People Are Sharing Stereotypes About Their Home Countries, Some Of Which Are Completely False (While Others Are, In Fact, True)
"In Germany, our stereotype is best told with a joke: 'How many Germans do you need to change a light bulb?' One. We are very efficient and not funny."
When it comes to countries you've never visited, it can sometimes be easy to believe whatever stereotypes you hear.
So Redditor u/Odd_Employee_7004 asked, "What is the main stereotype about your country?" So whether totally unfounded or laughably accurate, here's what people said.
1.Egypt: "We all ride around on camels. I'm an Egyptian, and I have never seen a camel in real life."
2.Switzerland: "Everything is clean, and everything is wildly expensive. Yes, this is entirely true."
3.Canada: "That we're all really polite and we put maple syrup on everything. (At least the maple syrup stereotype is true, though.)"
4.New Zealand: "That we all say stuff like 'put another shrimp on the barbie.' Shrimp is not a thing here. We call them prawns."
5.South Africa: "That we don't have paved roads, cities, electricity, or any of the modern conveniences, it's just jungle filled with animals where everyone lives in mud huts. I wouldn't say these stereotypes annoy me, but they certainly amuse me."
6.India: "That all we eat is curry. We have thousands of different dishes, and not everything is spicy."
7.Poland: "That the whole country is a grey, depressing wasteland. In reality, it's a very beautiful place with tons of gorgeous nature."
8.Germany: "Our stereotype is best told with a joke: 'How many Germans do you need to change a light bulb?' One. We are very efficient and not funny."
9.Ireland: "That we drink a lot of alcohol and our diet consists entirely of potatoes."
10.New Zealand: "That the only thing we care about is rugby and we all live in hobbit holes. I, for one, am absolutely terrified of rugby."
11.France: "That we are unpleasant, we don't shower often enough, and we're always carrying a baguette."
12.Brazil: "That our biggest pastimes are samba and soccer, that we live in the middle of the jungle, and that Brazil is made up only of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro."
13.Scotland: "We all eat haggis, drink whisky, and wear skirts."
14.Any country in Africa: "That Africa is one homogeneous country, not an entire continent made up of 50+ distinct countries."
15.Australia: "That the whole country is dangerous. That spiders, drop bears, snakes, feral cats, and dogs will rip your heart out every time you step out the door."
16.Pakistan: "That the whole country is in the middle of the desert, people live in huts, and they all speak Arabic."
17.The Netherlands: "That we all wear wooden clogs and smoke weed all day."
18.Canada: "That it's always snowy and wintery. As a Canadian, I can assure you that Canada is a HUGE country. We’ve got everything from deserts to rainforests. Some parts of the country get tons of snow while others barely even freeze."
19.England: "That we have all met the Queen. Dear Americans, we have not. The number of people that ask me this question is ridiculous. Have you met the president?"
20.Colombia: "Colombian here. People immediately associate my country with cocaine and Pablo Escobar. Netflix’s Narcos sure didn’t help. The guy's been dead for almost 30 years, and we still can’t seem to get rid of that monster."
21.Russia: "That we all drink vodka from sun-up to sun-down and have bears walking around the city."
22.Germany: "That everyone wears lederhosen. As a German, I can tell you that no one walks around in lederhosen except in Munich on Oktoberfest...or tourists visiting the country."
23.Lebanon: "That the whole country is a desert. Truthfully, Lebanon contains no desert whatsoever despite the fact that our neighboring countries do."
24.India: "That a bachelor degree is worthless. You're a shame unless you have a shiny masters or doctorate from America or Europe."
25.Finland: "That we are quiet, introverted, and like our privacy. There are exceptions, especially among younger people, but most of us really don't know how to speak to other people. If you want to start a random conversation on a bus or a train, you'd better be, like, 80 years old or drunk."
26.Italy: "That we eat pasta six times per week at least. Honestly, it's true for the vast majority of Italians."
27.France: "Everyone is rude and unwelcoming. Most stereotypical 'rude' French people live in Paris. The rest of us are way more kind and polite."
28.Mexico: "The whole country is made up of deserts. It's hot and sunny all the time. We wear sombreros all the time. We only drink tequila, and we can all dance salsa. None of these things are true about my country."
29.England: "That we have bad teeth, bad food, and good manners."
30.Spain: "So many tourists associate my whole country with bull fighting and the culture around it. In reality, most people I know hate or ignore this 'tradition' all together. In fact, parts of the country don't even allow it anymore."
31.Sweden: "That all our women are really beautiful. Yes, it's true, and it's sad because I have zero chance with any of them."
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