Niche hobby: I collect differences between Brits and Americans.
18 thoughts on the USA vs the UK:
George Mack
Niche hobby: I collect differences between Brits and Americans.
18 thoughts on the USA vs the UK:
1. Flags - In America, if you fly the national flag -- it's normal. In Britain, if you fly the national flag -- you're labeled a neo-nazi.
2. Entrepreneurship - America and Britain dominate the top 10 universities in the world.
However, American students are 5x more likely to start a business than British students.
We have the same intellectual hardware -- but different software.
3. Introductions - In American culture, people sell themselves when meeting a stranger.
In British culture, people downplay themselves when meeting a stranger.
4. Decentralisation - In America, if you want to get into politics - Washington.
If you want to get into tech - San Francisco.
If you want to get into finance - New York.
If you want to get into entertainment - LA.
In Britain, if you want to get into elite politics, tech, finance, or entertainment: You move to London.
(Remote work and Manchester's boom is changing this slightly)
5. National Day - Every American I've met celebrates their national day: Independence Day, July 4th.
I've never met an English person who celebrates their national day: St. George's Day, April 23rd.
Note: I had to Google what day St. George's day is -- and I'm an English person called George.
6. Everything is bigger - In America, it's like the UK -- if it took human growth hormone and steroids.
Positive things that are bigger: Land size. Ambition. Houses.
Negative things that are bigger: Pharmaceutical drugs. Law suits. Meal sizes.
7. Apologising - If an American bumps into a stranger, they will apologise.
If a stranger bumps into a Brit, the Brit will automatically apologise -- even if it's not their fault.
8. History - In the 1700s, Americans were the ones that decided to get on a random boat for 50 days and travel across the whole world in search of a better life.
The Brits were the ones that said: "What a silly idea. Why would I do that?!"
This historical A/B test can explain 99% of their differences generations later.
9. Nice cars - In America, if you have a nice car -- most people will ask: "Wow. What do you do for work?"
In Britain, if you have a nice car -- some people will wait for you to leave it, and scratch their key down the side of it.
10. Fashion - In America, the biggest companies are tech. In Europe, the biggest companies are fashion.
If you're European -- you immediately become the top 10% of fashion sense in America.
This rule even applies to Brits -- who are nowhere near the best dressed in Europe.
11. Anti-Fragile - American kids are told they can do anything. This is great -- but can result in fragile self-esteem when reality meets their imagination.
British kids take the piss out of one another. This looks bad on the surface -- but it results in anti-fragile self-esteem. You learn to publicly laugh at your own insecurities.
12. Humour - Chris Rock once broke down the difference between him (American) and Ricky Gervais (British).
American humour is often so loud. They shout to get their joke across to everyone in the room.
British humour is usually subtle. The best joke is the one that only the smart people in the room understood.
13. The Comedy Paradox - The funniest people I've ever met are British... But stand up comedy has been historically dominated by Americans.
Why?
My bro science theory: The crabs in the bucket mentality that sharpens British humour is ironically the same thing that would prevent them from getting on stage to "be funny".
There's probably a British Dave Chapelle in a random pub in Wigan that never got on stage out of fear of what other people would think.
14. Anti-Fragile - American kids are told they can do anything. This is great -- but can result in fragile self-esteem when reality meets their imagination.
British kids take the piss out of one another. This looks bad on the surface -- but it results in anti-fragile self-esteem. You learn to publicly laugh at your own insecurities.
15. War scar tissue - During WW1 and WW2, Britain saw millions of people die near their own soil. Major British cities got bombed into rubble.
Americans have barely seen any losses near their land. And the wars where they did take damage (E.g. Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam) - they were all so far away from America.
As a result, the British culture is more stoic. Brits mentally prepare for the worst outcome. It's the spirit that got us through watching our country get blown up twice.
16. The British accent - Most Brits don't realize this but Americans love the British accent.
You immediately appear smarter and more attractive than you are. The British accent is a commodity in the rest of the world -- except Britain.
If you have a British accent, the worst ROI you get for it is ironically in Britain.
Unfortunately, the reverse isn't true for American accents.
17. Road rage - There appears to be less road rage in America relative to Britain.
On average, Britain has way more car horns and fights.
I suspect this might be because of bigger roads -- or that you're unsure if the person you're starting a fight with has a gun.
18. Closing Metaphor - Meeting Americans is like finding out my Dad had a child with another women.
We have so much in common — and so many subtle differences.
It’s like he spent more money on them and kept his self-help books at their house — but also left his adderall and guns.
-----
Meta point - I poked more fun at Britain than America.
Why? Because I'm British. And mocking yourself rather than someone else is a very British thing to do.
And I love that part of British culture.
-----
If you enjoyed this, it's taken from my newsletter. (Link below). Get my best ideas when you sign up.
Nuance alarm: This is largely satire from my own personal observations. The sample size is 1 and none of the above is a scientific fact.
Niche hobby: I collect differences between Brits and Americans.
18 thoughts on the USA vs the UK:
1. Flags - In America, if you fly the national flag -- it's normal. In Britain, if you fly the national flag -- you're labeled a neo-nazi.
2. Entrepreneurship - America and Britain dominate the top 10 universities in the world.
However, American students are 5x more likely to start a business than British students.
We have the same intellectual hardware -- but different software.
3. Introductions - In American culture, people sell themselves when meeting a stranger.
In British culture, people downplay themselves when meeting a stranger.
4. Decentralisation - In America, if you want to get into politics - Washington.
If you want to get into tech - San Francisco.
If you want to get into finance - New York.
If you want to get into entertainment - LA.
In Britain, if you want to get into elite politics, tech, finance, or entertainment: You move to London.
(Remote work and Manchester's boom is changing this slightly)
5. National Day - Every American I've met celebrates their national day: Independence Day, July 4th.
I've never met an English person who celebrates their national day: St. George's Day, April 23rd.
Note: I had to Google what day St. George's day is -- and I'm an English person called George.
6. Everything is bigger - In America, it's like the UK -- if it took human growth hormone and steroids.
Positive things that are bigger: Land size. Ambition. Houses.
Negative things that are bigger: Pharmaceutical drugs. Law suits. Meal sizes.
7. Apologising - If an American bumps into a stranger, they will apologise.
If a stranger bumps into a Brit, the Brit will automatically apologise -- even if it's not their fault.
8. History - In the 1700s, Americans were the ones that decided to get on a random boat for 50 days and travel across the whole world in search of a better life.
The Brits were the ones that said: "What a silly idea. Why would I do that?!"
This historical A/B test can explain 99% of their differences generations later.
9. Nice cars - In America, if you have a nice car -- most people will ask: "Wow. What do you do for work?"
In Britain, if you have a nice car -- some people will wait for you to leave it, and scratch their key down the side of it.
10. Fashion - In America, the biggest companies are tech. In Europe, the biggest companies are fashion.
If you're European -- you immediately become the top 10% of fashion sense in America.
This rule even applies to Brits -- who are nowhere near the best dressed in Europe.
11. Anti-Fragile - American kids are told they can do anything. This is great -- but can result in fragile self-esteem when reality meets their imagination.
British kids take the piss out of one another. This looks bad on the surface -- but it results in anti-fragile self-esteem. You learn to publicly laugh at your own insecurities.
12. Humour - Chris Rock once broke down the difference between him (American) and Ricky Gervais (British).
American humour is often so loud. They shout to get their joke across to everyone in the room.
British humour is usually subtle. The best joke is the one that only the smart people in the room understood.
13. The Comedy Paradox - The funniest people I've ever met are British... But stand up comedy has been historically dominated by Americans.
Why?
My bro science theory: The crabs in the bucket mentality that sharpens British humour is ironically the same thing that would prevent them from getting on stage to "be funny".
There's probably a British Dave Chapelle in a random pub in Wigan that never got on stage out of fear of what other people would think.
14. Anti-Fragile - American kids are told they can do anything. This is great -- but can result in fragile self-esteem when reality meets their imagination.
British kids take the piss out of one another. This looks bad on the surface -- but it results in anti-fragile self-esteem. You learn to publicly laugh at your own insecurities.
15. War scar tissue - During WW1 and WW2, Britain saw millions of people die near their own soil. Major British cities got bombed into rubble.
Americans have barely seen any losses near their land. And the wars where they did take damage (E.g. Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam) - they were all so far away from America.
As a result, the British culture is more stoic. Brits mentally prepare for the worst outcome. It's the spirit that got us through watching our country get blown up twice.
16. The British accent - Most Brits don't realize this but Americans love the British accent.
You immediately appear smarter and more attractive than you are. The British accent is a commodity in the rest of the world -- except Britain.
If you have a British accent, the worst ROI you get for it is ironically in Britain.
Unfortunately, the reverse isn't true for American accents.
17. Road rage - There appears to be less road rage in America relative to Britain.
On average, Britain has way more car horns and fights.
I suspect this might be because of bigger roads -- or that you're unsure if the person you're starting a fight with has a gun.
18. Closing Metaphor - Meeting Americans is like finding out my Dad had a child with another women.
We have so much in common — and so many subtle differences.
It’s like he spent more money on them and kept his self-help books at their house — but also left his adderall and guns.
-----
Meta point - I poked more fun at Britain than America.
Why? Because I'm British. And mocking yourself rather than someone else is a very British thing to do.
And I love that part of British culture.
-----
If you enjoyed this, it's taken from my newsletter. (Link below). Get my best ideas when you sign up.
Nuance alarm: This is largely satire from my own personal observations. The sample size is 1 and none of the above is a scientific fact.