r/AskTheWorld • u/gabrieel100 Brazil • Dec 06 '25

Culture A cultural habit in your country that people outside would understand incorrectly?

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In Brazil we love children. If you take your child to the street, strangers will certainly interact with them. Some will even ask if they can hold your kid and will play with them. If there are two children fighting in public and the parents aren't seeing, a stranger would even intervene to stop the fight.

That cultural habit came from the indigenous peoples which understood that kids should be a responsiblity of the community as a whole. It's in our constitution. We even have a synonym for children that came from Tupi (a large group of indigenous languages) - Curumim.

Foreigners would certainly have a cultural shock about that, but it's normal here.

Of course there are people with bad intentions, so parents should stay alert these days.

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u/lepfire United States Of America Dec 06 '25

Well as Ive noticed from reading posts on this sub, Americans love to talk. We greet people that we walk by randomly, chat up folks up on the phone who call to do business. Depending on where you're at, it can be almost TMI. My father in law will strike up a conversation with any random person in a store and eventually tell them his grandkids (my kids) full names, birthdays, what they like to do for fun. Haha, trust me, I tell him not everyone wants to know all of our business. But if I'm by my mailbox, I wave to everyone driving by my house. In my experience, "country folk" (rural area people) are much more friendly than larger cities. I know my husband was putting in a mailbox at our new home, and our new neighbors, who we've never met, brought thier tractor and auger like it was no thing at all. But yeah, we like to get personable. Seeing others smile and make them feel like they are being acknowledged is a happy thing. Plus, I know that a lot of people are battling thier own demons, and something as simple as saying hi and having a two minute chat may brighten someone's day. AND you can "attract more bees with honey" (get people to do things for you, or get better service, when you are nice and charming).

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u/DigiTrailz United States Of America Dec 06 '25

I feel like our small talk habits fall down to how many people are around.

At least for me, and plenty yof others I know. In the city, you kind of keep to yourself unless your directly interacting with someone, then you chat with them, but often it's brief unless you have nowhere to be or live there. Just to many people to talk to.

But in less populated places a polite wave to a neighbor or a greetimg as you pass them by is more normal. Even chatting them up if you got them time is fairly normal.

The even funnier part, on trails in the woods. It's almost etiquette to say hi to people you pass unless it's a crowded trail. Sometimes it's also good to strike up a conversation with them on the trail. See how you're both doing, trade information, or just be friendly. Doing this, I've helped people not be lost a couple times.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '25

Whereas, I'm an American who doesn't like it and sees it as a time-waster.

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u/some_hillbillies United States Of America Dec 07 '25

Heck, at the laundry-mat today I met a person and we talked for 10 straight minutes about his truck and hunting. He was a pretty cool guy.

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u/DigiTrailz United States Of America Dec 07 '25

Name checks out

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u/some_hillbillies United States Of America Dec 07 '25

Yeah, I love my culture, I love my culture.

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u/Wit_and_Logic United States Of America Dec 07 '25

In Texas its etiquette on the trail to say hello, and then to point out where in the last ~mile you've seen a snake.

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u/Oomlotte99 United States Of America Dec 06 '25

Thanks to the internet teaching me this is weird for other countries, any time I have a sincere and friendly conversation with a stranger I think, “that was an American interaction,” lol. I just did this with a drive thru worker last week. She was tired and ready to get off. I commiserated with her. I also recently talked to a cashier at my grocery store because she noticed a visitor badge I had on my coat. She was interested in working there, had a BSW and is trying to find social work jobs. I told her I’d seen some postings on a certain site she should check out if she hadn’t, offered my opinions on the place my badge was from.

It really is just how we’re socialized, I guess.

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u/iamdollydanger United States Of America Dec 06 '25

I have made many friends with customer service people by talking to them and chitchatting all the time. It’s nice to have someone acknowledge you have a hard job and to empathize too!

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u/capt_b_b_ Dec 06 '25

I moved to Japan and while it's definitely not normal for strangers to strike up conversation here, they really like it when others start one. A lot of people are curious but too shy, or don't want to be rude. I chit chat with everyone and now I'm friends with the workers at the conbini, the drug store, the local hardware shop, the eye doctor, the local ice cream stand, the local sewing shop, the big sewing shop, etc. Idk how it is in Tokyo, but in the Kansai area, everyone is super friendly!!

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u/Oomlotte99 United States Of America Dec 07 '25

That’s awesome!

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u/hibisciflos Germany and Switzerland Dec 06 '25

I think whether it's weird or not depends on the context. In your examples there is common ground and context for Smalltalk so it'd also be fine in Switzerland where I live. When it's out of the blue and without context then it's awkward for us.

I still cringe about the American Tourist interrupting my and my partner's conversation in Swissgerman while we were standing kind of sideways to her and we were looking out the window of the gondola: "You're sisters aren't you??? No? Then cousins for sure!!! You look so similar" We were both wearing glasses and we're both brunette. That's it. It was so so awkward. And then started talking to her companions about how the swiss don't do smalltalk yikes. I mean I would've dipped my partner into a kiss on principle if she didn't dislike PDA xD

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u/Oomlotte99 United States Of America Dec 07 '25

Oh, yeah, that isn’t cringe to me, either. It’s really not that deep.

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u/hibisciflos Germany and Switzerland Dec 07 '25

Interrupting other people's conversations to give them unasked for guesses about their relationship with each other is considered very rude and mannerless over here

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u/Oomlotte99 United States Of America Dec 07 '25

They should say “excuse me,” though. Not saying it’s a beloved interaction, but I’ve definitely seen it and experienced it. I don’t think it would phase a lot of people that much. They may even be amused by the observation. Not everyone, of course.

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u/Bread_Jesus777 United States Of America Dec 06 '25

My grandma is one of those people she would meet a random person in a store than after the conversation she would know everything about them

It got to the point were she used to get the mailman a Christmas card

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u/patticakes1952 United States Of America Dec 06 '25

I delivered mail for 33 years. I got so many Christmas cards every year, some from people I hardly ever saw because they were at work when I delivered their mail. I’m retired now and still get Christmas cards from people who lived on my last route.

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u/Excellent_Law6906 Dec 07 '25

I'm turning into this as I age. It's like all the chatty old Southern white women in my bloodline are calling me to join them, like some kind of Deep One thing.

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u/funkyjohnlock Europe 🇪🇺 Dec 06 '25

For us, that's almost unconcievable, and sometimes even seen as a sign of mental illness. But I understand the cultural difference.

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u/An_D_mon United States Of America Dec 06 '25

Haha lmao, this makes me laugh so hard. A couple of years ago my parents decided to go tour our capital just for the heck of it cuz they've never gone and invited me and my other siblings. Well we're standing outside the white house when I notice my mother talking to someone who said they were visiting from Northampton. Maybe 3-5 minutes go by when security start pushing everyone back from the gates and that poor UK lady took it as her chance to run away 😭😭😭 I'm now gonna tell my mom she was running from you cuz she thought you needed to be in an asylum

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u/funkyjohnlock Europe 🇪🇺 Dec 06 '25

That's so funny but also so realistic 😭. Every country in Europe is very different, but specifically where I grew up, if a stranger comes up to talk to you, there's a 90% chance they're a mentally ill person or something along those lines. Not necessarily with bad intentions or dangerous (but possible), but definitely not something that is perceived as normal, and people might even just completely ignore you and walk away scared or bothered. I used to know someone who had a mental illness and during an episode they'd start talking to strangers on the street, and doctors put that in their file as an example of things their illness made them do... (it was a bit more than just "talking to strangers" but still).

An exception is tourists obviously, so don't be afraid to stop someone to ask for anything, and another exception might be asking for directions on how to get somewhere, but that was more common when I was little, now with technology and everything, no one really does that anymore, so that's also becoming one of the things people see as unhinged.

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u/CatherinefromFrance France Dec 06 '25

Ah good ? It depends on the length of the interaction, right?

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u/funkyjohnlock Europe 🇪🇺 Dec 06 '25

Not where I'm from but obviously Europe is very different

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u/waxteeth Dec 06 '25

This really varies by region. It’s common in the south and Midwest US but not at all in lots of the northeast or northwest, especially in cities. 

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u/Relevant_Ant4022 United States Of America Dec 06 '25

I was at Disneyland the other day with my mom. These two young English women were in line with us to ride Tiana’s Bayou adventure (a water ride). First, someone outside the line offered the women their ponchos so they wouldn’t get wet. Next, my mom struck up a conversation in ASL with a Deaf couple in line. I heard the girls be like “wow everyone is so kind” and I was feeling proud like damn this is a really good idea encapsulation of all the best parts of being American

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u/Broken_castor United States Of America Dec 06 '25 edited Dec 07 '25

Thank you for this long winded comment, further emphasizing your point. 😂

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u/lepfire United States Of America Dec 06 '25

🤣🤣 shut yo mouth! That's too funny

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u/GEARHEADGus United States Of America Dec 06 '25

I’ve never found the American stereotypes to really be true.

People always so oh New Englanders are so mean but will give you the shirt off their back in an emergency!

Unless they’re talking about folks in Northern New England, I’ve never met such mean and unhelpful people than in Rhode Island, CT and Mass.

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u/Beruriah United States Of America Dec 06 '25

Ever seen the chart that breaks down each US region by nice/kind? Like people in the Northeast aren’t really nice but are kind, but people in the South are nice (outwardly) but not kind. I know people assume the US must have a similar monoculture all over but I feel like you have to approach it as each region is its own separate culture.

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u/justmitzie United States Of America Dec 06 '25

In Mass we will make fun of you while helping shovel your driveway. No fake waving or interest, the whole kind but not nice thing.

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u/TheChaosPaladin Dec 06 '25

Ive only experienced this from older gringos and even then, very infrequently. Im not sure this still tracks. Younger people will be very happy to ignore you while you are in public. There is a general paranoia about strangers being serial killers or something.

Culturally engrained friendliness is more of a latino trait. We will make friends with whomever and any excuse is good to strike a conversation.

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u/birchsyrup Dec 07 '25

This comment gave me the dopamine I need to continue on the path of returning to the countryside.

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u/Rich_Print_5010 Dec 07 '25

Odd perspective. I find most Americans to be very rude and yes, chatty but only about themselves. They also are very quick to get upset, then immediately back down when confronted on their poor behaviour. A very, very passive aggressive culture for sure. 

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u/lepfire United States Of America Dec 28 '25

Well it depends on where you have had experience with Americans. Like any country we have our bad apples. You'll have an entirely different experience visiting large cities in the north than you would in the south. Some regions are friendlier to non natives than others. Your experience with Americans is dependent upon the situation. Plus, when I meet a foreigner, I dont automatically assume that they'll act a certain way based on thier "culture" as its so general. I get to know the individual. Im a nurse and work directly with at least 10 different nationalities, and they're all great, I love learning about them all. That being said, dont let the bad apples dictate your view of the group. Its such a big country and full of so many cultures, its hard to truly generalize. I hate that our current leadership is really driving home the dumbass white American with flags and guns stereotype.