There's no question that every nation earns their unique personality from its citizens. There are hundreds of different cultures around the world, each with their own unique stereotypes. A stereotype is an oversimplified, generalized assumption about a group of people or culture based off of assumed ideas. One of the "loudest" and most stereotyped cultures in the world? The United States of America.
We're loud, we're independent, and we love to express ourselves and what America is all about: Freedom. This is especially obvious around the 4th of July, America's independence day. A day when the barbeque tongs come out and fire lights up the sky. We eat hot dogs, hamburgers, coleslaw, potato salad, mac and cheese, and fried chicken. We wear clothes and jewelry and body paint of the red, white, and blue variety. We gather in parks and rooftops and backyards and streets to light fireworks and celebrate and dance to patriotic.
Although stereotypes typically come with negative connotations, not all stereotypes are negative, and many can be right on the money. Here are 10 stereotypes of Americans, in honor of this 4th of July.
[new page = 10. Americans are lazy.]
10. Americans are lazy.
Between an odd obsession with McDonalds and the amount of money that is spent on diet fads in the United States each year, Americans can often times be seen as lazy and apathetic to movement. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans spend almost half their leisure time on the computer or watching TV instead of going out to exercise or perform an activity.
[new page = 9. Americans are materialistic.]
9. Americans are materialistic.
Shopping is not a problem in America; there are over $4.4 trillion worth of goods available for sale at any given day in the United States. This has opened up the door for Americans to appear materialistic and greedy to those who are not used to our shopping habits. There is a unique "pride" in living a life of luxury with many possessions.
[new page = 8. Americans are excitable.]
8. Americans are excitable.
Americans get excited... about a lot of things. Often times it takes only one person to let out a cheer before a chorus of agreements echo in equal parts noise and energy. It is the connection through this excitement that makes Americans well known for their ability to lighten up a room and give more energy to almost anything that is going on.
[new page = 7. Americans are temperamental.]
7. Americans are temperamental.
While Americans are excitable, they are also more temperamental. The United States is known for the ability to switch into defense mode when something is threatening or challenging. This temperance can sometimes come at a price, say for instance a home invasion where the homeowner killed the intruder, but at the same time it can also be a decent defense mechanism when one's life is at stake.
[new page = 6. Americans are obsessed with image.]
6. Americans are obsessed with image.
In America, it is estimated that people see almost 300 advertisements regarding body image or the way someone looks every day. Times square in New York City contains one of the densest concentrations of print advertisement in the world, and almost half of them make some reference to someone's image. The term "sex sells" is one of the most well known phrases in the nation, and it works; one of the first instances of it was in the 1870s, when some tobacco was sold with sexual entendre on its packaging. Americans are very focused on body image, not only of themselves, but of their neighbors as well.
[new page = 5. Americans are easy-going.]
5. Americans are easy-going.
While Americans sometimes are seen as rigid and set in their ways, there is also a side of them that is more relaxed and open. Americans are seen to be more likely to talk about subjects that may be considered taboo in other places, and appear more open to expressing their feelings and following a flow of actions, rather than worry about a specific plan set in stone. It doesn't seem to take much to allow Americans to open up and relax.
[new page = 4. Americans are pushy.]
4. Americans are pushy.
While relaxed at times, there also appears to be an image of Americans as pushy and assertive people: Americans push their opinions onto others and like to argue and be dominant in conversations and actions. This forcefulness can come from an image of perfectionism, but it also may be ingrained in the hundreds of years of patriotism that makes American the land of the free.
[new page = 3. Americans are environmentally inept.]
3. Americans are environmentally inept.
It's no secret that America develops a large amount of waste every day. A study done by the Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability reveals that almost 65% of Americans don't recycle regularly, regardless of the chance to. Many Americans blame their trash antics on the confusing recycling programs, and the lack of universal codes. It also leaks back to the "lazy" stereotype; it takes quite a bit of work to sort out trash from recyclables, and often times it's easier to keep one bin and set everything waste into it.
[new page = 2. Americans are ignorant.]
2. Americans are ignorant.
In 2008, Rick Shenkman, the editor-in-chief of the History News Network, wrote and published a book in which he outlined American ignorance. Just How Stupid Are We?: Facing the Truth About the American Voter, on Amazon and in major retail stores across the nation, outlines the international event ignorance Americans have, along with the lack of knowledge for the way the United States government runs and the lack of willingness to learn more about different ways of life. Although this stereotype of ignorance may not be completely off the mark, Americans do rank high in intelligence,and tend to value education as highly as other nations.
[new page = 1. Americans are rich.]
1. Americans are rich.
Americans are in much better shape financially individually than other countries, but this stereotype is one of the most rampant across the world - and one of the most inconsistent ones as well. Americans who are considered poor often times still have what could be considered "luxuries" in other countries such as color TV, a car, heat and electricity, and furniture inside their home. The upper-middle class is one of the wealthiest layers in American society, and is considered the "rich" class, but a study by Business Insider revealed that only 20% of Americans will be considered "rich" in their lives, and that moment will most likely be fleeting anyways.