In this post I would like to discuss some of the main differences that I noticed between the United States and Europe. I think that it is worth noting that these observations are only backed by my experience in five cities, which were all primary located on the eastern side of Europe. For these observations to be more concrete, I will have to travel more extensively throughout Europe.
My first and main observation is a different approach to everyday life philosophy. The majority of America seeks work a lot while you’re mid aged, so that you can make money to do the things that you want to do on your weekends and in your retirement. In Europe, people are working yes, but there seems to be a lot less push towards sacrificing the now so that you can enjoy later. Enjoying now seems to be the attitude. Factors such as the relaxed culture of drinking alcohol and taking a break at lunch for coffee have inspired my thoughts on this. Which is a better way to go about living our lives?
The vast differences in our education systems was another observation of mine. I felt embarrassed at times hearing the waiter speak three or four languages. A Norwegian fellow told my that they start learning English in the first grade. One might be included to feel embarrassment that in America we do not do this. But, oftentimes in America we are not faced with the challenge of speaking a foreign language, with the exception of individuals near living in states near the Mexican border. People also appear to be a lot more appreciative and knowledgeable of the arts in Europe, which directly correlates to their exposure in school.
No comments:
Post a Comment