I read people say online that Americans are loud. What does this mean, exactly? Is it literal volume or is it our personality/presentation? Something else?
I may be moving to Australia because of my wife’s job, and I want to better understand this. I want to assimilate and I don’t want to be annoying. I’m personally pretty low key and listen more than speak, but this is my perception of myself.
Another factor, there’s so few of you that escape the country (only 48% of you have a passport) that the only ones folks in EU mostly see are;
- the wealthy assholish ones 😡
- the plucky risk taking ones on holiday on a couple pennies and a dream 😁
- people here on business trips 😐
- the influencers 🤢
This is absolutely true. The American Dream carrot keeps us from spending and learning about others. If we did that, we might have some legit options that help the people. We don’t want that though!
Thanks for the reply!
Volume for sure, but also Americans seem to be largely incapable of experiencing silence. They tend to fill silence as if they love the sound of their own voice.
Obviously this isn’t all Americans, and my only experience of Americans are when they’re tourists.
You say you listen more than you speak so you’re probably fine. Even just asking about how to not be annoying shows you have more self awareness than any American I’ve ever met
Thank you so much for your reply!
The constant talking thing is definitely cultural. Americans get nervous during silence in conversations because we think there is something wrong like we’re not interesting or people don’t value us or something. It’s absolutely our own stupid hang up.
As a Midwestern American, my girlfriend and I went abroad on a trip that happens to be where cruise ships dock. We did not take a cruise. However, the most annoying people we met on the entire trip were southerners from the US. Just everything about them was the worst. Every stereotype you can imagine was being presented. They were god fearing and cheeto loving, and they made it known. We weren’t even in the US, for fuck’s sake. The cherry on top, for me, was every single American store we passed on the tour bus, one of them had to yell the name of the store. “SAYAM’S CLUHHHB”…“WAYNDEES” Like, can you shut the fuck up? It was, right then, in that exact moment, it hit me like a bolt of lightning, no wonder people say Americans are loud and annoying. Because the vocal yokels absolutely are.
Oof. We Americans are such douchebags sometimes. Hello fellow Midwesterner! I’m in the Chicago area myself currently.
Thanks for your insight and anecdote!
Billy Mays is an outlier and should not have been counted. He raises the average volume of the entire country
So here’s a Canadian answer.
I have found that, on average, Americans speak at a higher volume than folks from my country. At the same time, they seem more willing to share things that we wouldn’t except in more familiar company. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, but there are times when I would recommend a touch more discretion.
For the most part I think you’ll be fine in Australia. Just whatever you do, DON’T support Collingwood and DON’T drink Fosters.
Ha! Thank you for the comment.
Fosters? Seriously? When there are craft brews? I’m going to be drink the craft or wines…I just wish weed was legal.
Oh, just a note. Don’t look for a “pub” or a “bar”. For some obscure reason, a drinking establishment is called a “hotel”. I don’t know why but that’s the way it is. I spent about 45 minutes wandering around trying to find a place for a bite and a drink. Finally had to flag down a local.
I think it just means louder that most (but not all) of the other people. I didn’t think much of it until I had some American friends visit me and I took them to bar near where I live. I didn’t really noticed anything while we were all sitting together.
When I crossed the room to go to the bar for another round, then I noticed that I could clearly hear my American friends voices above everyone one else in the room. I could clearly hear their conversation from across the bar. They were just speaking somewhat louder than everyone else.
Very interesting!
Someone else made a comment that I found interesting which was about how Americans usually speak far apart compared with other cultures that lower their voices and lean in. It has me thinking about how much space we have here and the ingrained competition which makes us naturally speak louder.
Another thing after talking to my wife is that there are a lot of large American families and children vie for the attention of others, which means having to speak up and over their siblings which sort of trains us to be that way.
It’s all fascinating to me to think about. Thank you for your answer!
Another thing after talking to my wife is that there are a lot of large American families and children vie for the attention of others, which means having to speak up and over their siblings which sort of trains us to be that way.
Mmmm, it’s a theory I suppose but I have a large family. Our dinner table is busy but not loud (except with raucous laughter which is semi frequently in fairness). Cross conversations go on all the time, it’s just the nature of lots of people at a table.
My own experience with American tourists is that it’s a volume thing. Interestingly I don’t recall noticing it as much while visiting the states but definitely slightly louder than other cultures.
Sounds like you won’t have any issue anyway.
Good luck with the move! I’ve never heard anyone come back from Australia with a bad word to say about it and lots of my fellow countryfolk do a year there (including my sister and bestie).
Thank you! I’m hoping we end up moving there because I loved my visit there a couple of years ago and I would love to be there always.
It’s the literal volume. In Germany you mostly recognize Americans because they are mostly louder than other people, for example in public places or transport.
Thats the image but it does absolutely not apply to everyone.
Others here have covered great points, especially that it is a physical loudness and presence.
I would add that everyone tends to be very knowledgeable about US culture, history, geography, politics etc from TV, films and news but with the “typical Americans” you are talking about, they know almost nothing about other countries or cultures. They might know very high level things like what Buckingham Palace is where the King lives but not much beyond that. The worst of the stereotype just don’t care and don’t show an interest in learning anything. It’s almost like a tick box to see certain things and then that’s their holiday done.
Slow an interest and curiosity and you’ll be fine. Look at what the locals are doing and try to copy them. If you go to London, everyone will stand on the right on escalators. Anybody with eyes can see that! Yet you’ll find so many people don’t look or care so get in the way.
Also, all countries have stereotypes that apply to most people but not everyone - the British are horrible binge drinkers who go for cheap beers in the sun. Im not like that but can certainly agree with the sentiment after seeing Brits abroad! Just sitting back and noticing goes a long way.
Shopping and service culture is very different. Most retail staff don’t have to welcome everyone, make small talk, fake an interest or have to stand up all day at a checkout to not be lazy. Restaurant staff often seem “rude” compared to America but in reality they’re just trying to do their job and we don’t always want the American style customer service. I’ll ask if I need help!
Let me put it this way: When I am in a restaurant/bar/pub/similar place, I can’t follow the conversations of the people at the other tables. However, with US-Americans, I understand every single word, even if they’re two tables over. Their normal conversational volume is just so much higher. To them, it is completely normal, and they don’t seem to notice. To us, they’re speaking very loudly, as if everyone were hard of hearing, or as if we were on a construction site.
Interesting. I’ll keep my volume in mind. Thank you for your reply!
The fact that you’re even asking this tells me that you’re more considerate than most. You’ll be fine!
I went to Geneva, Switzerland when I was in college. There was a public square with about 1000 Swiss eating at different tables, all leaning forward like they were telling secrets. We 6 American college students were louder than all the 1000 Swiss in the square, by volume.
We 6 American college students were louder than all the 1000 Swiss in the square, by volume.
You noticed this and just kept going?
We figured it out eventually
I wasn’t even being judgmental. Just curious. I basically have a personality disorder because I have a loud voice and am kinda extroverted. But I think if I were to live in like L.A. I’d be considered introverted. Maybe average for like rural Minnesota.
Wow. Any reason why you kept going? If I noticed that then I would probably mimic others nearby.
Thanks for your reply!
We were just laughing and talking among ourselves as per usual. This was before cellphones.
WHAT?
Just kidding.
There’s a range of actual volume, my boss I cannot hear half the time because he is quiet but a couple of coworkers have voices that really carry, it’s not exactly volume or not just volume, it’s throw.
Talkative we are, overall. Not everyone of course, but there is a lot of talking.
And pushy and curious we are, overall, too. I think that can read as loud too.
As an Australian, I took up baseball because the crowd is far more pleasant than the Aussie Rules football mob.
You’ll be fine. Half of Australia doesn’t have an “inside” voice.
Awesome! Thank you for your comment!
It means the other country is perpetuating stereotypes.
Let me tell you a few more:
- French are dirty
- Parisians are all supermodels or pick pockets
- English politeness is just their passive aggressive bullshit
- Japanese are rude as shit
- Germans are robots
- Mexicans are lazy
- Canadians are overly polite
- Italians are way too passionate
- Australians are way too laid back
- Icelanders fuck a lot
- South Africans are racist assholes
To be clear, I don’t agree with or believe any of the above, I am just telling you the stereotypes.
Absolutely. It’s a fair point. People are people and should be judged on their individual basis.
Thank you for your answer.
People from the Netherlands are loud too.
It’s something about when you guys walk around in a larger group. Most of you just have a higer volume setting. Like you are trying to get heard by every bystander as well. When hiking through the Balkans I could hear Americans from far away.
Australians seem te be loud as well so you’ll be fine I guess…
But who’s generalizing?
People from the Netherlands are loud too.
where tf did you get this idea?
I’ve been camping my whole life. Had several occasians where Dutch people dominated the soundscape.
I mean, it’s generalising. You should take it with a grain of salt but I’m not the only one who has noticed.
I thinks it’s always what you compare it with. I’m Belgian. Dutchies are they loudest neighbours and being able to understand what they say perhaps makes me tune in.
I’ve noticed my Spanish relatives are even louder.
I don’t know who this General Izing is, but they sound like a controversial figure!
Ha! Thank you for your comment.
I wonder how true this is now or if its something that is more from last millenia. With everyone on their phones now I just can’t imagine its quite the same. Granted every so often you run into the person with their speakers playing the game/media sounds rather than earbuds.
I feel, as an American, it probably still holds up. We have a culture and don’t veer too far.
