Why Foreigners Think Americans Are Just Plain Lame

As of 2024, the world is comprised of 195 countries. Each nation is divided into regions, provinces, states, prefectures, territories, counties, republics, and communities that all have their own customs, cultures, and ways of life that typically differ from each other, some slightly more than others. While we may not understand why one particular group adapts to a certain way of life or why a country might adopt a certain belief system, many times entire nations will fall under a stereotype others believe to be indicative as a whole.

Often what we believe about certain locales and their inhabitants is the result of things we may have heard, or seen portrayed in films. Views on many nationalities vary but it appears that globally there is a consensus of opinions on Americans and the American way of life. They may vary slightly but most fit into the following categories – food, technology, courtesy, military, or power.

To identify peculiar opinions foreigners have about Americans, 24/7 Tempo reviewed dozens of news articles, surveys, social media platforms, and travelers' blogs. While it may be hard to imagine what life is like in other countries, knowing what some people think of Americans is interesting. (Also See American traditions that baffle the rest of the world.)

Here are strange comments foreigners make about Americans:

According to an 82-year-old retired agricultural lab technician from Tokyo, Japan, "My image of America is a country that goes to war anywhere in the world," and at least one Italian has a similar view: "Trump, fast food, NY, Hollywood, and wars."

When it comes to beer, a 43-year-old man from Oslo, Norway, says "But one thing is for sure, they cannot make beer." He did say that he also thinks of burgers, the American dream, and cowboys when America comes to mind.

"Mythbusters," a popular TV program about putting to test myths and urban legends, has taught at least one Reddit user that "failure is ALWAYS an option."

One thing that many foreigners agree on is that Americans are friendly, outgoing, and easily approachable, but perhaps they tend to overdo it with personal information. As one person on Reddit said, Americans can be "a little on the TMI side when it comes to talking to strangers. Especially when they've been drinking," as one person said on Reddit.

People all over the world associate America with supersized food portions and also link America's fast food culture to health problems and the demise of small family farms.

We all have that one word that we just can't stop saying all the time. For the British, it's "brilliant" and for Americans, according to some foreigners, it's "awesome". But many of the words we use are fillers, lingo that people don't even put much meaning into. A man from England wonders: "You can't possibly be THAT happy all the time or think everything is that awe-inspiring to call it awesome."

Smiles have come to mean nothing because, according to at least one person from Finland, Americans smile so much that often people will assume a stranger is a drunk, insane, or from the United States when he or she smiles. There may be a scientific explanation: Emotional expressiveness is correlated with diversity, and America is among the most diverse countries in the world.

Some Europeans think that Americans take Europe to be only France, Germany, and Great Britain, while "the rest of us doesn't exist."

You ask for water and you get ice with some water. The same goes for soda or other soft drinks. Americans also love to put ice in whiskey and even wine. America's obsession with ice cubes dates back to the 1800s when a man was trying to expand his ice harvesting business by convincing people to use it to cool their drinks.

It's confusing to many non-Americans that the price you see on an item is not necessarily the one you end up paying at the register. This is because stores don't include tax on price tags, and tipping is, technically, not mandatory.

It often seems to be too cold or too hot. In the summer, you escape the scorching hot weather by hanging out in air-conditioned stores, only to be out in the street again in 10 minutes because you are freezing.

According to some Europeans who think Americans don't stop working, this is one of the worst habits Americans have. In Europe, people work from 9 to 5 and relax after that. They don't like being contacted about job-related matters late or on weekends.

Many people in Southern Europe, Greece, France, and Italy think Americans look down on people, according to Norwegian journalist René Zografos, author of "Attractive Unattractive Americans: How the World Sees America." Ignorant and arrogant are other descriptions foreigners sometimes associate with Americans.

Some Europeans think Americans like to always have the best and latest gadgets, and they show off their expensive cameras, phones, and handbags without any respect for other cultures' dress codes.

"Why do Americans laugh so loudly? Talk so loudly? We can hear you, you know," says one person from Israel, but his sentiment is shared by many other foreigners.

While many foreigners think Americans are rude, just as many think they are sweet, but also too sensitive. A person from Spain, for example, says she even feels bad for Americans because they'll usually be nice even if they're uncomfortable.

Many foreigners are shocked to see Americans wearing pajamas in public. Some locals, however, also think wearing what is deemed bedtime attire makes people look like idiots, no matter how comfortable the loose clothes are.

Some people love gun laws, but many also wonder why there are so many shootings in America and why you can easily buy a gun even though you can't get Kinder Surprise eggs because they are illegal. Foreigners often point out how frightening it is to always see news about shootings.

In the U.S. when you pay your bill in a restaurant, you hand your credit or debit card to strangers, hoping they think you tipped them enough so they don't sell or steal your information and make fraudulent purchases worth hundreds of dollars in your name. The pay-at-the-table option is available in Canada and most of Europe (although this seems to be catching on – a few places in the U.S. have begun to do this).