I read some study about it a few years back… in summary, americans are doing the fake friendliness thing where they ask everyone and their mother how they are doing, if they want to grab coffee sometime, and so on while actually meaning nothing of it. Meanwhile Europeans don’t do that. They are only really friendly to people they are familiar with, and immediately sceptical of the American kind of fake friendliness. Basically, we wouldn’t ask someone how they do unless we are actually interested in that.
Another interesting thing I once read is that there are apparently subconscious cultural norms for things like eye contact.
Many Americans visiting Europe report that they often feel stared at, which is caused by a minuscule difference in how long it is appropriate to meet someone’s gaze, for example when walking in public and looking at a stranger. Apparently Americans look somewhere else a fraction of a second earlier, and this tiny difference makes them feel stared at.
I run a B&B around the Himalayan range and see a lot of foreign tourists. Most Europeans people seem to be much more reserved especially the Finnish, a few are notable exceptions like the Germans & English.
Not bothering strangers with inane conversation is more friendly to me. Forcing strangers into conversations is rude. But I live in Vancouver, we have similar transit culture to Europe.
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I read some study about it a few years back… in summary, americans are doing the fake friendliness thing where they ask everyone and their mother how they are doing, if they want to grab coffee sometime, and so on while actually meaning nothing of it. Meanwhile Europeans don’t do that. They are only really friendly to people they are familiar with, and immediately sceptical of the American kind of fake friendliness. Basically, we wouldn’t ask someone how they do unless we are actually interested in that.
Peaches vs Coconuts.
Another interesting thing I once read is that there are apparently subconscious cultural norms for things like eye contact.
Many Americans visiting Europe report that they often feel stared at, which is caused by a minuscule difference in how long it is appropriate to meet someone’s gaze, for example when walking in public and looking at a stranger. Apparently Americans look somewhere else a fraction of a second earlier, and this tiny difference makes them feel stared at.
We can be friendly and talkative, but not at a bus stop.
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I run a B&B around the Himalayan range and see a lot of foreign tourists. Most Europeans people seem to be much more reserved especially the Finnish, a few are notable exceptions like the Germans & English.
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Not bothering strangers with inane conversation is more friendly to me. Forcing strangers into conversations is rude. But I live in Vancouver, we have similar transit culture to Europe.
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You mean annoying?