Americans aren't even remotely aware of other cultures

[GoingAwol]

Ever since I decided to pursue Russian women I have immersed myself in the Russian culture and i've been amazed by how much I didn't know about Russia. I suppose this isn't a surprise because i'm an American and well.... Americans aren't exposed to other cultures at all. It amazes me how much Russians know about our culture and politics when most Americans, as one of my Russian ladies put it, couldn't find Russia on a map. The Russian women I talk to read American novels, listen to American music, and watch American films and Americans couldn't name a single popular Russian musician. it's crazy........ Ever since I started on this journey I have discovered how much I didn't know about the world outside the USA...... i'm glad I finally stepped outside the matrix.

[Laboratory Mouse]

Finally, some positivity. That's the beauty of life, isn't it? So much diversity. So many options. We're often predisposed to seeing things from our point of view and that of others who co-sign us without a second thought. Any other perspectives are hogwash (liberal, psychotic, etc). Not to digress, but that's one reason why I don't consume a lot of media. Media conglomerates are groups of people with similar opinions who use information to paint perspectives with them. It's hard to get the whole story in the information age. Well, same concept. It's also why I tend to not generalise and why I find the -isms to be silly. 7+ billion people, most of whom I'll never meet, yet I'll claim to know how a given population of that 7bil will act in every occurrence of every second of their lives? I actually enjoy finding people who destroy preconceptions and make people second-guess. I find much beauty in other cultures. I don't know where to begin.

[Farmer308]

You are exactly right. I would also add that you Americans have been taught a weird and very distorted version of history. That is what little you have even been taught. I am often astounded at how little you Americans know of actual history.

[Laboratory Mouse]

You are exactly right. I would also add that you Americans have been taught a weird and very distorted version of history. That is what little you have even been taught. I am often astounded at how little you Americans know of actual history.

"You Americans". Hm. If you're from the west, you're aren't much better. I don't mean to play devil's advocate, but this whole "Americans" bit is silly, when it's pretty clear most countries in the world are in lock-step with American culture.

[Yohan]

Many US-citizens have never been beyond the borders of USA, except maybe when serving in the military. They have no idea how the world looks like in reality, they read only negative things in their brainwashed media and cannot compare between their own situation and overseas.
They always have been living in their own state for their entire life, do not own a passport, cannot find other countries on a world map, but they also have very short vacation and it is not easy to leave USA except on an airplane for a long distance flight.
Once US-citizens are living for a while outside of USA, they often change totally their behavior, becoming much more open-minded.

[Ghost]

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[BlackKnight]

Many US-citizens have never been beyond the borders of USA, except maybe when serving in the military. They have no idea how the world looks like in reality, they read only negative things in their brainwashed media and cannot compare between their own situation and overseas.
They always have been living in their own state for their entire life, do not own a passport, cannot find other countries on a world map, but they also have very short vacation and it is not easy to leave USA except on an airplane for a long distance flight.
Once US-citizens are living for a while outside of USA, they often change totally their behavior, becoming much more open-minded.

Like the rest of the world is open-minded and their citizens have been all over the world LOL! One of the reasons I'm such a stand out in Europe is because they never seen an American rap star up close. I met people in Europe who have have never been more than 40 miles from their house and and close minded. Same as the USA.

[Yohan]

Europeans are known as being very cultured and aware of the world. Much easier to do when you live on a continent with tons of smaller countries all neighboring each other.

There is hardly now anybody among the young people in Europe, who has no valid passpoert and who has not been out of their own countries. Many travel for fun and vacation to abroad. Nobody is worried about language issues. There are plenty of cheap flights, but also trains, and you can even drive with your own car easily to foreign countries. It is also much easier to apply for visa if you want to invite somebody from abroad to stay with you in EU. - In this sense, US-citizens are rather isolated, I agree.

[Farmer308]

You are exactly right. I would also add that you Americans have been taught a weird and very distorted version of history. That is what little you have even been taught. I am often astounded at how little you Americans know of actual history.

"You Americans". Hm. If you're from the west, you're aren't much better. I don't mean to play devil's advocate, but this whole "Americans" bit is silly, when it's pretty clear most countries in the world are in lock-step with American culture.

I suppose it makes you feel better to believe this bit of fiction. To believe that Americans are no different in their ignorance of other cultures and of history. Whatever helps you sleep at night man.

[Farmer308]

Not playing devil's advocate, just pointing something out: the U.S. is isolated geographically, and even though lots of foreigners come in, they tend to stay isolated in their own enclaves. And since the media has Americans thinking that the rest of the world is dangerous (much more so than it actually is) I do get why the typical American doesn't think about travel and expatriation. Europeans are known as being very cultured and aware of the world. Much easier to do when you live on a continent with tons of smaller countries all neighboring each other.

Culturaly isolated? Americans? Please give me a break. Kiwis are Far Far more culturaly isolated yet you will rarely meet an adult Kiwi who hasn't traveled extensively and spent years living abroad.
Americans are culturaly isolated by their own attitudes and actions, not by an accident of geography.

[Farmer308]

You are exactly right. I would also add that you Americans have been taught a weird and very distorted version of history. That is what little you have even been taught. I am often astounded at how little you Americans know of actual history.

"You Americans". Hm. If you're from the west, you're aren't much better. I don't mean to play devil's advocate, but this whole "Americans" bit is silly, when it's pretty clear most countries in the world are in lock-step with American culture.

I suppose the irony of an American saying something that exactly confirms the point of the OP, while trying to deny the OP's point is lost on you hu?

[sentinel89]

Ever since I decided to pursue Russian women I have immersed myself in the Russian culture and i've been amazed by how much I didn't know about Russia. I suppose this isn't a surprise because i'm an American and well.... Americans aren't exposed to other cultures at all. It amazes me how much Russians know about our culture and politics when most Americans, as one of my Russian ladies put it, couldn't find Russia on a map. The Russian women I talk to read American novels, listen to American music, and watch American films and Americans couldn't name a single popular Russian musician. it's crazy........ Ever since I started on this journey I have discovered how much I didn't know about the world outside the USA...... i'm glad I finally stepped outside the matrix.

I appreciate your points here, but I'm going to have to play Devil's Advocate.. To be fair, American pop culture, for better or worse, is more popular than music from any other culture. Most people in general are completely clueless of other cultures. People in Colombia think Colombian culture is the best thing in the world, that Colombians lead the world, and that anyone who doesn't know how to salsa must be retarded or something. I've heard that people in Laos are similarly ethnocentric, even though they've made a horrible mess of Laos for themselves. People are idiots everywhere. I would say though, that some of the Ukrainian girls I've known (haven't actually dated any, but know a few), have been very intellectually stimulating. I imagine it's similar for Russian girls.

[sentinel89]

Many US-citizens have never been beyond the borders of USA, except maybe when serving in the military. They have no idea how the world looks like in reality, they read only negative things in their brainwashed media and cannot compare between their own situation and overseas.
They always have been living in their own state for their entire life, do not own a passport, cannot find other countries on a world map, but they also have very short vacation and it is not easy to leave USA except on an airplane for a long distance flight.
Once US-citizens are living for a while outside of USA, they often change totally their behavior, becoming much more open-minded.

Okay but let's not elevate Brits to any higher level of worldliness. The Brits I have met in other countries are equally as foolish. Many are extremely liberal. Far more of them are dope smokers. At least there's still an element of genuine conservatism in the U.S.

Also, I think western Europeans tend to be a bit softer, Christmas sweater wearing tea sippers. Many more American have been hardened by things such as working on farms as a child, working a landscaping gig, or otherwise some sort of physically intensive labor. I couldn't name one Brit who knows how to fire a rifle, skin a deer, use a welding machine, or has chopped wood all day long in the heat of the summer.

[Blue Murder]

I couldn't name one Brit who knows how to fire a rifle, skin a deer, use a welding machine, or has chopped wood all day long in the heat of the summer.

To be fair, that's the west in general with the way it's going. Very few Americans have any of those skills, which is why I think it's foolish to look forward to the collapse. It won't be like Mad Max.

[sentinel89]

I couldn't name one Brit who knows how to fire a rifle, skin a deer, use a welding machine, or has chopped wood all day long in the heat of the summer.

To be fair, that's the west in general with the way it's going. Very few Americans have any of those skills, which is why I think it's foolish to look forward to the collapse. It won't be like Mad Max.

I could name very few people in my town in Pennsylvania that don't have at least one of those skills.