This week, a viral Reddit thread asked users, "What are Europeans better at than Americans?"
It turns out, people had LOTS to say on this topic. Here are some of the top-voted responses:
1. "Building restroom stall doors."
2. "Work–life balance."
3. "Knowing things about other countries. I've heard stories about Americans who thought that burgers didn't exist in other countries, just to give an example. I think there is just an obliviousness there sometimes."
4. "Price tags. In European stores, the price you see on the sticker is the price you pay at the register. In America, you have to add tax to the price on the sticker. Shopping is so much easier in Europe, especially if you’re on a budget."
5. "Paying waiters decently, so they don't need to depend on tips."
6. "Public drinking."
7. "I went back to Paris last summer. The bread was so good it actually made me angry. The baguettes from any random corner shop and the croissants even from the shitty train station kiosk were so much better than anything I can buy in America, even at the most upscale bakeries! WHY?"
8. "Giving workers maternity leaves."
9. "American here. I've noticed, in my travels, that Europeans are significantly better at having a quiet conversation in public."
10. "Public transportation."
11. "Not wanting ice in every drink."
12. "Making chocolate and other candy."
13. "Accepting nudity in art. Americans are super uptight when it comes to nudity of any kind. I wasn’t allowed to take my niece to the museum because she might see naked statues."
14. "Nightlife. Have you seen what the capitals in European countries are like at clubs during weekends, compared to the US?"
15. "Europeans work to live, and not live to work."
16. "Having paid holidays."
17. "Europeans are more cautious about their health and will actually do something about their medical problems. I’ve heard of Americans avoiding the hospital because of the costs."
18. "Going to the hospital without also going into bankruptcy."
19. "Healthcare. Europeans pay far less for their healthcare and have a longer life expectancy and a lower infant mortality rate (which I know aren't unrelated)."
20. "Being able to form an orderly queue without being told to do so."
21. "Not allowing kids to go into lunch debt."
22. "Macarons. Those things are so good in Paris and nothing I’ve had in the States compares."
23. "I'm surprised at how clean and humane European prisons are compared to those that we have here in North America. Kind of disheartening actually."
24. "Gun control."
And finally...
25. "Cheese. Gruyere, Parmesan, feta, you name it. We in the US, on the other hand, have a yellow, nondescript cheese product called 'American.'"
So what things do YOU think Europeans do better than Americans? Sound off in the comments...
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.