How to Avoid Being the Ugly American

Andy,

Americans have no monopoly on ugly. Certainly there's nothing to apologize for.

I think it's simply just a stereotype thats been applied, in some cases appropriately, in other cases falsely. However, I find it impossible that any individual from anywhere can be truly defined by a stereotypical description of a population within a geopolitical area, or their government.

With Wikipedias help...

"Sander Gilman PHD, a distinguished professor of the Liberal Arts and Sciences at Emory University argues that stereotypes, by definition, are never accurate representations, but a projection of an individual's fears onto others, regardless of the reality of others."

Interesting that in the 1963 book The Ugly American ...

"... the authors' "good" characters used their skills and resources to make a positive change in the lives of villagers in Southeast Asia and the "bad" characters used their skills and resources for other purposes. For example there is an "ugly" engineer who helps villagers with an irrigation system, and a "handsome" Ambassador who does not care about what happens to the people on the village level."

Connected to your earlier post...

If/when (who knows, maybe never) the entire planet is fully globalized (Planetary Phase of Civilization), whom then will some people project their fears toward and call ugly?

When you point a finger, three are usually pointing back.

Eric

I agree with Eric. No nationality is perfect. God bless America.


www.myspace.com/djhams

It's a really fine line to walk. My Irish friends love to make fun or 'take the piss' out of each other, including me. I can't talk about how great America is without them taking the piss out of me or my country. But I can't let them walk all over me either. Be proud, but not haughty, I would say.

I got in the habit of talking with a Cork accent whenever I was in a crowd or dealing with someone briefly (buying something in a shop, asking for directions, etc.) because I did not like the annoyed vibe I would get just for being American. Sometimes I wonder if that was the right thing to do.

The "Taking the Piss" habit of the UK never ends, and the Europeans are just as bad, it is like bad manner is the standard.

Never apologize for being American and never hang around with people who have bad manner, it is just not worth your time to make friends with childish people.