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First of all, let's try to avoid American-bashing, and stay respectful to everyone.

I'll start: for me it's the tipping culture. Especially nowadays, with the recent post on !mildlyinfuriating@lemmy.world with the 40% tip, it just seems so weird to me to have to pay extra just so that menu prices can stay low.

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[–] Wirrvogel@feddit.de 55 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

There is so much that screams "stress" to me when I think of living in the US that makes me uncomfortable. To just mention that your job can fire you at will and your health care might be attached to your job, or that a person who can not drive a car for health reasons, like me, is basically fucked. Or no sick days and a very low amount of vacation days that you might have to take when you are sick and on top taking them at all is looked down on, while my boss reminds me to tell him when I prefer to take my vacation days, because by law I have to take them.

I could make a very long list of things that come with American life that I find stressful. Just one more tiny thing: I do not have much money, so I have to be careful not to overspent. In Germany the prices on the shelf in the grocery store are the total I will have to pay. In the US the total can be whatever, you just have to be really good at doing math in your head, have enough money to not care or walk around with a calculator. So it is not just the big things that add onto each other. If I am sick I can walk to the nearest grocery store and drug store in less than 3 minutes from my flat, the doctor's office is inbetween both and the visit is free and medication either free or costs 5 Euro each for what I usually need. My gall bladder surgery was all in all 100 Euro, including ambulance transport on a Sunday because it was an emergency and aftercare with my doctor. My days in the hospital and at home afterwards were fully paid by my employer.

I wonder what America would look like if everyone would live on an European stress level. We do not have no stress of course, but the base line for many Europeans is way lower. On top there is a base line of feeling safer (less shooting, except for Ukraine of course) and more social secure.

It surprises me that despite all that, Americans do rarely complain and are as happy as they are. I admire them for that, but also wish they could have less stress in their lifes.

[–] agressivelyPassive@feddit.de 16 points 1 year ago

America is a developing country with a Guccu bag.

There are some rich areas, but even there, the vast majority of people are poor and live under not-great conditions.

I think the "pursuit of happiness" mindset is still very strong over there. You're only poor because of yourself, not because rich people fucked you over. So you can't really complain, because it's your fault.

[–] realitista@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

As someone who spent roughly half my life in the US and the other half in EU, this is very accurate as to my experience in each place. In the US my life constantly felt balanced on a knife edge like everything could fall apart at any moment. When I moved to the EU, even though I didn't speak the language or grow up there, I breathed a big sigh of relief. I felt like my life was finally manageable.

I think this causes a ton of mental illness in the US that we just don't see in the EU. Most people I know in the US are on the constant verge of a breakdown and basically just disassociating themselves from reality (usually using drugs, alcohol, religion, or some combination thereof). I think this is why Americans so badly need to put on a happy face. If they didn't, they'd all have a simultaneous mental breakdown.

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[–] silvercove@lemdro.id 47 points 1 year ago (7 children)

The massive dependence on cars. I don't understand why people put up with this nonsense. I just walk everywhere.

[–] Flip@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 1 year ago

I read a travel guide to another European city I was visiting, and the guide was aimed at Americans. It's a major really walkable city, with car access as good as nonexistent (wonderful). It surprised me, that some Americans walk so little, that the first advice in the guide was "start by trying to walk around your house"

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[–] PhictionalOne@feddit.de 37 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I know it's a clichee but guns. I regularly watch some youtubers from a lot of backgrounds. Science, engineering, music, you name it. And the casual way they talk about guns, even carry them, is deeply disturbing to me.

Yeah I guess it happens that you shoot a gun once or twice in your life. From military service to the plain old "Schützenverein" in Germany. But having them in everyday life is... just... dangerous.

They in-part have open carry in malls. And plazas. I don't get why everyone carrying in a public space isn't classified as a danger.

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[–] Janis@feddit.de 34 points 1 year ago (1 children)

education.

while supercharged in one specific field during education, general knowledge of the world outside of said field is near zero.

and then education even ends. no real vocational training.

[–] Kcg@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The fees are crazy too. Considering how many fail out of a course and have to deal with this large debt.

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[–] AnAngryAlpaca@feddit.de 29 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

That there are long stretches of road where you can't get somewhat healthy food. I have been on a road trip across Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Arizona, and outside the big citys you only get junk food at petrol stations, but no fruits, no vegetables. I guess it makes sense because salad or fresh food spoils quick and is expensive to deliver to each and every petrol station, especially if they don't have a reliable power supply in the middle of nowhere. Never thought about it before. In Germany you can get ice cream, chocolate, cake, salad or a full meal (at gas station prices, and lower quality) on the Autobahn.

[–] ValiantDust@feddit.de 29 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I'm always surprised at the huge taboo about nudity. A while ago I read some comments about a Swedish TV show and some people were complaining how unnecessary it was that you could see a guy's naked butt for a moment. I hadn't even noticed when watching.
It's surprising because at the same time US media is often labelled as (over-)sexualised.
I know that opinions on nudity also vary a lot across Europe, some might even be very close to opinions on the US. But for me personally it comes as a surprise because there is often controversy about something I wouldn't even have noticed.

[–] Rozauhtuno@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I guess it comes with being founded by puritans.

[–] timicin@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago

the puritans also founded canada and they don't have the same problems w nudity that we do; so i think it's much more than puritans.

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[–] indigoamber@social.tchncs.de 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

@Blaze @europe High schools and colleges with multimillion/billion Dollar professional sport teams and facilities attached to it.

[–] taladar@feddit.de 8 points 1 year ago

And their own justice system for some weird reason.

[–] JRaccoon@discuss.tchncs.de 28 points 1 year ago (8 children)

The expectation of everyone having a credit card as soon as they can get one and paying everything with credit to somehow "build" credit. Sounds such a great way to get people into financial trouble at a young age.

[–] gigachad@feddit.de 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

In Germany the system is shit too. There is a private monopol company that calculates and stores a score for you. The calculation method is secret, but we know several things can lower your score, such a having too much bank accounts/credit cards, moving too often, if you ever had debts and how fast you paid them and so on. When you ask a bank for a loan, they check this score and may decline if it's too low. There are some people who have problems getting a loan because they have no records for their score.

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[–] Knusper@feddit.de 27 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Many years ago, I was chatting with a friend from California and she told me her family votes Republican. As in, by default. No matter the policies or political needs of the country.

Aside from the US parties being very similar back then (pre-Trump), I've also learned since then that this may have to do with party affiliation programs.
In the US, you need to register to vote and the parties basically offer to do the registration for you, if you promise to vote for them. So, you end up being 'affiliated' with them, even without being actively a member.

[–] blackberries33@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'm not sure voting by default to one party is a consequence of registering with that party. Maybe some psychological effect.

I'd say the main cause is the fact there are only two parties to choose from, so unless you are a moderate (or these days right-moderate) it is just a waste of time looking at candidates and their policies beyond party affiliation.

The related issue is this: in some places in america, the primaries are run by the parties. So you can only vote for canidates (within a party) in the primaries IF you register with that party. In some races the primaries are the important part, because everyone knows which party will win the main election, so who gets the party nomination is basically the undecided part.

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[–] Rule14@lemmy.ml 23 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (8 children)

I've never understood why the drinking age is higher than the driver licence age.

And taking away voting rights from felons.

Both baffle me.

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[–] Fleppensteijn@feddit.nl 22 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (13 children)

When I read about people being frugal, there's always something like "I now go to restaurants only once a week", "I'm driving the same car for 5 years", "you don't really need 10 subscriptions for x". Do people really not cook their own food and spend money that much? My only subscriptions are internet and rent, and my savings would be gone if I'd get a car 🤷‍♂️

[–] max@feddit.nl 18 points 1 year ago

“I discovered cooking at home” “Meal planning” “Dining in”

Bitch, that’s called Tuesday in most of the world.

[–] TurtleTourParty@midwest.social 13 points 1 year ago

Are these by posts by newspapers, blogs, or normal people? Because all the people writing for newspapers and financial blogs seem to live in a different world than most Americans. The average car in the US is 12 years old for example.

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[–] IoSapsai@lemm.ee 18 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I'm currently reading Twilight and judging by the tone it's normal for 16-17 year olds to go to school by car (or even truck!) that they drive by themselves? I might be ignorant on the subject so correct me if I'm wrong but car culture in general. We just...took the bus or the lucky ones with a free parent got a lift. I've even walked to school for the fun of it, granted it was 40 minutes by foot.

I'm nearing my 30s. I don't own a car and I don't have a license. I do wish I had one sometimes but once I hop on the bus to the remote place I want to visit, I quickly lose interest once I see the (usually mountainous) road ahead. Driving just scares me.

[–] Drusas@kbin.social 10 points 1 year ago

Most Americans towns require you to have a car because they have little to no public transportation. Can't get a job without a car in most places, for example.

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[–] Nurloc@feddit.nu 17 points 1 year ago

The fact that they dont have affordable healthcare... Its a human right..

[–] agrammatic@feddit.de 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (10 children)

First, I need to confirm if it's true or just a television trope.

Do North Americans really keep their shoes on while lounging on their beds, or is it something directors do for whatever technical reason?

If true, then I can't get over it - and I come from a outside-shoes-indoors culture.

[–] Horsey@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago

When I moved in with my husband he wore his dirty shoes everywhere inside the house. The dogs even had a designated tile floor to shit on. He’s southern. Needless to say we’re still together because he cut that redneck shit out lmao.

[–] Very_Bad_Janet@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm American and I don't know a single adult who does this. Even kids take off their shoes before walking around the house, typically.

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[–] Drusas@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago

It's common to keep shoes on indoors but not when on a bed.

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[–] argv_minus_one@beehaw.org 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’ll start: for me it’s the tipping culture. Especially nowadays, with the recent post on !mildlyinfuriating@lemmy.world with the 40% tip, it just seems so weird to me to have to pay extra just so that menu prices can stay low.

The silver lining is it isn't forced, unlike all other forms of price gouging. I tip 15% and that isn't changing.

[–] Blaze@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It shouldn't indeed, but then you have service charges you cannot opt-out of such as here https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/1840098

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[–] DarkShaggy@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

Lol I think this post failed at the OP's request to avoid American bashing.

[–] bouh@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I went recently to the USA for the first time and the thing that put me off was the tips you need to pay.

Having the employee paid on customers whim felt wrong, but also probably dictates how kind they may be compared to waiters in France I guess. Also, the price, considering the tip, felt very expensive when I was always told that France was expensive because of all the taxes and charges companies have to pay for our social benefits. I guess the high price is because the plates are very generous in size.

Also I felt like it was the closest society from anarchy somehow and it felt weird

[–] squaresinger@feddit.de 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (13 children)

I was really surprised that quite a few states have a minimum marrying age of 0. And apparently, it's more common than you'd expect for girls as young as 14 to get married, often to far older men.

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