Guess who?

[Joe DeFuria]

i always have trouble convincing people that i am an American when i am out of the country, simply because i do not present a mentality like epicstruggle from what i can tell.

And yet, I have no problem accepting that you are American.

What does that tell you?

 

[epicstruggle]

note to kyleb, I am not an american. Please see above post for my history. I do however plan on getting my citizenship in 2.5 years at which point I plan to call my self an american. Since I plan to become an american, I would defend this country.

Btw I do not consider the coalition of the willing to be part of the outside world. Most notably England, Spain, Australia.

later,

 

[kyleb]

And yet, I have no problem accepting that you are American.

What does that tell you?

that tells me that you did not understand what i said.

they don't have a problem accepting me for who i am, they are just generally shocked to find an American that doesn't walk around the world acting like he owns the place.

also yes epicstruggle, i realize that you are not technically an American yet but you seem to be working hard to perpetuate the stereotype none the less.

 

[epicstruggle]

not sure how my comments made me look like an american that owned the world. I just dont want to listen to people who dont want to help. How does that make me think I own the world. I would really like to know how I come off to you. If you want you can PM me this, if you dont feel comfortable posting here.

later,

 

[Joe DeFuria]

they don't have a problem accepting me for who i am,

Nor did I say that...

they are just generally shocked to find an American that doesn't walk around the world acting like he owns the place.

Um, exactly. Is that because most Americans generally walk around like they own the place, or because Americans have differences of opinions than them, so that stereotype is just that...a stereotype. A LABEL if you will.

I can tell you that I'm NOT SHOCKED to find a European who shares my views. Despite the fact that the European stereotype is that of a Weak, Elitist Snob. But then, that's because I don't even believe Europeans ARE weak, elitist snobs even if they DO disagree with me.

 

[kyleb]

sorry, i though that is what you were getting at when you asked me "What does that tell you?" so what were you trying to tell me then?

also, stereotyping is something that is inherent to human nature and not bad in themselves, it is how we act on such generalized concepts that can cause much trouble. people mistaking me for being of a nationality other than i am because i come off to them different than the majority of people they have meant of the same nationality is only natural, nothing to shake ones head at in my opinion.

 

[Joe DeFuria]

also, stereotyping is something that is inherent to human nature and not bad in themselves, it is how we act on such generalized concepts that can cause much trouble.

Agreed. And what's alarming to me, is how those you encountered "acted" (Shocked) because you didn't fit the stereotype. That's my point. There's something wrong with them.

 

[RussSchultz]

People often mistook me for French or German when I was working in those countries.

Damn, I must dress poorly.

KIDDING! REALLY!

(I think it was because I was always walking alone, dressed in non-tourist clothes, and I'm about as genetically German as they make em)

 

[kyleb]

not sure how my comments made me look like an american that owned the world. I just dont want to listen to people who dont want to help. How does that make me think I own the world. I would really like to know how I come off to you. If you want you can PM me this, if you dont feel comfortable posting here.

later,

i never said anything about owning the world, simply a supremacist attitude. in this case it is the mentality that what you belive is what is best and any anyone whose disagrees is to be dismissed as being unhelpful. knowing what i do of your heritage now i want to put it in terms you might respect; if Shiva could simply dismiss Brahma as unhelpful then this world could not exist; but it is though their working together with us all that we come to understand the ways of life.