No two people are the same, and it seems that this can also be said about countries. All you do is cross a line that separates geographical areas, and suddenly the free toilets you were so accustomed to are paid, and the meal portions get strangely stingy.
This time, Americans had the chance to take this burden off their shoulders and share the myriad of weird behaviors they witnessed while traveling outside the US. From living without air conditioning to putting milk in bags, below you’ll find an assortment of things the rest of the world does that somehow rub the citizens of America the wrong way.
#1
Image credits: Apprehensive-Crow-96
#2
Image credits: Specific-Squash
#3
Image credits: NotHisRealName
An American thinking that paying for water in a restaurant is weird or putting potatoes on pizza is gross is a perfect example of ethnocentrism. This means they’re evaluating other countries from their culture’s point of view. They’re judging or making assumptions about the food of other countries based on their own norms, values, or beliefs.
However, this can lead to negative judgments and discrimination against different cultures and people. To avoid this, cultural relativism suggests approaching unfamiliar ways of life without imposing their own bias on what is wrong, right, or normal. Instead, we should try to understand cultural practices in their own cultural context.
#4
Image credits: GrimeyScorpioDuffman
#5
Image credits: smileymom19
#6
Image credits: here-for-information
As an alternative, one should ask, “Why do some cultures eat fried insects?” They might learn that they are full of protein in Mexico, are a famous part of the cuisine, and have been eaten for thousands of years as a healthy food source.
#7
Image credits: Kaizo107
#8
#9
Image credits: tornteddie
Appreciating one’s culture can be healthy, as it can result in a shared sense of community and connect people in a society. However, all cultures are beautiful in their own ways and shouldn’t be blindly criticized because of that.
#10
Image credits: llcucf80
#11
Image credits: Iwouldntifiwereme
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Image credits: PacoTaco19
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#15
Image credits: viktor72
#16
Image credits: Afalstein
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#25
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#33
Image credits: Orobor0
#34
Image credits: sosomething
