The differences between Americans and Europeans, especially Western Europeans, seem to be endless, no matter where you look. The driving culture is different, the restaurant culture is different, and people carry themselves differently when they’re out and about. Even the smallest things, such as the temperature of drinking water, are things Europeans and Americans are ready to disagree on.
However, if there is one thing both sides can agree on, it's that they love teasing each other about these differences. Americans like to point at European high taxes, paid bathrooms, and awful smoking habits. Europeans, on the other hand, like to bring up the healthcare system, sugary foods, and the unfair tipping arrangements.
So, it’s no surprise that when the recent trend of things that the “European mind can’t comprehend” took off, the Europeans were ready to strike back. They all took it personally and came up with a bunch of things that the “American mind can’t comprehend,” and shared them online. Scroll down to marvel at the funniest of them all.
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When it comes to the differences between the US and Europe, one has to remember that they both are quite big and have lots of different realities scattered all over. Living in California, for example, is not the same as living in Mississippi, just like living in France is not the same as living in Hungary.
So, when it comes to a lot of these judgements, one always has to keep in mind that they often refer to the generalized portraits of society that reflect a lot of the common stereotypes.
I thought military time would be described as "sixteen hundred hours" for 4pm.
Load More Replies...Anybody else instantly bothered by the "11:36 pm" comment? Sure, they're hopefully joking, but no. That's so not the correct time
There's two images, the tweet and the Tumblr post. The clock in the Tumblr post says 23:36
Load More Replies...American here too. My phone is set for 24 hr/military time. As a Nurse that is how we charted to avoid confusion. I prefer it to a 12 hr clock.
Hospitals in the USA use this time format and anyone working in one uses it too.
If you don't know wheter its morning or evening when you look at a clock you have a problem.
Load More Replies...We Americans have no trouble interpreting it. We’ll look right at this clock and promptly conclude “Hey, that clock is broken!”
Have an upvote. That made me laugh far too hard. Many thanks.
Load More Replies...I've deleted apps that couldn't be set at the 24 hour clock. I really, really hate the am/pm thing
And the rest of the world does not give a toss about how Americans state the time . Nor rthe date for that matter.
Except when some Muppet at work gives me a document with star-spangled dates
Load More Replies...I'm still trying to figure out why pixelshere thought it was 11:36.
Yeah, not all of us are stupid. You know who is? People who make assumptions based on where (you had no control over) you were born.
Anyone who was ever in the US military can understand this and is not freaked out by it.
Subtract 12 it's not hard. That's 3:44 pm. Most trucking companies use military time. 0200 is 2am. 1400 is 2 in the afternoon.
Vet here, we use this in the Army as de facto standard time keeping. 24hours in a day=24 he clock, sweaty!
My brother insists on having clocks set for 24 hours. My dyslexia doesn't like that format. I need 12 hour.
Um - American here. I use 24 hour format all the time. Every digital watch I've owned has been set to it...
It's 3:44 PM, but I also worked in healthcare. Pretty much the only field in the US that knows the metric system too.
All American military use 24 hour time and civilian companies that with with military and families of military and communities where military bases are located....
American here, I use zulu time. It removes so much confusion about timezones and daylight saving shifts.
I worked in a hospital for years. The military or 24 hr system is ingrained in me.
Yeah, Americans totally won’t be able to comprehend this… unless you work in healthcare or have or are part of the military. That’s a pretty large population of us!
I remember how shocked l was when l once sat next to an American flight attendant. When telling me about the difficulties of being a flight attendant, she said: "you have to learn to understand the 24 hour clock." I didn't even understand what she meant. How could someone older than six not know that?
United States lady here, my very first car at 17 yrs old was a Volkswagen, it had 24 hour time. I still use the 24 hour format wherever I can because I work shift work and it just makes life easier.
Military uses 24 hr clock ….so does any place that needs definite / precise time —airlines, trains, bus
The AM/PM system confuses the living heck out of me, especially, when I'm just waking-up.
American here too, career in the Air Force with 24 hour clock, and since I was in communications also with 24 hour clock in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), after that went to work in hospitals doing patient care, and also on 24 hour clock. Never had a problem knowing what time it was.
I don't prefer the 24hr clock format, but it's not difficult to read. WTF kind of thread is this? I learned that it was called military clock format, sooooooooooo.....if you're an AMERICAN soldier, you'd know how to read this too. SMH
That being said, the differences are still notable. For example, one cannot deny that driving is very different on the opposite sides of the pond. The roads in the US are wider, cars are bigger, and distances are way longer. Cars are also more essential in America, too, as they are often necessary for a person to do essential everyday stuff like getting groceries and commuting to work.
European roads and cars are more compact and the rules are more elaborate. Driving is often a hassle and owning a car can be very expensive. If you live in a city, you can easily get away without driving or getting a license for that matter and not feel any inconvenience.
Meh, this one's weak. I learned both the moronic imperial system AND the metric system in my 1990-2000s US education.
This and many other differences between Europeans and Americans seem to stem from the value gap between the two sides. This means that, fundamentally, we simply have vastly different points of view.
Take individualism as an example. Americans tend to prioritize individual freedoms over the role of the state in one’s life. They prefer to pursue their goals without the government’s interference. Europeans feel the opposite. They believe that the state needs to ensure that society as a whole is healthy and taken care of. This comes before one’s personal objectives. Overall, it often means that in America, people tend to build themselves up while in Europe, people are more oriented towards communities.
They exist in America. They're just not the same as they once were. The toy is in one half and the food part in the other half
The difference between the personal and the communal come in play in the same driving example. In the US, the cars are bigger to accommodate the driver’s personal needs. In Europe, the cars are smaller so that the roads can accommodate more drivers.
why do I get the feeling that this photo was taken in the Netherlands? >.>
But but how else are the bloodsucking insurance companies supposed to make their profits??? Who'll think of the billionaires?? 🥺
Americans are also more tolerant of offensive speech as they put freedom above anything else. Having a right to express your opinion, no matter how inflammatory it is, is a big part of American mentality. As much as 77% of them believe that “people should be able to make statements that are offensive to your religion or beliefs publicly.”
Living in Germany these are on every house, dont have A/C but these really help keep the house cool
They used to be common here. It's the original bidet, for washing "down there". Bidet is a deprecating name for "horse", since you had to ride it. It was introduced in the late 19th century... as a preventative for both MSTs and unwanted pregnancies, and was first popular with courtesans. "Honest" women didn't touch ( or wash) " those places".
Europeans, on the other hand, are a bit more cautious about things like that. Many tend to be more conservative and prefer to keep their controversial opinions to themselves.
Best add the mainland European minds to the list since I've yet to meet one who does this ;)
The American dream—the idea that hard work will get you further in life—is also still a big part of the American lifestyle. The majority of them believe that you are the one in charge of your own success and your efforts determine where you will end up. No wonder hustle culture is so popular there.
In Europe, people are a little more wary of such ideas. For example, 69% of Germans agree that success in life is pretty much determined by forces outside of your control. This could be your family, your sex, your race, your orientation, how rich you are, where you were born, etc. Maybe that’s why Europeans tend to shun excessive work and value work-life balance more.
I'm German like that clown and I can't comprehend this either. I hope he just wants to share with 12 buddies
Um yeah, American here. I learned to drive on a stick shift.
It looks like just a pen to me. Is there something special about it?
All in all, we are quite different. The great thing is that we can often see past these differences and get along quite well. Sure, we might tease each other about car transmissions and measurement systems, but it’s all rooted in deep fondness for one another.
Not everywhere though. Come to the Netherlands and you will pay like 3 euros for a small one ( 1/4 liter , which is half the size on te picture)
I'm pretty sure the American mind can "comprehend" a heck of a lot more than this article claims.
Yep, just like the European mind. This stuff is just insulting!
Load More Replies...What's it with making reverse articles of things that were unpopular on this site recently? First all the celebrity articles, now girl math and boy math that nobody likes, and now this? We already had the reverse and it was downvoted, learn from it!
They use it for clickbait ads on other website/apps. Sadly, it works. I don't think they even care the regular pandas downvote it, it's already served its purpose by then. Turning the worst of humans into money. It's a twisted world we live in :(
Load More Replies...Good job BP "writers", this is the third anti-American "article " in a week. Way to really spread the stupidity and xenophobia, ya àsswipes! I know this isn't true but, by all the hateful shìt this website puts out, sounds like Europeans can't comprehend how to be kind, civil humans. I'd rather be wrongfully thought as ignorant than so blatantly, undeniably a dìckhead.
.....and, here we go again!! Buy an atlas, there's more than just the US and Europe in this world.....
according to BP, electric kettles and public bathrooms confuse everyone.
Load More Replies...Wow, BoredPanda really loves to pit people against one another and create discord. What the heck is it with this website anymore and the amount of stereotypes, negativity, and censorship. Do better BoredPanda. These clickbait listicles based on stereotypes are plain lazy, cruel, and insulting. This site has just becomes so toxic and hate-filled anymore. Why can't their be a neat listicle like: "Fun and fascinating things people love about other countries they've visited"?
A lot of Americans do learn about other cultures. We have brains that can comprehend that other countries are different than ours, just like people in other countries.
YET ANOTHER "Americans can't comprehend..." How long before THE NEXT "Europeans can't comprehend..."? If it's not that, it's the obviously fake Reddit posts.
I thought a site called “Bored Panda” would be friendlier. Who wants to join me in creating a site called “FuzzyDistractedKitten”? We could advertise it as a fun repository of art and community and then just post lists of vague cultural stereotypes that we mined from Reddit which we could then weaponize to capriciously vilify populations of our choosing. After all, every individual from a place is identical. Right? Who’s with me? Come on Fuzzy Distracted Kittens! Activate!
Believe it or not, BoredPanda started as a family-friendly site that posted artwork and feel good articles from around the web. They also used to write a lot of original content. Sadly, they have turned into a site that spreads stereotypes and negativity and practices extreme levels of censorship. I've contacted them about how harmful and nasty these listicles are and am met with crickets.
Load More Replies...We can downvote posts like this all we want, and we can contact BP staff to complain, but these types of posts will never stop as long as they are getting ad clicks. In order for it to stop, it has to stop bringing them money, which means we all, collectively, need to stop reading and commenting on them. It's a shame that they want to make bank on pitting perfectly good people against each other.
as an european what i can't comprehend it's that some europeans are still at work trying to dissociate american people from european one. like if americans were kind of second zone thinkers. this is getting quite heavy now. if i tell it it's only because i used to love that site back in the days. but now, i'm getting kinda bored without bad words play
The only thing on this list I can't comprehend is why BP is still publishing these "articles"
I'm very disappointed that there's nothing on here about the absurdity of American "health care" bills
Some at BP had a bad experience in the US... Because dayum, they can't let this go...
Considering I'm in Montreal and a lot of this is perfectly commonplace here... Many Americans would be totally lost here, I think.
I'm pretty sure the American mind can "comprehend" a heck of a lot more than this article claims.
Yep, just like the European mind. This stuff is just insulting!
Load More Replies...What's it with making reverse articles of things that were unpopular on this site recently? First all the celebrity articles, now girl math and boy math that nobody likes, and now this? We already had the reverse and it was downvoted, learn from it!
They use it for clickbait ads on other website/apps. Sadly, it works. I don't think they even care the regular pandas downvote it, it's already served its purpose by then. Turning the worst of humans into money. It's a twisted world we live in :(
Load More Replies...Good job BP "writers", this is the third anti-American "article " in a week. Way to really spread the stupidity and xenophobia, ya àsswipes! I know this isn't true but, by all the hateful shìt this website puts out, sounds like Europeans can't comprehend how to be kind, civil humans. I'd rather be wrongfully thought as ignorant than so blatantly, undeniably a dìckhead.
.....and, here we go again!! Buy an atlas, there's more than just the US and Europe in this world.....
according to BP, electric kettles and public bathrooms confuse everyone.
Load More Replies...Wow, BoredPanda really loves to pit people against one another and create discord. What the heck is it with this website anymore and the amount of stereotypes, negativity, and censorship. Do better BoredPanda. These clickbait listicles based on stereotypes are plain lazy, cruel, and insulting. This site has just becomes so toxic and hate-filled anymore. Why can't their be a neat listicle like: "Fun and fascinating things people love about other countries they've visited"?
A lot of Americans do learn about other cultures. We have brains that can comprehend that other countries are different than ours, just like people in other countries.
YET ANOTHER "Americans can't comprehend..." How long before THE NEXT "Europeans can't comprehend..."? If it's not that, it's the obviously fake Reddit posts.
I thought a site called “Bored Panda” would be friendlier. Who wants to join me in creating a site called “FuzzyDistractedKitten”? We could advertise it as a fun repository of art and community and then just post lists of vague cultural stereotypes that we mined from Reddit which we could then weaponize to capriciously vilify populations of our choosing. After all, every individual from a place is identical. Right? Who’s with me? Come on Fuzzy Distracted Kittens! Activate!
Believe it or not, BoredPanda started as a family-friendly site that posted artwork and feel good articles from around the web. They also used to write a lot of original content. Sadly, they have turned into a site that spreads stereotypes and negativity and practices extreme levels of censorship. I've contacted them about how harmful and nasty these listicles are and am met with crickets.
Load More Replies...We can downvote posts like this all we want, and we can contact BP staff to complain, but these types of posts will never stop as long as they are getting ad clicks. In order for it to stop, it has to stop bringing them money, which means we all, collectively, need to stop reading and commenting on them. It's a shame that they want to make bank on pitting perfectly good people against each other.
as an european what i can't comprehend it's that some europeans are still at work trying to dissociate american people from european one. like if americans were kind of second zone thinkers. this is getting quite heavy now. if i tell it it's only because i used to love that site back in the days. but now, i'm getting kinda bored without bad words play
The only thing on this list I can't comprehend is why BP is still publishing these "articles"
I'm very disappointed that there's nothing on here about the absurdity of American "health care" bills
Some at BP had a bad experience in the US... Because dayum, they can't let this go...
Considering I'm in Montreal and a lot of this is perfectly commonplace here... Many Americans would be totally lost here, I think.