When you visit a new place or country, you naturally have certain expectations. Maybe it’s from movies, viral videos, or things you’ve heard from others. But sometimes, reality turns out to be completely different—and even a little bizarre.
Recently, someone online asked, “Non-Americans who have been to the US: What is the weirdest thing about America that Americans don’t realize is weird?“ The responses poured in, and let’s just say—outsiders notice some very peculiar things about life in the U.S. Keep scrolling to see what had them scratching their heads!
Image credits: gregalfredo_
Allowing convicted felons who know nothing about politics, to be president not just once, but twice.
Americans are gaslit to believe that they live in the “Land of the Free” and celebrate Independence Day whilst not realising that they are – in fact – NOT free and are slaves.
No free healthcare.
A weird, weird, WEIRD obsession with guns.
Being underpaid in jobs because they have to rely on tips.
School shootings are “normalised” with drills in school.
Believing they are the centre of the universe.
And calling a “bottom” a “fanny” – because fanny means something VERY different in the UK.
The fusion between Christianity and nationalism (or politics in general). American version of Christianity (some of them) seems like the complete opposite of what Jesus actually taught. Or if not opposite, it’s just something else that’s still absurd.
We all have a certain vision of America—the land of opportunity, big dreams, and even bigger everything. Whether it’s social media or stories from friends, many of us form expectations about what life in the U.S. might be like before ever setting foot there. But reality often comes with a few surprises.
Beyond the things we assume, there are certain everyday aspects of American life that are completely normal to locals but seem unusual to outsiders. These cultural quirks are so ingrained in daily life that Americans might not even realize they stand out to the rest of the world.
As someone from the US who has been living outside the US for about 2 years now, the sense of entitlement. No one owes you anything. Minor inconveniences are not a violation of your rights. The number of adults pitching toddler temper tantrums is absurd. I didn’t realize how big a part of my life that was until I moved and noticed nearly immediately that that’s not how people do things elsewhere.
For instance, portion sizes in the U.S. are famously large. Fast food meals, restaurant servings, and even soft drink sizes can be shockingly big compared to what you’d get in other countries.
While a “large” drink in some places might be 500ml, in the U.S., it’s not uncommon to see people casually sipping from a full liter cup.
The level of homelessnes was like nothing I’ve seen in any other western country. Very obvious mental health problems among those homeless. It was so jarring to me to see a homeless person with a piece of cardboard which said that she had cancer and needed money for treatment. To think that ANYONE had cancer and couldn’t get treatment is inhuman. Some might say that she only told that story to get money, doesn’t matter – the fact that it’s a real possibility is the punch in the guts.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUR TOILET STALLS? Why is the bottom so high off the ground? Why are there gaps everywhere? I do not want to make eye contact in a toilet. I would rather use a squat toilet than US gap-stalls.
So many things but that the reaction to a bad situation, even minor, is to sue someone. That’s a horrible obsession with money.
Crazy big portions. Having a gun being more important than the lives of children.
The lack of interest in the rest of the world.
Lack of protection for employees and lack of annual leave.
Many online have joked about the enormous soda sizes available in American shops and movie theaters. It’s something locals don’t think twice about, but for visitors, seeing people carry around bucket-sized drinks can be quite amusing.
People who take a fun DNA test and then identify as an Italian. Or Greek. Or German. Or African, whatever it means. Africa is a continent, not a country. While the only language they speak is English, the only nationality they’ve got is that of the US and they have never lived anywhere else but the US. You are American, deal with it.
The culture around the military – thanking them for their service as soon as you find out they’re in the the military, the perks they get such as boarding planes first, all these random discounts…
To get more insight, we spoke to Alessa Grund, a German PhD student in software engineering who spent a semester in Washington State as an exchange student. She shared some of the biggest cultural differences she noticed during her stay.
“Cashiers often make small talk with you while checking out,” she said. “At first, I didn’t know how to respond. Back home in Munich, we usually just pay and leave.”
Weird political system (voting – how can you become President when the majority of voters doesn’t want you?, archaic pol party system, limited knowledge of party programs, limited ability to vote for policies).
Another thing that stood out to her was the healthcare system. “Coming from Europe, I was shocked at how expensive medical care is in the U.S. In Germany, almost everything is covered by insurance. Also, many medicines that require a prescription back home are easily available over the counter here.”
Public transportation was another surprise. “It’s not that great,” she admitted. “In Germany, trains and buses are reliable and widely used. In the U.S., people mostly rely on cars, and public transport options aren’t as extensive or convenient.”
Portion sizes! My family could order one meal and share and be satisfied at the end. The average drink size is around 1l, we buy 1l bottles of soda to share among 3 or 4 people.
The fact that Americans can buy a gun at Walmart, but not a Kinder Surprise chocolate egg.
She also noticed a stark difference in food. “Drinks and desserts were way sweeter than I expected. I gained three kilos in just a few months,” she laughed.
“But one thing I found really nice was that restaurants give you free water—that’s not common in Germany!”
How absolutely commercialised literally everything is, every single thing is about making money
Every country has its unique quirks, and the U.S. is no exception. Some things might be surprising, some amusing, and some even frustrating. But at the end of the day, these little differences make traveling and experiencing new cultures so fascinating. Which of these stood out to you the most? Let us know!
Going to bankrupt because of medical bills. E.g. in Finland max annual for prescription drugs is ~600 €. Same goes to hospital fees. If you have no money social security pays even that.
Racism:
Everyone is described as white; black; Latino; of colour etc. etc. It’s endemic and pervasive.
No other country does that.
open carry states where everyone has guns on them, visibly, it’s so weird. and the blatant racism, mostly in red states
Wearing outdoor shoes indoors and stepping on furniture (like sofas) whilst wearing them. Maybe it’s just me, but outside shoes don’t belong inside.
Your bread tastes like cake, it’s disgusting. Your food in general tastes awful.
People are so loud. I don’t want to be forced to listen to your entire conversation in a restaurant. I’m just trying to understand my partner.
I feel like most americans, like even the leftwinged, are way too patriotic.
I’m a Singaporean.
Many people from 🇺🇸 assume people who are Sinitic-looking were born in China.
By this logic, can I assume that every white person from 🇺🇸 was born in Europe? No. A person’s phenotype doesn’t equate to one’s nationality.
The complete lack of environmental awareness: hotel rooms with air conditioning at minus ten degrees Celsius because Karen can’t sleep with the room temperature, big cars running all day, ice in the drinks (and to produce all that ice will consume an absurd amount of energy), giant appliances that consume a lot of electricity…
Yellow pages full of lawyers. Pharmaceutical adverts. Tipping. The fact you deny the average citizen healthcare, education, housing, pensions etc unless they pay through the nose, but you know people need it, which is why it’s offered to the military for free. It’s a way to keep people enlisting. You’re all quite loud. Your food is sooooooo full of additives and preservatives. You drive everywhere. Gun culture.
I’m English. I’ve travelled extensively in Europe & a little bit globally. I spent two years in Japan. However, all my visits to the USA felt like bizarre out of body experiences compared to the rest of the world. Never before have I wondered, “How?”, “What?, or “Why?” quite so often…
Not travelling. On a trip to the States a few years back we met people who had never been out of their state nevermind the country
The food is purely poison. And everyone just normalizes it. It’s so weird to not be able to purchase fresh produce because of the inconsistencies and dyes all over the shelves 🤢 literally could smell and as before if purchased TASTE their chemical, additives, etc. 😭
I was an exchange student back in ’05 and what really confused me was how people were sooo freaking superficial.
Sidewalks often are literally sidewalks and are not dedicated footways separate from the road and wide enough to comfortably fit two-three people.
Walking feels weird. You cant walk to many places. If u dont have a car u r stuck or depending on buses. Everything is far. Sometimes theres not even sidewalks. Young people hardly ever look at you. Mind your business never felt more real. They dont really care much about people from other nations. Food portions are too big and they are spoiled(food waste here should be a crime). Energy seems free, so much stuff on, consuming energy needlessly. So the impact of their carbon foot print is huge.
Chlorinated tap water. At home in Germany I drink only tap water and am horrified. about the sheer mass of plastic waste as you’re forced to buy bottled water.
And many other things others have mentioned here.
Showerheads fixed in walls, ridiculous amount of water in toilet bowls
States. And the need to always name them after their hood. Have you ever heard anyone saying: I am from Paris, France? From Naples, Italy? Exactly!
Nobody putting the handbrakes on when they park their cars. The handbrake is there, almost none of them use it. They’re just not taught to do it.
In huge traffic: waiting at a green light and NO ONE uses their car horn to force you to drive – it’s awkwardly silent. I heard it’s because people are afraid that the driver has a *pew pew* in his car.
Calling themselves Americans and ignoring everyone one else that is born in the same continent. Stateunidians
Everything. Y’all need to travel to Europe and see how different things are
Roads that are absolute death traps: 45 mph limit and drivers make unprotected left turns across 3 lanes to get into a driveway.
Separate bills at restaurant… how come you can’t ? If we are a group of 20 in Canada we can all have a single billing for the same table
That in a lot of the country there are two reactions, real friendly or threatening your life.
One of the biggest chains (Walmart) doesn’t take Apple Pay. I was ASTOUNDED. I hadn’t even seen my debit card for years. Had to check what my PIN was.
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