If you don’t know less than 50% of Americans have a passport. The ones who don’t, I really see the limitation in their thinking. They never saw that most of the world is in fact freer than them, has a better system in place for their people, and doesn’t have some of the major problems that America has. I’m currently in a country where over 90% of items are made in that country. America (made in China) can’t comprehend this efficiency. P.S. I’m American
The thing that gets me though is how dangerous many Americans say other parts of the world is without having ever been there lol. I travel and I’ll tell you America is the MOST dangerous country outside of warzones. Yes even more dangerous that Arab countries for women. Lol I know that propaganda is in a lot of Americans minds.
OK so who’s actually been outside the country and can talk geopolitics and actually know from experience what they are talking about?
Several times. I’ve been to Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Italy, and Egypt once. It’s easy to travel in Europe if you live there.
No, sadly.
I have several times.
I have been to Britain three times.
I was stationed in Europe for three years when I was in the Army. While there I traveled to many cities in Germany and took a trip to Paris.
I used to have an online friend from the US and after some time, we both liked each other and he told me that he wanted me to move to his place (I live in SEA). After a few months of chatting, I noticed something weird about him. I don’t really like to talk about politics but he keep praising Trump and Maga and saying he hate how people misunderstand and insults the president.
He also said that he “feels sorry for me and can’t imagine how it’s like for a gay and femboy living in a country other than the US and Europe. Even in the US, people view twinks and femboys as a joke and they often made fun of so it must be a lot worse in your country”. I then told him that as a twink and femboy, I don’t feel like that all. All of my IRL straight friends respect me and never made fun of me. He then said my friends were just being polite to me …
He also insulted my culture and my country. I apologized and asked him to be more considerate and polite because I feel offended and then he told me that facts does not care about your feelings and he’s an American so its his culture to be more upfront and not being fake like asians.
I was so confused what is going on and felt like it was my fault and consulted my friends. They told me to ghosted him and I did.
I used to work in the hospitality industry and the Americans I met were so polite and super friendly. I’d say American tourists are the most friendliest compared to Europeans and other Asian tourists. That’s why I’m confused why my online “friend” behave like that. I can’t help but wondering if this a normal behaviour in the US? Were the thing he said about American cultures true?
I wouldn’t say it’s normal behavior in the US, but it certainly is more common than what you have probably seen in American tourists in SEA. As far as being “upfront”, there is that stereotype compared to some other cultures. In his case though he was just being a dick.
That guy was an ignorant jerk who fell victim to the propaganda machine combined with the deteriorating education system. Sadly, we have a lot of those kind in the US. You didn’t meet them during your time in the hospitality industry because they mostly don’t have passports.
If you don’t know less than 50% of Americans have a passport. The ones who don’t, I really see the limitation in their thinking.
why do you think it’s a thinking problem? applying for a passport costs money. travelling to another country costs even more money. not everyone has had access to the same opportunities.
anyways. i haven’t gotten to travel out of the US, but it certainly ain’t because i wouldn’t like to. it just isn’t financially feasible for a lot of people here.
I think OP was saying that traveling opens your mind to new thoughts, not that people don’t travel because their thinking is limited.
American here, currently sitting in the AFT cafeteria of a Norwegian cruise ship just off the coast of France. Saved for years to go on this once in a lifetime cruise.
I grew up on the edge of poor. Had basics and never went hungry, but our summer vacations were camping because it was cheap. Never went to Disneyland until I was in the Army and could afford it myself.
While I agree that going abroad is definitely eye opening, even traveling to other states increases your open-mindedness. I joined the Army and was stationed in Alabama, Georgia, Alaska and Washington. Going back home and reuniting with friends who never left the state or even left the general area was kind of shocking. Never being exposed to an even slightly different environment really showed in their attitude.
While I was in the Army, I was sent to Missouri and a couple of other states I can’t remember right now for a month or so for training or field problems, and short trips show how even though I was still in the same country, there were definitely societal, geographical and political differences in each place.
Expanding that to traveling other countries was also eye opening. The Army sent me to Thailand for a month. My current job sent me to Australia and S. Korea and a couple of other states for 2-3 weeks at a time. I liked hitting the tourist spots, but I really enjoyed just watching people wherever I am. Once you see that (for the most part) people are people, you start to get that just because someone’s idea is different than yours, doesn’t mean it’s wrong, it’s just different.
I don’t have much to say about geopolitics off the top of my head, but I used to scoff at pedestrian-friendly designs and subscribe to the idea that car ownership is freedom and roads are for cars only. Living in Germany for a few months and enjoying public transit made me perish those old thoughts.
Among developed nations, the US should not get any awards for safety, but I would argue that there’s certainly worse out there without venturing into warzones.
Who is going to pay for such a luxury? Im not even sure if i would go if given money. Id probably just pay for a better car.
What’s the point in going somewhere else? Its just desperate working class people scrounging what they can to pay for living expenses in a different location.
Traveling is depressing as fuck.
Is it okay for non-Americans to answer this?
Technically speaking, I’ve ONLY travelled outside of America
If you want. But I wanted to get answers from Americans I need yo see if they understand they can’t speak on something to the degree that they are notorious for without some experience and interaction with the thing
Yes, funny that you mentioned the American perception of danger.
Any time I mention visiting a country outside of western europe / the caribbean tourist hell- I literally get told I’m going to be chopped up or murdered.
I think any american willing to travel outside of the aforementioned places is someone with a mind already changed. For me it only confirmed what I already knew about the rest of the world.
And some of your replies are very correct, and a surface level conversation with most american hogs will prove it: the majority have not traveled abroad and many aren’t even well versed in the states / workings of their own country.
American centrism aah post
Could you share the link to your post that doesn’t focus on the USA?
No. I grew up poor. I was a poor young adult. Now I’m okay, but now I’m concerned with possibly ending up poor again. It’s like a stone around my neck.
Got a passport though. I’d love to be able to just move to another country (I swear I will learn whatever language I gotta, do my best to integrate, and not be too “outspoken American” if that is heavily frowned upon).
I believe you can do it.
Not American, so main question doesn’t apply. Have been to a couple other countries, have family in a lot more.
I’m currently in a country where over 90% of items are made in that country.
China? It’s got to be China, everywhere else has to import something other than raw resources. Hmm, maybe Cuba’s another candidate, I guess.
I travel and I’ll tell you America is the MOST dangerous country outside of warzones
That’s just straight up not true. The US is worst in class for the first world, but even parts of Mexico have a pretty high rate of violence.
No not China.
nope. im not part of that economic class.
What does seem to be a point of agreement for Europeans that live in the States for years is that the US is so huge that for most people, there’s no reason to leave. Whatever landscape you want can be had, from the tropics to the Arctic Circle. Geography makes it easy to never have a passport and experience 20 lifetimes of places. It actually is an amazing and diverse place.
That being said, getting an outside perspective of the world is an entirely different thing. Until an American gets their exceptionalism challenged by someone, it’s an internal emotional paper tiger. It typically benefits Americans to leave the country.
I won’t touch your point about most dangerous. I don’t agree, but won’t engage because I don’t want to end up in a Palintir database. Delete this post unless you want CBP searching your phone next time you re-enter the country.
I won’t touch your point about most dangerous. I don’t agree, but won’t engage because I don’t want to end up in a Palintir database. Delete this post unless you want CBP searching your phone next time you re-enter the country.
A scary reminder of chilling effects, hits close.
Being able to explore different geographic landscapes is nice but traveling outside of your country is necessary to broaden one’s worldview.
But even travel alone isn’t enough. You need to have a genuine curiosity about the world. About humanity.
I watched Eat Pray Love with my SO recently. I can’t think of a more narrow minded approach to telling this type of story. Using other nations and their people as a backdrop to one’s own half baked self discovery. It was poorly done and thankfully even the core audience of americans identified its issues.
I can’t imagine a life only seeing one nation’s people, worldview and lifestyle. It seems incomplete to me. I know for many Americans there are financial challenges (and not a lot of PTO) but I agree with you that its often to an individuals benefit to broaden their horizons.
But even travel alone isn’t enough. You need to have a genuine curiosity about the world. About humanity.
Indeed. I’ve once met a boatful of American tourists visiting Cologne (Germany). I don’t think they actually knew where they were, and even called me a liar when I told them that the cathedral they were looking at was 750 years old (“No bulding can be that old!”).
Did you know you can be exposed to other cultures without leaving the country? You did a good job of pointing out why travel alone doesn’t make people more open minded, but you didn’t touch on the opportunities Americans have to connect with other cultures without leaving their own country.
You can be exposed to an Americanized version of that culture, absolutely. Its not the same as going to its source.
Not to mention different economic classes. Like people for whom travel to a different continent would be a luxury beyond their financial capabilities.
I’ll search their phones lol. Good post except most Americans don’t even know about other states. They don’t travel through America lol only a small percentage of us do.
