Which fact do foreigners need to learn about the country you live in?

[noname223]

It would be probably good if you mentioned the country. This is an international forum which is a good basis for a cultural exchange. I think it is one reason why I like writing and venting here. We are all from different societies but our suffering and pain units us.

So I come from Germany. Here are some facts.

German trains are extremely often too late. Punctuality is an unknown term for them.

I think on average Germans are often unfriendly. And I am kind of an example for that. I suck at social interactions a lot.

German music is trash. There are some exceptions. But our rappers are so fucking cringe.

We usually do not speak like Hitler. Many foreigners falsely think we would all speak like that. Shouting and being angry all the time.

Our capital is a fucking joke. Nothing works there. Even the regional election had to be repeated.

Our chancellor Scholz was probably involved in scandal where the German state dispensed a corrupt bank several million of euros. We all know what happened but the people are too lazy to research the details because it is pretty complicated. His major defence is: "I forgot the details about the incident." And despite that he won the election.

I probably could find more. But I am curious about your facts especially if you are from the USA. I am fascinated by that country.

 

[StolenLife]

I don't wanna doxx myself so I won't say which country, but foreigners would have to learn to only come for tourism and not for permanent stay because it's corrupted as hell.

 

[unnormal9]

Stop taking all of the benefits and complaining staying in a nice hotel when actual citizens can't even get any.

 

[MelancholyMagic]

But I am curious about your facts especially if you are from the USA. I am fascinated by that country

For most people, life is materially comfortable in the USA. At worst, someone may be "food insecure", but nobody starves. Clean water can be accessed everywhere (with rare, headline-grabbing exceptions). There are huge amounts of entertainment options, HVAC is very common, and everywhere except extremely rural areas have a Walmart within a 30-minute drive.

Because the USA is so comfortable, people have the leisure to reflect on why life is wretched. Couple this with near universal access to the Internet and a population of 330 million, and you get a huge amount of anti-USA hate from Americans. That might mislead you. The USA is terrible, but so is everywhere (even the much exalted Norway or whatever fairyland people think is just so much better). As far as countries go, the USA is better than most, and is nowhere near a "third-world country" which some bored people like to call it.

 

[Shirokuma]

The country I live in has a famous popular saying: "It will be grand". It may appear optimistic from an initial hearing, but truthfully it represents the great general apathy that plagues the country. People here always settle for the status quo. They will never strive to be better in face of poor standards. People simply do not care in this country. Everything is just "grand". Acceptable no matter the standard.
Worse still, is the fact the standard is so low in this country and people lack integrity or dignity. Drinking is the most popular "pastime" in this country, People don't have any real hobbies or interests. Nobody wants to improve themselves or do better (other than for selfish and benign reasons). There is practically no culture, no respects for the arts or the things that can make life special. The country lacks life, unless you love drinking or live for small-town gossip.
Actually as an ironic note, the only things not "grand" in this country are the things that aren't the status quo. People here are very narrow-minded and close-minded here. Everyone here quite literally has an "island" mentality. You will also never be able to integrate into this country if you are not from here. Forever an outsider.

Anyone from this country with greater ambitions leaves it, emigrating to a country where their talents can be recognised and can fully "enrich" themselves. Brain drain is a huge issue in the country, as most of the youth could find work abroad for example the USA for salaries worth triple what they would here after getting their degree. And more, factors in the economy such as the cost of living and the housing crisis makes it difficult for an individual to live a life not from paycheck to paycheck. Most young people here, are unable to move out from their parents until their mid-30s.
But no one protests, no one but maybe the younger, but for the majority, everything in the country is "grand".
There's no need for a change, everything is fine the way it is. People here never protest or will protest, this phenomenon stemming from ignorance and laziness. This goes beyond anything of significant importance like the economy or politics. It embedded in the tiniest minute moments of everyday life. It is all just forever "grand".

I guess to summarise my short rant: If you ever visit this country you will think that it's an optimistic and calm place based on the general attitudes and lifestyles of the people who live here. This will seem very much apparent to you in pleasant phrases such as "it will be grand", but the truth is; this masks the extreme apathy of the country and its incompetence and ignorance to progress and advance to something more.

Also don't be fooled by the ridiculous assertions that this country is extremely wealthy. It's all just what is referred to as leprechaun economics. Large American companies ( especially tech such as Apple and Google) have set up headquarters here, as the country is essentially a tax haven and a good country to hold operations from. The GDP therefore is massively inflated (the country is not responsible for its own success, and therefore hardly sees the results on itself).
The average person is not nearly as wealthy as what is implied. All the metrics on income are grossly inflated, due to the small amount of executive people here who earn exorbitant amounts. In fact, much of the country hardly sees much of this wealth, most of it brung back to America. All you would need to do is to look at the poor infrastructure and standard of living compared to similar countries that sustainably have this kind of wealth.

This is one of the dullest countries on the planet.
If you look for innovation, effort and life, never live here.
You will only find a still country whose small-minded inhabitants morbidly celebrate and obsessively chatter over a recent death.

"Did ya hear what happened to old poor ______ ______."
"Nooo? whats after happening to old ______ ______."
"He's after dying, so he is"
"Oh Jesus! That's absolutely shocking. Poor _______ _______."

 

[Not.Flugel]

Something more pharmaceutical.
A lot of older German folk are brain-damaged when it comes to medication and think their weird non-proven methods will treat their diabetes, Alzheimer and else.
It's pitiful to see them throw so much money into something that won't help and seeing their health decline.