Why are Americans so picky?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Please, don't get me wrong. I love America and American people and American history (PS: I am referring to the United States of America). But can people here explain something to me? A friend and I got into a discussion on this: He said to me "I have lived all over the world, and seen first hand how people have to live in third world nations. Americans are so picky. Americans are finicky and picky about your food, clothes, mates, and more. In India and the slums of Latin America people would love to have a fraction of what Americans have access to." We agreed that not ALL Americans are like this, but, I had to agree with him: I have observed this behavior from people, male and female alike.

Or is his statement a myth, and people in general in every society and culture have their "pickyness"?

The issue was even brought up that "poor Americans are spoiled in comparison to poor people in developing countries".

[Pinetreebbs]

Strive to be better.

As for food, seriously?

[eidah]

Why are you on the spyderco forum? Why are you not satisfied with those 2$ knives in Gas stations? Its human nature.
I am not American but I find this ridiculous. Anti Americanism seems to be the most accepted prejudices in the world.

[The Deacon]

Your "friend", if he or she exists, has it backwards. Almost all the folks who live in shacks in third world ****-holes, eating low quality food, drinking polluted water, and wearing anything they can get their hands on, would be more than willing to swap places with him, or you. OTOH, as Americans, you both have the right to purchase a few acres in some rural area and park a junker mobile home on it, give away all your "nice stuff" and money, eat poorly, and mix bits of your feces with your drinking water. If you both feel so strongly about this, I suggest that you to exercise those rights.

I also strongly suspect that the same qualities your "friend" seems to believe are exclusive to Americans, would be shared by most Canadians, Europeans, Japanese, and the residents of darn near every other "first world" country.

[MacLaren]

We Americans are not a bunch a heathens to begin with. We have always strived for excellence. Again, were not heathen's that cant get along with each other for more than a few hours before we're at war with each other. That being said, the secret to our success is being one Country under God. Democrat or Republican, at the end of the day we are all Americans. If that classifies this Nation as picky - then so be it. However, in my opinion there is a ton of waste that goes on in this Country, and most American kids wouldn't survive an honest days work truth be told. And what's even more, a lot of Americans are loosing their heritage. In that I mean- well take for example my part of this great Country, Appalachia- namely the Blue Ridge Mountains and Smokey Mountains. I would bet the farm that 80% if not more wouldn't know how to raise a garden, use a team of Mules, produce lumber (saw mills) - the list goes on and on actually. And sadly, that is a negative effect of this Country's great success. But, in the end I have no doubt that this great Country can overcome. And IMO, will always do so as One under God.

[Evil D]

All I have, I have earned. That's all I have to say.

[O,just,O]

Well, I know for sure that a broken fingernail & a mobile phone out of service are both a tragedy in contemporary Australia.
O.

[GoldenSpydie]

Your "friend", if he or she exists, has it backwards. Almost all the folks who live in shacks in third world ****-holes, eating low quality food, drinking polluted water, and wearing anything they can get their hands on, would be more than willing to swap places with him, or you. OTOH, as Americans, you both have the right to purchase a few acres in some rural area and park a junker mobile home on it, give away all your "nice stuff" and money, eat poorly, and mix bits of your feces with your drinking water. If you both feel so strongly about this, I suggest that you to exercise those rights.

I also strongly suspect that the same qualities your "friend" seems to believe are exclusive to Americans, would be shared by most Canadians, Europeans, Japanese, and the residents of darn near every other "first world" country.

Exactly.

Ask any poor person living in a slum in a 3rd-world country if they would like to trade places with an average American. I can assure you that their answer would be "yes."

But just because there are more opportunities and a better government in the US and other 1st-world countries and we have earned more money, that makes us picky? How are your so much better than the rest of us?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Thank you for the good responses. And you're right about third world people would be willing to trade their place with Americans.

One of the core issues was related to food: The person I had the discussion with was especially upset at the "food pickyness" issue and the issue of "clothes pickyness".
An example he gave is of American women who won't just eat cheap foods and wear cheap clothes (example: A woman demanding expensive underwear and brand name clothes instead of being thankful and happy with a 10 dollar pack of underwear for five pairs, and demanding steaks and higher priced foods, instead of eating cheap rice, can foods, fast foods, and the rest).

His attitude is: "A man or woman from the third world would love to eat McDonalds and cheap rice and chicken and wear inexpensive clothes. Americans overall tend to be greedy and picky and too finicky over what they eat and wear and what goes into their bodies". His other claim is that Early Americans (1600s-1800s) were more thankful and appreciative, and less picky, and had greater patience than modern Americans

[Cliff Stamp]

Ask any poor person living in a slum in a 3rd-world country if they would like to trade places with an average American.

There are slums in America as well.

As for :

"Again, were not heathen's that cant get along with each other for more than a few hours before we're at war with each other."

Really, hate speech on Spyderco's forum?

[MacLaren]

There are slums in America as well.

As for :

"Again, were not heathen's that cant get along with each other for more than a few hours before we're at war with each other."

Really, hate speech on Spyderco's forum?

Wow. You really interpret that as hate?
So, all that went on in Bosnia, Africa,Afghanistan etc, were God fearing people settling difference's as best they know how....
Better believe they're heathens in this world.
It would be beyond foolish not too......There is Evil and there is Good.
Do I hate those people? No. I pray for those people.
Cliff, do you really for a second think we won't take up for our Country?
You wanna talk about hate, then maybe ask the OP why he opened this can of worms.....

[Blerv]

Options. We have availability in spades along with being a developed country. Like a child with a room full of toys being fickle is in our nature. It doesn't bring happiness tho...I'm sure we are the #1 consumer of prescription drugs that target mental demons.

Why is everyone getting defensive? Picky isn't even an insult and if it was one would hope it could be weathered by the worlds greatest superpower...

You wanna talk about hate, then maybe ask the OP why he opened this can of worms.....

We should avoid religion and politics (if possible) on the boards. Especially when it's related to calling monotheistic religions "heathens" and that they can't stop fighting when we fly half across the planet to join in their schoolyard scuffles.

[wrdwrght]

Really, hate speech on Spyderco's forum?

My thought as well, which would hint that not all Americans are alike and that, thus, the matter of American pickiness is rather impertinent...

[JD Spydo]

Personally I can only speak for myself. I was born and raised here in the good Ol' USA and will probably live out my life here as well. I would be the first to say that Americans tend to be very "UNAPPRECIATIVE" for all the material goods we have and the living conditions we have here. I don't know of any other country in the world that has the safety net ( welfare, food stamps, disability, Social Security ect, ect,.) system that we have here in the USA>> and I thank GOD for our prosperity in comparison to the rest of the world.

But we are some of the most UNAPPRECIATIVE people on the planet IMO. But the subject matter at hand has to do with why Americans are picky and selective about virtually everything is the question.

I personally have always been more inclined to QUALITY>> I would rather have one of something well made than to have 5 of something that is sub-quality. I have always been quality over quantity. Which I guess is why I'm so drawn to Spyderco's great products. They have a very unique but high quality line up of great tools that I love to own, collect and use. But I don't stop with knives I'm that way about almost anything. I'm that way with food (extremely picky about what I eat) and I'm also that way with clothing and shoes.

One reason I think that Americans in general are so picky is that we've been blessed with a huge selection of virtually everything imaginable. I don't know of any other country where the poor people get taken care of so well. I also don't know of any other country that has the selection of every comsumer item under the sun like autos, clothing, food, homes, tools, and just about anything else you can think of. The factories in the 3rd World gear themselves for American consumers over just about any other comsumer group on the planet.

I guess because we have more access to more selections that anywhere else and we tend to take advantage of that too. I don't know any other way to explain it.

[MacLaren]

Options. We have availability in spades along with being a developed country. Like a child with a room full of toys being fickle is in our nature. It doesn't bring happiness tho...I'm sure we are the #1 consumer of prescription drugs that target mental demons.

Why is everyone getting defensive? Picky isn't even an insult and if it was one would hope it could be weathered by the worlds greatest superpower...



We should avoid religion and politics (if possible) on the boards. Especially when it's related to calling monotheistic religions "heathens" and that they can't stop fighting when we fly half across the planet to join in their schoolyard scuffles.

Schoolyard scuffles. Interesting.

[Blerv]

Schoolyard scuffles. Interesting.

I could clarify and keep it going but I respect the forums and don't want to ruin your day .

[MacLaren]

I could clarify and keep it going but I respect the forums and don't want to ruin your day .

Edit* Whatever you say.

[rodloos]

I'm a picky eater because I resolved as a child that when I became an adult no one was going to make me eat something I didn't want to :) . I was raised to eat whatever was served to me without complaint, and my mother for the most part prepared wonderful meals, but on occasion felt the need to serve us cow tongue or something that I found particularly difficult to swallow, and I don't think it was *just* because it was the cheapest meat that day. She must have been trying to teach us some lesson :) .

I don't eat very spicy food because I can't handle it. But I have no problem eating from McDonald's, so does that make me less picky?

I do think there is a difference between being knowledgeable about what differentiates a product and choosing to pay for more quality if you can afford it, vs. just being picky. I've bought underwear by the multi-pack at Walmart, but I do think there is a quality difference between the $5 shirts vs. the $40 shirts too.

[Donut]

I think it has to do with us being suckers for advertising.

Companies pay to have advertising sway our views and we accept their suggestions that there are better products out there. How much better they are, seems to be rarely investigated and/or rarely searched for.

[Peter1960]

I don't know of any other country in the world that has the safety net ( welfare, food stamps, disability, Social Security ect, ect,.) system that we have here in the USA>> and I thank GOD for our prosperity in comparison to the rest of the world.

Replace USA with Austria and this could be my own sentence.

Two years ago I were for some time in Nepal and with all my five senses I felt the differences how it is to live in a third world country compared to any first world country. I can assure you that as people in first world countries, we all are picky.