‘Are you by chance an American?’ is a phrase often used online to refer to someone who lacks awareness or is oblivious to the obvious. It stems from the stereotype that people from the US aren’t as knowledgeable as those in other parts of the world. It’s hard to say how this generalization came to be, but it sure can sometimes make even Americans themselves chuckle.
The truth is that we all do silly things, so why not just laugh about them together? That’s exactly why our Bored Panda team put together a list of instances when common sense just slipped Americans' minds. Scroll down to find them below, and don’t forget that it's all in good fun!
#1 Savage
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#2 “There Has Never Been Another Nation That Has Existed Much Beyond 250 Years”
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#3 Non Us Flag In Username Yet Still Assumed To Be American
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It’s clear from this list that the lack of awareness among Americans is hard to miss online. But where they really shine is when they travel, and even Kim Davis, TV presenter and journalist at CNN, can’t deny it.
“It’s a hard pill to swallow, but sadly, we’ve gained a reputation around the world for being, well, ‘stupid Americans.’ Is it offensive? Yes. Could we get upset about it? Sure. But with tens of millions of Americans traveling abroad every year, the likelihood is that you’ll encounter us wherever you are in the world. Therefore, our reputation is completely understandable,” she admitted in one of her travel articles.
#4 Native Americans Aren't Native?
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#5 Celebrating A Foreign Holiday Is A Requirement
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#6 Online Was Invented In The U.s
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“The reality is, we ALL do ‘stupid’ things, especially when we are in foreign places and we don’t know the local customs, cultures or surroundings. No one is immune from this humiliation, not even genius scholars,’ she continued.
“However, smart travelers know that doing “stupid” things abroad can not only be disrespectful and embarrassing, but it can put you at risk of being arrested, hurt or the victim of crime,” Davis warned.
#7 I Bet Those People Keep Asking Themself "Why The Language Is Called "English" And Not "United Statesish"?"
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#8 We Have Trees Older Than Europe Itself
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#9 Am I Missing Something?
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That’s why, instead of finding the labels offensive or upsetting, she chooses to focus on how she can become a smart traveler. And after more than 20 years of exploring, she believes she has cracked it and decided to share her best tips on how to become a ‘smart American abroad.’ Her first recommendation is to read social cues.
#10 Mike Has No Problems Paying Thousands A Year Just To Feel Superior. I'm Pretty Sure That's A Sign Of Mental Illness
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#11 As A German. What Is Snow?
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#12 Ok Racist
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According to her, people in most countries are polite and won’t ever say to others what they’re doing is offensive or socially unacceptable, which makes it hard for tell-me-like-it-is Americans to catch on to social cues.
So she recommends trying to notice if people they come into contact with are genuinely interested, like asking a lot of follow-up questions, making eye contact, building on their stories, asking to join in, etc., or are they just being polite? “If your Spidey sense starts to tingle, it’s probably time to change the subject or move on to a new activity,” Davis advised.
#13 “North America Law Is Law Across The World”
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#14 That's The Language 570 Million People Speak In Latin America
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#15 "Military Time"
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Her next tip is to keep the volume down. “It is very true that most Americans have a wonderful zest for life. We don’t think twice about gabbing away with friends (or strangers) on public transportation or laughing whole-heartedly at the dinner table. That’s just our way of being friendly. However, in many places around the world, speaking loudly is considered extremely rude and highly uncommon. [...] When I’m traveling abroad, I’m always careful to keep it to, what feels like, a quiet whisper.”
#16 Americans Are Master Orators As We Know
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#17 Please Tell Me This Is A Joke, Right?
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#18 Turns Out She Was Spanish, Not White
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Another recommendation she has is trying to blend in— but not for the reasons you might think of! “Normally, I’m all for originality and standing out in a crowd. However, when you’re traveling abroad, even to a place you know well, standing out is like wearing a flashing sign that says, ‘I’m a tourist, come take advantage of me!’”
Pickpockets or someone else with malicious intent can spot someone who isn’t a local from a mile away, that’s why it’s better to blend in with the locals. “Not only will it make you a smart American, it’ll also make you a safer American,” she said.
#19 I Am Confused Is There A Rome In Italy?
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#20 Oh My God, It Literally Says “Australia” On The Currency
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#21 It's For People Like This, That The Rest Of The World Thinks Americans Are Stupid
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When abroad, she additionally advises being curious and asking questions instead of telling how things are done back home. Davis also suggests doing homework beforehand to avoid getting ripped off or taken advantage of. “Know the local scams and know how to reject people who approach you with their games. Stranger danger is real.” For this, reading the local news can be very helpful.
#22 Black South Africans Are African American Now
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#23 10km Is Me Just Going For A Walk Around Town
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#24 What Kind Of Welcome Was He Expecting?
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Lastly, she recommends learning the basics of the language, which includes words like ‘Hello,’ ‘Goodbye,’ ‘Thank you,’ ‘Please,’ ‘I don’t speak …,’ and ‘Where is…?’
“Even if you butcher the words, most people deeply appreciate it when you at least try to speak the local language. It shows respect that you made the effort, and you’ll be surprised at how many doors it can unlock for you.”
#25 On A Post About The Cleopatra Show
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#26 Is This Serious?
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#27 "You Can Pay With Them Anywhere In Europe, Unlike Euro's"
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#28 I Guess Even 2l Is Bigger In America Than The 2l Of Everywhere Else
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#29 Speaks With An Ireland Accent
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#30 "Why All The Comunists City All Looks The Same ?"
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#31 Their Whole Account Is About "Cultural Shock For An American Living In Amsterdam"
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#32 Something Good Happens, Must Be Us
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#33 If This Is The Case, Shouldn't We Call Portuguese Brazilian, Or Call Spanish Mexican Too?
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#34 American Education System Be Like
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#35 Europe Isn't Very Big
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#36 Most History Is American History Apparently
For context this was on a post about Yuri Gagarin and why he isn’t as well known as the Kardashians.
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#37 No Respect For Cars
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#38 I Honestly Don't Know How To Respond To That Level Of Stupid
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#39 We Would Just Take You Anyway
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#40 I Don′t Even Know Where To Start With This One
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#41 Oh. Oh Wowwww
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#42 They Were Walking Through London
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#43 "Greenland Is Claimed By The USA"
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#44 Don't Use A Spanish Word Because Of Us Race Issues?
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#45 Americans Really Do Think That Everything Is About Them
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#46 God Bless The Internet
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#47 American... So Hard To Tell If They Are Just Trolling Or Really Are That Stupid
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#48 “I Think All Of Europe Would Fit In The State Of Texas”
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#49 Maybe Sometimes Bullying Is The Answer
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#50 What Did Those Dinosaurs Ever Do To You?
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#51 Wait Until They Learn How British People Spell "Color"
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#52 American Thinks We Don’t Have Shower Curtains And Toilet Seats
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#53 Exactly The Same As Between States In The Us
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#54 "We Rank Higher Than Most Countries In Food Health And Safety"
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#55 American Women Don't Have Armpit Hair
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#56 Europe Will Soon Be A Country Controlled By USA
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#57 “Thats Not How You Write A Date”
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#58 “Didn’t Realise Google Works Outside Of The Us”
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#59 Pennsylvania Isn’t In America
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#60 Mount Everest Isn't In America?
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#61 Europe Just Feels Like An Overwhelmingly White Continent With Miniscule Diversity
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#62 "The American Georgia Was Founded In 1732, Like 200 Years Before Georgia The Country "
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#63 The Absolute Confidence Of The Ignorant
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#64 Found My First One. Actually Laughed Out Loud
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#65 On A Video Titled "Two People From Georgia"
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#66 Someone’s First Reaction On The News Report Of The Tx Shooting
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#67 "As An American, Whenever I Feel Bad, I Look At My Kitchen Knife Drawer And Remember That I Don't Have To Have A License To Have A Butter Knife."
In response to a report on the banning of swords in the UK.
I knew things were big in the US, but how big are the butter knives in America?
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#68 American Thinks Italy Doesn't Have Churches
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#69 How Dare They Use French In France
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#70 "If You Live In Europe And Don't Have A Car How Often Do You Go To The Grocery Store?"
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#71 Olive Garden Is An American Chain Of "Italian" Restaurants
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#72 "Anybody Wanna Talk Abt How The Month Is 13?"
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#73 Scotland Is Not A Country
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#74 Texas Is A Country Apparently
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#75 On A Thread About The Us Being A Republic Or A Democracy
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#76 I Think It Just Might Be The Other Way Round, Perhaps?
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#77 Karen Wants American Accents Only
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#78 Took Me A Few Seconds Of Googling, As I'm Not Familiar With American Cheeses, To Get The Joke
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#79 Why The Hell Would Anyone Attempt To Spend Pounds In France?
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#80 Dude, I Live Surrounded By Italians. Staten Island? Doesn't Ring A Bell?
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#81 Kind Of The Reason No One Wants To Work In The Us
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#82 Ever Wondered Why The Us Isn't Mentioned In The Bible? (This Person Is An American)
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#83 Grocery Store Bread Is How We Know We’re Living In The Matrix (Apparently)
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#84 „ I Don’t Understand How We‘Re Not Supposed To Think People Are American When They Speak English“
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#85 They Mean Simplified English
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#86 Probably Skipped Education All Together Cause It'll Drag Him Down
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#87 I Have To Ask, How Bad Is Their Education System? Like Do They Not Study Any Culture Or International History Like At All?
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#88 April Fools Only In The States
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#89 “Do Germans Know About Tomato Und Mayo Sandwich?”
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#90 “Decided”
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