That's exactly why Americans rule social media on the world wide web. Americans are the ultimate Stars of the internet, know one else even comes close.

Also, Kim is extremely famous and obscenity wealthy. She achieved the part of the American dream so many people desperately want. The same with people like Beyonce and America's Queen Billionaire Oprah Winfrey.

These people are the American dream!

by Anonymousreply 77December 31, 2021 11:11 PM

Obscenely.

by Anonymousreply 78December 31, 2021 11:12 PM

Because we eat a TON of sugar!

by Anonymousreply 79January 1, 2022 5:23 AM

Extroverted? You bet!

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by Anonymousreply 80January 1, 2022 2:13 PM

R23, taken directly from the study you linked:

[quote] It's important to note that the goal of Gören's study was not to construct a list of the most racially diverse countries, but to identify the most culturally diverse nations.

The poster you are responding to is talking about racial diversity. No one is arguing that America is a homogenous country in terms of our culture. Americans are Americans and we like being Americans. The point is, there are many different types of Americans, from many different races and backgrounds and erstwhile nationalities.

Stop trying to detract from the very valid claim laid down by the poster you are responding to. When it comes to big, diverse countries, even with our myriad problems, no one does it better than America. It’s just the truth.

by Anonymousreply 81January 1, 2022 2:44 PM

R82, if you can't sort out the difference between racial and cultural diversity, pick one or the other or both, by whatever definition, and find a study that shows the U.S. at the top (or top-ish) in a list of diverse countries by any applicable measure.

I noted that a survey of national diversity is necessarily going to have its particular focus/bias, but please, show something to support your 8th grade civics class assertion that "...even with our myriad problems, no one does it better than America. It’s just the truth."

I think we might have attended that same class, but both of us arrived at different conclusions, or one if us questioned American Exceptionalism as truth that requires nothing more than bold assertion.

by Anonymousreply 82January 1, 2022 5:05 PM

R81 Have you looked at Germany? Or France? They've become quite diverse. Been almost a cliché for decades: American Blacks who find a better life there.

by Anonymousreply 83January 2, 2022 3:41 AM

The USSR was hugely diverse (and I’m not even Boris). The Russian Federation is diverse. The reason Americans don’t know is because they don’t know the cultures/nationalities of half the different people who live there. Of course, some of the Russian Federation’s diversity is due to Stalin’s forced deportation of certain nationalities. It’s just that Russia doesn’t have a lot of African people. But there are lots of different Asian nationalities, Balkan, Baltic, Ashkenazi (though most have moved to the US & Israel, they were in Russia for hundreds of years). There are Persians, Uzbeks, Georgians, Alans, Chechens, Armenians, Tatars, Kyrgs, Mongolians, Turkmen, Siberians. There are Russian orthodox, Ukrainian orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, shamanists, Hindus. Putin is not a fan of Catholics and Protestants. I’m sure he’s not a fan of Islam either, but there are so many central Asian Muslims who are so strongly Muslim-identified that he doesn’t dare try to impede them like he does Catholics and Protestants.

Putin is so bad for Russia, but many, many people in Russia (of many nationalities) love their strongmen.

by Anonymousreply 84January 2, 2022 5:58 AM

R84 And to continue, India is vast and has a vast diversity of different peoples.

by Anonymousreply 85January 2, 2022 6:11 AM

education

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by Anonymousreply 86January 2, 2022 6:11 AM

r81 some would suggest that America's diversity was established in the diversity of ideas, it's concept of law and directions of progress... but it's more that the nature of the U.S. has taken a mythic fantasy life of it's own - it is more the promise of what it represents than it's reality.

there are no cats in america and the streets are paved with cheese

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by Anonymousreply 87January 2, 2022 6:26 AM

r87 or perhaps it's contrasted to the cucks to the north of us

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by Anonymousreply 88January 2, 2022 6:28 AM

[quote] The USSR was hugely diverse (and I’m not even Boris).

That’s like saying the British Empire was diverse. Or the antebellum South was diverse.

by Anonymousreply 89January 2, 2022 6:31 AM

~ ~ ~

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by Anonymousreply 90January 2, 2022 6:42 AM

R19

Mais tais-toi, pauvre conne.

by Anonymousreply 91January 2, 2022 8:32 PM

[quote]Been almost a cliché for decades: American Blacks who find a better life there.

Wake me up when Germany elects a Black chancellor.

by Anonymousreply 92January 2, 2022 9:16 PM

[quote][R84] And to continue, India is vast and has a vast diversity of different peoples.

India is one of the most bigoted, segregated societies on earth. Have you heard of the caste system?

I asked for a big, diverse country that handles their diversity better than America. If your response is India, then guess what? You lose.

by Anonymousreply 93January 2, 2022 9:18 PM

Not so much extroverted as “loud”, OP.

by Anonymousreply 94January 3, 2022 3:41 AM

R93 You've never spent a day in India. And probably not in Germany, either. Come back when you can offer an informed first-hand view.

by Anonymousreply 95January 3, 2022 3:49 AM

You're not meeting introverts either in or from the US because they won't strike up conversations with strangers. Introverts stay in a lot more than they go out. Introverts loved sheltering in place and all the cultural events they could attend via zoom. I think it's true that being introverted is seen as a negative in the US because of all that Dale Carnegie "how to get people to like you" bullshit. Introverts don't care.

Some of us have acquired adapted skills because of our professions. But left to our own devices, we'd rather Netflix and chill than yuk it up in a bar.

by Anonymousreply 96January 3, 2022 3:57 AM

R95, I don’t need to spend a day in India. I work with Indians all day, every day in my line of work. I have reported to Indians in the past, and right now, I have three Indians who report to me.

That’s more than sufficient to know and understand how Indians treat women and black people, for example, in a professional setting.

I can also read and it’s hardly a controversial statement to describe Indians as classist and racist. It’s baked into their culture (again, please observe the caste system).

by Anonymousreply 97January 3, 2022 4:22 AM

I don’t think anyone’s arguing that Americans cannot be introverted, but if you have been in other countries, the difference in how people behave in public is almost palpable - smiling at everybody and striking up conversations with random people. Only Italians from the south of Italy come close to Americans in their ease of talking to strangers. And only Americans do this thing of asking you something like “hi, how is your day?” and then immediately moving on without listening to the answer, so yes, the friendliness does come across as phony.

by Anonymousreply 98January 3, 2022 4:35 AM

None of you have clearly ever been to Ireland. People there have no problem striking up conversations with strangers and are rather extroverted, and love having a good time. So being friendly and extroverted is nothing to do with climate. Spanish people are not friendly.

by Anonymousreply 99January 3, 2022 5:41 AM

R97 Re-read your post and decide who's the real racist. Bigot.

by Anonymousreply 100January 3, 2022 6:25 AM

[quote]Spanish people are not friendly.

It's true in Spain that people do not as a rule greet strangers on a street, though they will chat up a stranger and make a joke of their shared situation in a queue or in a shop or with the next table in a restaurant or bar. To my experience they love conversation and finding shared experience, they just need to be in close proximity to do it. The waiter will be pleasant but professional until one of you makes a small joke or breaks the ice of "just business" with the other, then he will be very friendly.

In crowded streets and other places, some ice breaker is usually required to break the social distance, but then they are very warm, like conversation, and love finding some common connection.

by Anonymousreply 101January 3, 2022 9:05 AM

[quote] None of you have clearly ever been to Ireland. People there have no problem striking up conversations with strangers and are rather extroverted

That's also called being drunk.

by Anonymousreply 102January 6, 2022 8:10 PM

[quote]Why are Americans so extroverted?

Hookworm-infection anemia from running around barefoot and loss of impulse control because their mothers drank and drugged right through to the delivery.

by Anonymousreply 103January 6, 2022 8:26 PM

R103, them's fightin' words. I have half a mind to find my gun, iffin' my toddler hadn't a lost it at Walmart.

by Anonymousreply 104January 6, 2022 9:58 PM

My mother was recovering from cancer treatments when my parents toured the US so my father could attend some massive conventions for his industry back in the 90s. They have quite a few stories of Americans going out of their way to be helpful, hospitable, kindly, etc to an astounding degree.

The travel couldn't be avoided but it was very lucky they were in the US where people are so often extroverted, intrigued by an Australian accent and more than happy to be kind and take an interest to help if someone is not in the best of health, and a complete stranger from the other side of the world to boot.

by Anonymousreply 105January 8, 2022 4:07 AM

[quote]Wake me up when Germany elects a Black chancellor.

This. Every time France or Germany makes noise about their diversity and how they do it so much better than the US, there is only one reply necessary: where is YOUR Obama?

[quote]I can also read and it’s hardly a controversial statement to describe Indians as classist and racist. It’s baked into their culture (again, please observe the caste system).

The importation of the caste system into the workplaces of Silicon Valley has become a real problem:

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 106January 8, 2022 10:44 AM

R106 Give the Germans and French credit for not putting a token do-nothing into power.

by Anonymousreply 107January 8, 2022 12:18 PM

Well ain't that rich, coming from a know-nothing like R107.

by Anonymousreply 108January 8, 2022 12:21 PM

Because FUCK YOU, that's why.

Extroverts exist everywhere. In some cultures they're simply louder than in others. They are everywhere and they are exhausting.

by Anonymousreply 109January 8, 2022 12:37 PM

R107 Fuck you Bitch!!

by Anonymousreply 110January 8, 2022 3:18 PM
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