Do you agree with this Mark Twain quote?

[KostasKouvalis]

Personally, having done quite a bit of traveling myself, I think it can do both. Travel can improve your perceptions of other people, but it can also have the reverse effect and make you MORE of a bigot.

For example, I personally had a bad opinion on French and Venetian people until I went there, but likewise, I also never disliked Italians, Panamanians East Asians until I went there. Those are just a few examples.

It works both ways. The traveler can be a bigot, but can also be a victim of bigotry if the other party isn't traveling and enlightening themselves. But also, a lot of negative stereotypes are actually true, so I don't think travel can be fatal to those things if you're traveling and encountering shitty people. It's just as much on the locals to fight those things and more often then not it is the tourist who gets blamed for being treated badly.

I've been to many places and met groups that I heard were assholish, but turned out to be friendly. But likewise, I've also traveled to places that were supposed to be friendly, but turned out to be assholish. More often then not, I've also found a lot of negative stereotypes to be true.

I hate to admit this, but traveling has actually made me dislike MORE groups of people. The majority of people do not seem like good people.

Maybe this quote was relevant in Mark Twain's time, when people didn't have much, but now people have become too materialistic and have lost their morals. It's difficult not to be a bigot when you go to a certain country and everyone you meet either hates you or is trying to scam you.

[alice55]

As a teen I didn't loved much my country and wanted to move somewhere else (mainly Norway or Germany, because Norway is reputed for having not much working hours and Germany because I always liked it and I speak a little bit of it since I learn it in school so it would be the easiest language for me to learn) but the more I discovered of the worlds the more I disliked it, countries I love and were interested in seemed really bad, I disliked the culture, their hypocrisy and lie (Japan mainly), America sounded good until you actually see the difference between French healthcare and American one (in France most things are free or ver cheap while in America you need to be rich for the tiniest medicament / health issue).

Scandinavia sounded good until you discover how the people there are extremely cold ignoring people in the street not looking at them neither saying hello is it just so weird to me they act so rude as if everyone around them were ghost. So even with the good working hours and beautiful landscape I don't think I could ever live there a long time. Long holiday yes but not living.

For Germany I have nothing bad to say about it (except the fact they have no minimum wage which is bad) because I learn about their culture in school while learning the language so i still very much like it.

East Asian countries are a big no because of the long working hours even if I do quite like Korea and find Chinese architecture beautiful.

Turkey, india, Pakistan, etc... are beautiful countries, rich architecture food but the hygiene isn't good at all, all native coming back to their home countries say they get food poisoning there.

All in all France who I wasn't a fan of as a young teen I became more and more in love with it the more i discovered about the worlds so for me learning about other countries made me love France and "Western" Europe more and more and dislike any others countries, it made me want to not move outside of my country / part of Europe with maybe the exception of Korea (is it quite a rich country, good hygiene with very different architecture / food I like and people there quite like White people in general even if some are racist).

[KostasKouvalis]

Yeah, they have a reputation for being cold. When I was in Copenhagen when I missed my flight, I thought the locals were so rude, they didn't even want to give you directions. Recently I saw a video from a YouTuber who ranked Denmark in his top 5 rudest countries. He said Danes are like this, because they have no incentive to be nice to you. You'll leave their country in a few days and they have nothing to gain from being nice to you.

I also saw a vlog on a porn site of a German exhibitionist who went to the beach (I know, it's kind of weird)😂 but she said sometimes surfer boys would chat up her and her friends on the beach, but she said she never saw the point of exchanging email or phone number as they live in other countries, so she didn't see it going anywhere.
So I think a lot of northern Europeans are like thus.
Some Germans I met were cool, but lately the ones I've been meeting lack the most basic manners. Americans used to love Germans the most, because they made small talk with them, but now Germans have a reputation for being rude and not liking us.
But yes, you've told me that many times XD

Me too. I love the traditional architecture, but the culture is so weird and they're racist and disrespectful.

I'm surprised you still like Korea. Honestly, you probably aren't wrong as I heard they don't even hire Asian-American English teachers, because they think only White people can speak properly English. But I still wouldn't feel comfortable there.

I only got mild food poisoning I'm Turkey. India and Pakistan i would probably die😂

[alice55]

For them they don't have to do it because is it your job to search aren for directions which is quite ridiculous because in France they literally ask French people for direction all the time...
As I live in a tourist area lots of tourist speak to me to ask for many stuff and they would say the French are rude if we acted like them...
Scandinavian / Netherland also never ever make any effort to speak French only full on English unlike the Spanish and German, those two always say Bonjour and try their best to speak in French.

They're this ways even with locals in true, they're just extremely rude and selfish in their behavior is it just so weird because in France we talk and smile to everyone and then when Scandinavian come to France they act as if they'r win their country no hello, no thank you no please and then they wonder why they get ignored by the worker XD
They're not all like that, I've meet some really nice and polite but their cultural behavior in general is extremely weird to me. and really sound very self conceited and selfish.

I mean it obviously can't lead to anything with this kind of thinking... And even if they remain just friend and speak for some weeks is it still nice to do so
Yes XD
It's just I've met quite a lot of German tourist lately and they all been nice and polite XD
They were also eating French food / wine so I was proud XD

Yes it's sad

They really love White people there, they're different there they're not two faced like other Asian and id they don't like you they're not going to sugar coat it so it's great.
It's quite the only Asian country I still like and is it mostly cause they got an enough temper to tell you if they like you or not.
I wouldn't live there for a long time either because work culture is horrible but for holiday even a 1 month holliday it would be cool.

XD
The hygiene is so horrible there it's crazy apparently the worst is the water though

[KostasKouvalis]

My mom always says, "It's good where you aren't." It sounds better in Polish, but it's basically saying that we always think it might be better somewhere else.
But I don't have to tell YOU, you saw that conversation with that guy.

But yeah me too about no longer liking certain countries after learning more about them.
I definitely dislike the U. S. and Poland much more now than I did before. Maybe little bit the opposite of you. My mom never liked America or Americans very much and my dad never liked Poland or Poles very. I see they were both right😂
I will say though, I'm not very happy in America.

I wanted to move to Greece after visiting, and when I was in my late 10s/early teens, I wanted a Swedish wife😂
Bonaire is the only other European place I might see myself living, but wouldn't be my first choice

There's a French YouTuber who wants to move to America. She doesn't know what she's getting herself into. My mom said had she known what she knows now, she never would've moved here. I would advise first world people against it.
But honestly, I don't think I could see myself living amongst Europeans either. Maybe French or Greeks. But I don't know if I'd move there without knowing anyone. Though there are many things I like better about European people. I will say, here I get so angry, but in Québec City I was so calm. Everyone was so polite and respectful.

I feel kind of bad now. I wouldn't say I hated the French, I always respected their politics, but I just had the impression that they're rude, because that's such a huge stereotype here. But my dad always liked France and French people. They really are different from other Europeans I've met.
I ran into a French guy on here a couple days ago who was laughing when I said French people are humble.

[KostasKouvalis]

I know! You said even you help tourists with directions XD Usually this is just common courtesy.
You're not embarassed of your accent with them? XD
Even in Paris they will give you directions.

Yeah, those nationalities are a little arrogant/mtroverted. When I was in Barbados, I met two Estonian girls and a guy from Finland and Sweden. The guys acted like they didn't speak English, which is bullshit because they learn it at grade school in those countries, so everyone speaks English.
Yes, I found that a simple "Bonjour" and "Parlez-vous Angalis" will go a long way. If I try to speak French, I either mess up the phrase or butcher the pronunciation. XD

Some people here too. I was riding the public bus to my university. There was a couple going to rehab. When the bus pulled into the terminal, it was mostly students and they were getting off and no one told the people they need to change busses. If I hadn't told them, they would have stayed on and went back to my town. I told them, because people in other countries helped me with public transportation too. Sometimes it amazes me some people are so careless and lack common curtousey (gosh, I do not know how to spell that word XD)

My mom said in Poland some lady got the tram door closed on her neck and my mom was the only one that shouted. She was shocked that Polish people are so cold.

[KostasKouvalis]

Actually, they kind of are, because they imitate black culture and study English in the Philippines, but they hate those cultures. But maybe you mean in the sense that they're more direct and you know what to expect from them. I haven't spend much time around Koreans so I wouldn't know. But I saw a video where a black girl said a Korean guy was talking to her on the bus and she asked him if he'd ever marry a black girl and he said, "No, because I don't want no nlgger babies. XD" And he didn't mean to be hateful, that's just how they talk XD

Maybe, yes. I actually wanted to visit, but even so I feel it would be too much culture shock. Their customs are so strange. Though some of them are liar and two faced, like the ones my cousin dated.

Yes, I can see that. You told me. Only "Asian" country I still kind of like is Myanmar, but it's not safe to visit right now.

Yes, going somewhere on vacation is different than living there.
We really do need to do a trip some time. Some place nice :)

I know. They put water from garden hoses into bottles and sell it in stores. We had an Indian cab driver on Barbados and he said if you ever go there to drink soda.

[alice55]

In France we say "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" or "Is it always better in the neirghour house" XD

XD
Poland I don't know much about its except what you told me and what French with Polish origin have told me.
America is a weird one cause there's some stuff that are cool there but other that are just atrocious and really the whole healthcare and shitty food is the top of the worst things they have, along with the whole treating everyone of being a commie for the tiniest reason, France is considered as a communist countries for American while in France we consider France as a shitty capitalist banks licking boots XD (French in general would love France to be more "communist" in the sense of giving more money to the poor worker and giving them more right while making the rich pay more tax) but our current government is very much capitalist trying to destroy everyone of ours right and free service.

Bonaire? Isn't this an island near Venezuela is it not in Europe?

[alice55]

Honestly any person coming from a country with free healthcare should not come to America because when they would see the doctor / medicament price they would rapidly go back to their home country.
Quebec have nothing to do with French though we're nothing alike it been so many years we have been separated that the culture in Quebec to us is an American one / Anglo Saxon nothing similar to French culture expect their language.
Is it always hard to change of country.

I don't get why French are seen as rude truly especially since a lot of german come to France on holiday since always and they have always had good opinion of French, the only one that complain are the Netherlands people but French see them as being extremely rude so I guess our culture is just too different on what we consider as good and bad behavior.

I guess French are seen as rude cause if you don't say hello they most likely will ignore you but they do the same to other French it's just if you aren't polite you're considered as being "raised by porks" so people will not entertain you (not all but some) XD

Your dad have good taste ^^

He surely laughed cause it's the first time an American would say this to a French person XD
French are seen as arrogant for the simple things that they love to share their culture with the worlds. which is just normal behavior.

[KostasKouvalis]

YES! We have a similar saying in the US, but we just say, "The grass is greener on the other side" XD
I like that saying too though XD
Ooh, what have they told me?
Yeah, I didn't know much about France either until I started talking to you, but some of the stuff my dad told me, but he often doesn't get his facts right. Sometimes I will correct him, and I often wonder if my parents wonder how I know so much about France XD

Yes, I agree.
I've never heard any American say France is a Communist country, but I think they believe it's "Socialist", but in YOUR defense, most Americans don't know the difference, so you may be right. XD Also, many countries they consider "socialist" in fact aren't.

I mean, the food probably isn't healthy, but in terms of flavor I wouldn't call it "shitty". And we have food from all over the world, or at least versions of it. My mom hates it though. XD
But yeah healthcare, food, gun violence our employment and education system and other stupid cultural stuff and attitude.

Yeah, I remember when the Republicans used to call Obama a "Communist" to insult him. I started saying, "If he was a Communist, we wouldn't be in this mess." In America, we're kind of pre-conditioned to hate Communism. It's considered almost as bad as Nazism. But the funniest thing is, in one of my history classes we were doing this exercise where we had to pick different policies, and the majority of class ended up choosing a Communist system, and the first thing our teacher said was, "You do know Communism is bad right?" I'll admit, sometimes I shit on it, because I feel I have to. I dared to suggest why Americans hate Communism for a group presentation and the guy asked me if I'm Communist like it's a bad thing. One time in a class I wrote a paper about time hypocrite USA instituted Communist policies. But I read that no country has ever had a TRUE Communist system.
I could honestly talk on and on about this XD

Ours too.

Yes, but it's part of the Netherlands.

[KostasKouvalis]

Yes, I agree and my mom would agree with you.
You, me and my family would honestly have some juicy conversations at the dinner table ^^

Even the language is slightly different. XD
I think you are in some aspects, but not others. People with French blood will always share some common traits. Though I'll admit, you don't want to be compared to the ones in Montreal, though they are a lot like Leftist French XD

I think most of the comments are about Parisians, especially waiters. Though if I'm completely honest, I've read some of the complaints from Americans, and I will tell you in almost every instance it's the AMERICANS' fault that a French person was rude to them.

Dutch people are kind of rude to be honest.

That's kind of how it is here. You're not expected to greet EVERYONE, but if someone says "hello" to you and you don't even wave back, you're considered an asshole.

Actually, a lot of times he doesn't, but in this case YES ^^

Really? lol
YOU'RE the one who told me they're humble! XD Though I've seen some videos online and some people think the same thing.
They DO, but they also aren't arrogant about it, because they know they're country isn't perfect. Like French food and fashion is popular, but they aren't arrogant about it like the Italians. I recently saw a travel show on France, I forgot what province they were in, but the guy was saying, "I'm not gonna say our food is the best, because every region of France has good food."
It's always fun watching Italians eat French food, because they struggle so hard not to admit they like it XD

Anyways, I was hoping you'd see this post, because I knew you'd give a very interesting and juicy answer XD

[alice55]

Is it pretty fun yes
They surely don't know how much you know about it XD
Maybe he have the old fact in mind? If he got his interest in France a while ago
When talking to me they all have been saying commie and they keep on throwing this words around even on tv is it the same, they keep on throwing the word communism everywhere as if it's still the cold war XD
They literally consider everyone was socialist to be honest except themselves
I mean the food is full of pesticides, glucose / fructose, fake stuff dangerous for the health (like anything E550, etc...) in France most food don't have those because is either forbidden or extremely bad considered even American brands have to change their whole recipe to fit French criteria if not they're expelled.

XD

Which is mind blowing to me, how can poor worker hate something that literally want to give them more right?
In France Le Pen who is far right is only popular among poor people because she promise to give more help to the poor people (but only the French one not the immigrant) and this is the reasons why poor people love her so much not because she's against immigrant or want to keep French culture but because she promise to give more money to the poor, give more money to hospital to make it easier for poor people to be healthy , etc... All of those things would be considered as socialism in USA but in France she's considered as Far right for the only reasons she want to give all of those benefit to French only. Republican (like in the US) in France would never get one single vote in France.

[alice55]

What a weird teacher, if he was in France he would get expelled cause a teacher giving his opinion is forbidden here (be it on politics or religion).
American seem to love communism system if you remove the words communism and call it another things
American are so brainwashed when it come to this, it's crazy. I would never get why a poor person would be against getting help or more money or free healthcare free food...
What's wrong with it? Why even poor people are against it, they act as if it's the devil.
The worst are even the American Christian, they're capitalism they're the one shitting on communism the most while Christianity teach us to give and not to want more, be happy with what we got, they're the total reverse of it so hypocrite.

No country ever had one because to have one the president government need to be good and not corrupt and most people are corrupt and always want more.
Plus a lot of other things they never applied who I don't remember. In France they actually teach us to not hate communism and see the good side of it and this is also where I learned that no country ever applied the true communism.

Yes but is it not even considered as an European Union nation it have a special status (I just looked it up cause I didn't know it, I was shocked and confused to not know an European countries and I saw is it attached to the Netherland but with a special status).

I could also talk about communism a lot epecially if I can get my hands on my old books from my school era we learnt so much about communism, I even had to make a graded paper on it XD

[alice55]

For sure XD

Is it very different the accent which is hard to understand and the different words expression
To be honest I don't think we're very much alike in blood either, there's quite a lot of Portuguese / Spanish immigration that happened in the early 20th and French have heavily mixed with them, Italian immigrant and some other so in the end if we did a dna test they would be more alike the French of 1700s than the French of today to be honest. French are very very mixed with other Europeans nation be it German, Celt, Nordic, Italian etc... Depending on the region they come from they're mixed to different degree a French from the North look nothing alike a French from the south so imagine people with who we have been separated since so many century who also mixed with others...
It's always the American XD
Dutch truly are yes but they got this whole Northern mentality while French are pretty much Southern / Latin very different.
Here in small town you're expected to greet everyone or at the bare minimum smile at them.

French are very much humble but most of the worlds see us as being arrogant so we're not used to hear from an American XD
Literaly in France if you're not humble you're considered as an assholes. Which is why even our celebrity in general are humble.
XD
Italian are ways too proud XD
Their food are great but no variety at all is it always the same things and it's poor people food no meat.
^^

[KostasKouvalis]

I sometimes want to tell them about you

Yeah, some old facts and stereotypes. When I was a kid, he made me believe all the White French women on Guadeloupe walk around on the beaches topless. XD
He does though, and also apparently they used to play a lot of French songs in Poland and show French movies.

I know. By the way that Ring of Fire guy blocked me, and I'm surprised he hasn't blocked YOU yet.

EXACTLY! And they were so paranoid about the Domino Effect! Ugh, don't get me started.
My mom said there was just a report today about some dangerous chemicals in our food.
Yeah, it's usually poor working class who supports it.

Here Conservatives like Trump are about helping working class people. But like true poor people, it's Liberals who help them.
They WOULD. I was gonna say, those sound like the kinds of policies that Democrats support here.

That's crazy! XD

It wasn't as funny though as when the class ended up picking Hitler as their president XD

Really? That's great! Sometimes they get fired here too if they say something really controversial that upsets a lot of people.

That's actually true. I love those videos where people support Liberal/Conservative policies, when they think it's the other party doing them.

They really are. Poor people aren't, that's why they support Liberals, except blue collar people. Conservatives are considered the party of jobs, economics and prosperity, but the ironic thing is, that the richest states are actually Liberal states and the poorest states are actually Conservative states, with the exception of New Mexico.

I think that's mostly Protestants and Mormons but Catholics too unfortuanetly. My dad's family are devout Catholics and they're all a bunch of free loaders. We invited one of them who is a Sister living in Florida, you would not believe the kind of demands she had and some of the shit she was saying. She was laughing that she always gets lucky and someone finances a trip for her.

[KostasKouvalis]

There was a Filipino priest in our church who stole all the donation money and ran off with a girl.
And if you're Mormon, you have to give a certain percentage of your income to the Church. And you probably read all the stuff that came out about Mother Teressa.

Hell even in my own family, when my dad was drinking and left me and my mom when I was a child, the church wouldn't help her, but the church gave my dad money. They preferred to give money to a drunk then to a mom and her kid. That's one reason I kind of lost respect for the church.

Not here! Our education system is so biased. I don't know why it's so bad to be objective.
I think you would like the "Joe Rogan Experience" podcasts. He invites people from ALL backgrounds for discussion, and lets his viewers form their own opinions.

I think it's the same concept as Hawaii and Guadeloupe. Their highest mountain is even on Saba. They're a special municipality of the Netherlands. They use the U. S. dollar though.
I just googled whether they're part of the EU after you commented that. I didn't know that either. Weird.

Yeah, it's not technically a country, but you seem very knowledgeable about European territories.

I think you'd like my MyTake I wrote about European islands in Africa.
This Is Africa Too: Europe's Last African Strongholds ↗

That's really cool XD

[KostasKouvalis]

Yes, that makes sense. They were also heavily influenced by the Irish.
I know

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvcEP0EjqIc

I'm sorry! Don't blame ME XD

Yeah, one Dutch guy in Aruba was even running a timeshare scam and tried to scam us. I wouldn't have expected that from a Dutch person.

I know, you told me. Here is' kind of different. I mean, we kind of hate cocky/arrogant people too, but more often than not it is those kinds of people who are the most successful, but not always.
It kind of backfired on me. I'll admit I can be a little arrogant about my traveling and my intelligence. But I'm nowhere as bad as other Americans XD
Our celebrities aren't!

I don't know if it's it that great. I'm sure it can be, but I agree. It's simple and has no variety.

They ARE XD

I was watching a video about a Polish girl dating a Korean, and the Polish girl said Polish people are humble and me and another guy in the comments were laughing XD

By the way, I DID read your reply about the Protestants, I just didn't see a need to reply as you pretty much made the point well ;)

Oh, I tried to reply to you about that 1 hour walk by the water, but it said I was blocked. I was just gonna comment that's not unusual at all. It sounds very romantic and relaxing actually. You have water where you live?

[strateguy632]

Travel helps when people believe international news but don't know the people in that country.