40 American Norms That Baffle The Rest Of The World, As Shared In This Thread

It really does help to be open-minded when traveling abroad. Ideally, you should be willing to adapt to new cultures and customs, instead of demanding that the entire world matches your values and ideas just because you’re visiting.

A humble tourist who’s willing to learn new languages, treats the locals with respect, and actively listens instead of just talking, will have a much better chance of forming a genuine connection. And part of that means embracing whatever your travels throw at you. Going on an adventure means dealing with some discomfort, after all.

On the flip side, someone who is rude, entitled, demanding, and obnoxious won’t win many locals over. You can’t be critical of every little thing that doesn’t match your cultural norms. Otherwise, you’ll spend the entire trip being upset about how things “aren’t like back home.”

That being said, you shouldn’t turn a blind eye if you see someone behaving unethically, illegally, or in a way that goes against your most fundamental values. You want to be flexible without giving up your identity as an individual.

CIEE recommends that you do a bunch of research before going on a trip. Read some articles, watch some videos, and consume as much quality content as you can about the country or city you’re visiting.

You want to come to grips with what the culture is going to be like before you get off the plane or train. The internet is full of posts, guides, and clips that are free. Meanwhile, you can also head to your local library or cultural center for more material.

“When you go abroad, you are confronted with a new set of norms and new ways of thinking that may contradict your own ideas. Initially, we may think of these different ways of life as ‘strange’ or ‘wrong,’ without thinking critically and understanding that it is simply different,” CIEE explains, adding that you have to be willing to adjust your behavior to blend in and meet certain expectations.

But, at the end of the day, you probably won’t fully understand a new culture by spending a few days or weeks immersed in it. To truly live like a local, you need months or years of immersion.

What are some cultural norms that surprised or confused you the first time you stumbled across them during your travels, dear Pandas? Let us know in the comments.