Some Americans have stereotype about other cultures. It only takes a few people's behavior that we either read or watch about on the news to validate a person's stereotype of a culture. As for the stereotype of Americans being unintelligent that is true yet untrue. It is true that there are many Americans that are uneducated or uncultured. However, there are many Americans are intelligent. It is sort of like the stereotype that all Americans are rude. True the are many rude people that are Americans that does not mean all Americans are rude. However it only take a few people who are rude to validate a person's stereotype. Often this behavior stands out in people's minds. Stereotype, often wrong ones influences the world we live in significantly. After all after reading this you might be under the idea that Americans do not have the best grammar. While that might be true for some it is certainly not true for all.
2007-01-21 08:56:35
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answer #1
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answered by Janet 3
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Read the whole thing before deciding.
It's the same stereotype about Mexicans being lazy, French being rude, Germans being rude AND abusive, British being the Clueless Wonders...
The stereotypes get their start in misunderstanding, and get reinforced because most of what is seen of our culture, or anybody's culture, is done by the extremely vulgar and loud-mouthed ones.
It doesn't help much that our president happens to be a Socially Retarded Animated Sphincter who thinks we or rather HE should be allowed to run the world.
And a really large percentage of American "tourists" are now running all over the world pointing guns at people and shouting insults and killing them if they don't agree.
The perceptions of one group as relates to any other group are going to be wrong. That's the nature of group thought.
To break free of that one needs to question his own group first, then look very closely at individuals of the Other group.
One form of "groupthink" is the attitude of "superiority" which is seldom based on actual fact.
Hence the prejudices thrown about against Germans, French, English Irish you-name-it-ish.
And again the loudest and rudest and worst examples of any civilization are going to get the most attention.
Mark Twain wrote an essay you can find with your search engine, "The loud little handful" on just this subject. He was commenting on the (then) recently fought Franco-Prussian war, part 372 or however many times those neighboring countries had gone to war. And the war mongering spirit that allows for such things.
If there were some way to demonstrate Civility loudly and forcefully, it would make a difference more quickly. As it is, we get to change a few hearts at a time.
2007-01-21 09:13:56
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answer #2
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answered by brotherjonah 3
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Well, they are. They know nothing of what is outside of their country, and do not even know their own country properly. They are ignorant.
Loud, boorish, awful manners.
Examples:
1. Everything must be as in the US, if it's different, it's bad.
A woman in a bar in Paris orders a drink. The waiter takes the
order. She: "Why, he is taking the order the wrong way. If it was in
the US, he would have done it this and that way." He goes away, bring the drinks. "It the wrong glass. If it was in the US, the glass would have been different." She sips: "Why, it is a drink different from the US! If it was in the US, it would have had a different taste." What, she expected Paris to the as the US, then? No wonder that at the end of this loud speech - she actually screamed - the whole cafes announces: "Then go back to the United States."
2. No manners at all.
In a restaurant. Evening, Saturday, people are relaxing, it is a nice
place on Montmarte. Enter a couple, a man and a woman, in dirty or what seems dirty buggy jeans, T-shirts. They are seated at the table.
A woman start screaming on the top of her voice, evidently to attract attention: "HOW WONDERFUL WHAT WE CAME HERE, HARRY, FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY! I DO NOT LIKE THIS PLACE, IT IS SO CUTE! WOW, WHAT A WAITER, LOOK, WHAT IS HE WEARING! WHAT IS THIS DISH?" Snatches the
dish off a water, pokes the waiter into the belly: "DO YOU KNOW THAT TODAY IS OUR ANNIVERSARY! IT IS SO WONDERFUL!" Continues through the
whole meal, playing a clown. Impossible for normal people to eat and talk quietly. While waving her hands in the air, she overthrew two sauce bottles. It made her scream louder.
3. Familiarity.
And American:
"I do not like it there. People are so bad. I went there on holiday,
and was passing a press stand, and a man was buying a newspaper. He forgot his money at the office, it was lunchtime and he was wearing a suit, so I came to him and gave him one euro. He was very angry at me. I was just being polite!!!!"
So, learn some manners, things, be quieter, eat with a fork and knife, do not wave your hands and scream. Then people would notice all the wonderful qualities your possess, now they are hiding behind screaming and rudeness.
2007-01-21 09:06:11
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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I was borne in the US, lived in Miami-Florida for seven years, before that, in south America and I recently move out of Florida for good to the UK(London), and now, I look back to those 7 years, and even though I did my professional career there, I feel, they were the 7 worst years of my live (social wise), because of this capitalistic systems I did not have many friends, everybody was busy, did not have a real girlfriend cause I did not have money to show and people saw me like I was a rat because I was poor “the more you have, the better you are” and also in the US if you can only pursue a university degree when you come from a very wealthy family or live in debt for the rest of your life and if you become sick, you either have to have an insurance (very expensive if not paid by employer) or live in debt for the rest of your live.
I think in the US, there is a strong culture to work but no culture to socialise with others, for example Drs see you as a number $ more than as a patient, I don’t want to generalise, but I think the US system (media and government) changes people into working machines and blocks their minds from what is outside, most of the people I met there think that the US is the best country in every single way, without even visiting other countries, well I don’t blame then , with the little time off we had in Florida as listed on linked below, there is not time to visit any other countries, and also only a very little amount of Americans have a passport. please see attachments below.
Well, something else, I realize when I was travelling around Europe and south America, I noticed that most of Americans did not make any effort to a least speak the most common or used word in other languages and expect everybody to speak English as once a girl from Chicago told me “we are leaving the globalisation so everybody needs to speak English”
In the other hand I think that economic wise US is great country , my parents are doing financially very well so is my brother and most of the people I know, but unfortunately all the money they make and have, cant not even be enjoyed. I truly respect you opinion but I think that WE as “Americans” should see the world equally, change our minds, not because we are richest and have the economical power we have the right to abuse others and impose our system, ethics and moral in other countries as they have their own and we should respect that
2007-01-24 02:56:19
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answer #4
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answered by Emelec27 2
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Well, actually if you think about it, every country has stereotypes. when you think of France, you may think of skinny people in striped shirts and berets smoking cigarettes at a café. As you know, not too many French people fit the stereotype. It's the same for Americans. I believe most Americans aren't stupid. One thing that may lead other countries to think that we are less intelligent is that some Americans take for granted the fact that a large population of the world speaks English along with their native tongue. I have seen some Americans that are too stubborn to learn the language of the place they are visiting. That may give out the idea that Americans are either too arrogant or are too stupid to learn their language.
2007-01-21 09:14:16
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answer #5
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answered by mz.k8 1
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Don't blame me. Since I was old enough to do so (1988) the only guy I have ever voted for that won was Al Gore. That's true, but I'm just playing with you the answer is obviously deeper than that.
Here is what I really think. In America we are all about ideas. We export our ideas all over the globe with little regard for those of the indigenous people. We impose our ideas (backed by capital we borrow from everyone else) as if they are both self evident and in everyone's best interest. Here is what we fail to understand...
The rest of the world is all about beliefs. Beliefs are much more powerful. No one is willing to strap a bomb to their chest and take a one way ride on a crowded bus based on an idea. A belief is entirely a different animal. We simply deal in an inferior intellectual currency.
I don't know if the stereotypes are more true than not, but I suspect that we've earned them over time. After all, Rome wasn't destroyed in a day.
Ps. When traveling overseas the first thing I learn in the native language is how to say, "Don't shoot me, I'm Canadian"
2007-01-21 08:54:29
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answer #6
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answered by Goofy Foot 5
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That is because a lot of Americans are very self centred. They are not aware of what goes on in the world or even in another State, the lack of exposure comes out the wrong way and because America is a developed country a lot of Americans think they don't need to know what is going on outisde of the country.
However, If you want to know why people think Americans are stupid, just watch Jay Leno on NBC and take a look at his feature called Jay Walking. The averag Americna he interviews, does not even know the correct words to the National Anthem. Thankfully though, not all Americans are stupid. I have some great smart, American friends.
2007-01-21 08:54:46
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answer #7
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answered by Carry-go-bring-come 2
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Because a lot of diff rent cultures see U.S.A. as a very wasteful country .That being the worlds strongest country we spend far to much time on things we really don't need we only think we do .Here in America our value system on what we really need has been taken over by our wants. We need to be helping other humans more .Right here at home then trying-to help other countries. We sure could take care of our elderly better like a lot of other even third world ones,
2007-01-21 09:02:57
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answer #8
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answered by JAYHAWKER 2
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I think we are accused of being stupid or petty, because people watch american television in different countries and percieve Americans to be like the crap they watch. They probably believe we are all into Baywatch, and kill each other all the time like on CSI Miami or something. Plus mainstream newscasters concentrate on the horrible and horendous and often are very opinionated in a right wing manner making Americans seem like we are all a bunch of gun toting, republican dipsh*ts. When I have traveled to different countries I have been assaulted by Europeans and other people for supporting my government in the United States. Until I open my mouth and they hear my liberal views and are suprised that I actualy live in the U.S. Mainstream Media is what projects this in my opinion. Just like anything else, people are and will be judgemental until they actualy get to know you and your opinions.
2007-01-21 08:50:50
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answer #9
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answered by Tropicalboy 3
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As an outsider, I have seen the stereotypes. Americans (of course, only the ones you notice) are not reknown for speaking quietly, or being masters of understatement "Oh MY GAAAAD"
They also do have a habit of complaining that things are not as good in the "crummy little dump" as they are back in Tallahessyhanny, or wherever.
Of course, the quiet, intelligent Americans never get noticed as such. Bingo - a sterotype is born.
2007-01-21 08:49:12
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answer #10
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answered by Anonymous
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