Why are Americans (from the US) so ignorant and chauvinistic?

Question

I have met a few who are well-read, can spell, locate a country on the map and have a grasp of world history...but i am talking about a minority. The rest come across as incredibly superficial and very ignorant. Is their school system to blame? Or their government? Their media?

Well, I come from Sweden and spent six months in the US, visiting some relatives.
I didn't say they are all ignorant, but my impression is that a lot of them are, and ignorance is often combined with arrogance.
I travelled to poor countries where the literacy rate is lower, but never encountered such arrogance!

People used to love the US, but now, wherever i go, i notice that their popularity is declining really fast. The mess they created in Iraq speaks for itself.

Answer 1

a severely propaganda based education, a lack of wanting to travel to see other places, ignorance, patriotism, bad education, propaganda based filming industry, and a stupid dumb village idiot as president.....I could go on but I can't be bothered to waste my time!

Answer 2

yes, there is a lot of ignorance here, but in many ways there is more abroad too. Bottom line is, a person is going to know more from their own point of view than another.

Since the first world war, the United States has been called upon to solve most of the world's problems. Yes, other nations have stood with the United States, but with only a few exceptions, the entire world owes a lot to what the United States have done. It seems that only British derived nations have the capacity to be compassionate to an effective degree about this world. France, no matter what they do, never seem to solve problems. They could not hand Bosnia, they needed the US, they couldn't solve Somolia, it keeps looking like the US will have to go back. Appearantly only the Ugandans have any idea of compassion overcoming the malicious ways of their past out side of the Brittish derived nations.

Think on what you have in your homes, chances are that the United States had a great deal in making that posible, not directly perhaps, but in some fashion or manner. Most countries about the Earth have recieved much from the Brittish derived nations, especially the United States, with respect to economic enfusions. Yet, only a few seem to be greatful. The rest are resentful, and some are out right disrespectful.

Answer 3

From an insider's point of view (as an American), I think it has a lot to do with the way we're raised. I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC and it wasn't until I dated a Kiwi in college that I had any idea that most of the world doesn't like us. I had no idea! I was taught by my parents, my church, my school even, that we're a great country, we're lucky to have the freedoms we do, and that it's our job to help out "the little guys". I don't completely disagree with those ideas because I love my country and I am thankful for the freedoms and the luxuries that I have. But I think it's irresponsible not to show people the realities of the rest of the world.

It's great that people teach their kids to be thankful for the things we have because we're US citizens, but they also need to be taught that having those thigns doesn't make us better than anyone else. And in my opinion, the most important thing people here need to learn is the value of world travel. You cannot say you know anything about this world until you've experienced it (and watching it on the travel channel doesn't count!).

Just my opinions here.....

Answer 4

I'm sorry that you feel that way about us. Have you noticed that America is always the first on the scene to help other nations? Have you noticed where genocide is occurring that America is the first to try to stop it? Have you noticed how our gifted doctors travel the world on ships operating on the poor and needy who need surgery? Have you noticed how we build water wells throughout the world? Have you noticed how we build homes for the homeless?

We do not call our faith in God and our belief in Creation ignorance. We call Jesus the Christ the only TRUTH in the world.

Our school system is worse since the Lord's Prayer was removed from our schools. Our schools and our government are trying to forget about our God and God is removing His hand of protection and provision from us. Our media does us no good and I often wonder if they are American. However, not all of our media is like that.

This is a great country and we enjoy our freedoms that were not free. Come visit America and you can discover the backbone of America which you do not see on the TV or hear about in the media. You see and hear the bad of America. The good of America does not make good news so the media does not report it.

Answer 5

Unfortunately for the all the good Americans out there. I agree with this statement. Being in the travel industry it is generally agreed by all that the worst people in the industry are Americans!
NOT ALL of them but a BIG percentage of them. Their arrogance is astounding sometimes.
Qs I've been asked at work.

"Don't you know how many states we have in America. *pause* oh! I thought everybody knew that"

HIM "Are you gonna eat that?"
ME " nah, I'm actually quite full would you like to finish it?"

HIM "yeah, but it doesn't have AIDS does it...."

There are way more but these are the ones I could remember off the top of my head.

Answer 6

Well, by your judging most of us, it's no surprise people act the way they do towards you. I would be very offended, especially considering that my people have been in this country for nearly 11,000 years, if not longer. I don't like it when non-Americans lump me in with the settlers or immigrants.

I speak six languages, know my people's history and world history, my own culture and yours. I can not only find your country on a map, but give you its English, Cherokee and original name in the country's original language. Until you get to know people and respect their differences, it's you who's arrogant.

Pay a visit to www.cherokee-nc.com while you're at it, and find out why some of us don't like just being called "Americans."

Answer 7

I'm afraid you are the one who is coming off as ignorant here. The vast majority of Yanks I met were very well educated. I think some may come off the way you described because their country is so vast and rich, they need little stimulation from the rest of the world. Don't underestimate these people. If you do, you'll be the one who looks foolish in the end.

Answer 8

I find mindless anti Americanism just as offencive as I find mindless stereotyping of Muslims, Jews. Pagans, Christians etc etc. There are kind, intelligent, educated people in all human types and groupings as are ignorant, bigoted, hate filled people. One of the problems with Yahoo answers is often we don't think the wording of our questions through and we tend to stereotype other people in a negative way. I know I have been guilty of this with Christans. Lets try to avoid stereotyping people and remember there are good and bad in all groups and nations.

Answer 9

Sounds like a rather "ignorant and chauvinistic" question to me . . . I think the old saying about "glass houses" is extremely apt here and you might care to take note of it for the future.

The combination of imbecility and arrognce of the magnitude you've displayed must be an enormous embarrassment to your own country (mercifully not stated).

Answer 10

Uhm, excuse me!! i;m an American, not all Americans are ignorant. You are proving to be very ignorant yourself just for posting this stupid question! Have You ever really lived in the US and experienced what its like to live there. The people there are not all stupid, some people in the uk & ireland arent exactly scholars, but you dont see me blaming their country.

Answer 11

Ha all those things you listed I can do too. Are you getting your ideas from the media or personal experience? Either way I sort of agree with you. Some Americans are ignorant and chauvinistic (you can find alot of them on this site) but I don't think they shoud count for all of us.