Do Americans have the phoniest social skills?

Answer 1

No.Americans and Canadians are generally taught proper etiquette.Whether they use it or not is another story.

Answer 2

I don't think that Americans have phony social skills at all! Every time I have gone to the States I have been very impressed with how polite everyone is. This is especially noticeable in places like supermarkets where other people will actually get out of your way instead of trying to run their trolley over you the way they do in most European countries. It's nice to be greeted with a smile in shops and restaurants, and I've found that most people in America are genuinely interested in who you are and where you're from. Have you actually travelled in America and talked to people, without trying to be superior? Don't judge America and Americans by what you see on the telly.

Answer 3

I lived & worked in the States for 7 years, still work with Americans now. Don't interpret their Phony greetings in shops and other public spaces, "Have a nice day etc" as their sum total of social apptitude, they accept it for what it is, Plastic politeness.
Also when they travel abroad they tend to get a bit loud , that is only their general inadequacy of foreign languages ( English English included ) They are overall as polite as anyone and a damn sight more so than the French.

Answer 4

No, oh my god, go to an Asian country! Their whole system is based on "giving face". Nothing they do is real, it's all about faking it. They would rather lie to your face then admit they don't know the answer to something and if you are not from their country they REALLY don't want you there. Pleasentries don't really exist or they are completly phoney, said out of habit instead of sincerity (like "hi-gwon-ling" (mandarin in Taiwan), which sort of means "welcome" is said in every store and restaurant, without fail, and it never changes, it's always the same no matter where you go. At least Americans might say "Hello" or "How are you?" or ask you about the weather or something!)

In comparison, Americans are super nice, thoughtful and real people ( and no, I am not American, I am Canadian, born and breed to hate my nieghbours, lol)

Answer 5

Which 'particular Americans' are you talking about?

How would you define the 'phony' that you are referring to? Would that include someone 'trying to be polite in circumstances not normally experienced by him / her'?

From my experience, there are a number of Americans who have no idea of the meaning we associate with the word 'Class,' though that in itself is a subjective matter.

They seem to 'love dressing up' for those Special Occasions, but it's all really phony as it just a costume they are wearing to cover the reality.

My Grandmother taught me that it was the 'height of bad manners to point out the bad manners, or to gloat on the lack of social graces of visitors' (who were naive of such things).

Sash.

Answer 6

I would like to believe that on a whole that most Americans are sincere in their social skills (behavior).
I'm sure that not everyone lives by their social skills in the privacy of their own home but that does.nt make for Phony social skills-
If one uses their social skills often then how could it be considered phony?
Are you asking about the sincerity of those skills ?

Answer 7

what social skills? if they weren't so self obsessed then they might actually be decent people. i have an American living next door and he agrees. he says the only good Americans are the ones that have got out. in the words of an American. if only the rest of them realised that the world doesn't revolve around them

Answer 8

No. I generally find most people I meet, many of whom happen to be Americans, to fall into two camps. They have proper social skills and use them or they do not have proper social skills and they really don't care to ever have them.

Answer 9

Very sorry you have had bad experiences with Americans. Where those Mexican Americans, Japanese Americans, African Americans, Jewish Americans, Middle Eastern Americans, European Americans, American Indians, or are you talking about color? Which one of these White Americans, Brown Americans, Black Americans, Yellow Americans, are you referring to?

I will appologize for my fellow Americans only to say give us another chance. We are a nation of individuals.

Answer 10

I think not, because Americans are known for saying how they feel since we have freedom of speech. Many countries are not allowed to express how they feel so they have to avoid the truth of their opinion, and it carries into their social life.

Answer 11

A friend of mine went to the US and thought that people were in fact very sincere! For example, "have a nice day", people didn't just say it - they meant it. So perhaps us brits are a bit too sceptical about the yanks on this one.