My dad used to say that Americans talk too much about their personal lives. A few years later, I understood what he meant

I’m Latin American. I grew up in a 5th world country and was raised under very conservative values and social systems in a time during which most countries did not have smartphones or social media. Our social development was just a little behind that of the US. Everyone who lives in my country can attest to what I’m saying. It is simply a cultural difference that I don’t judge but rather criticize.<br><br>I’ve been living in the US for 5 years now. I first moved to the Northeast, which is very culturally different from the rest of the country, and I noticed this right away. When I was 15, my dad used to tell me that Americans talk too much about their personal lives, but I never understood it until I had lived here for a year. <br><br>What I mean is that Americans talk a lot about their own personal lives. It can be their health status, diseases they suffer from, their financial difficulties, food allergies, the place they were born, how much money they make, where they live, their political views, religion, etc. I don’t know how many times an American has randomly told me that they were born prematurely or that they suffered from a certain illness. I don’t judge this. I just think it’s weird, and the rest of the world thinks the same.<br><br>I can talk about this because I have lived in many countries, met people from many different countries, and they all have this perception of Americans. They don’t judge them for it. They just find it weird. And the reason I think Americans talk a lot about themselves is because of the individualism here. Don’t get me wrong, I love it and prefer living in a place that values individualism more than one that values collectivism. The issue is that sometimes it feels like people care more about themselves than others. They are too self-absorbed into their own lives.<br><br>I have had so many encounters in which an American I don’t even know or someone I’ve just met starts telling me about their health issues or how much money they make or where they live. I’m not sure if this is the case for all Americans, but I can almost guarantee that you will have this kind of conversation with an American at least once. There is this one time I was having dinner with a couple (60-70’s yo) and they randomly mentioned how they make $150k/year and then they went on to talk about their house and what car they drove. I was with an American friend the other day and she randomly mentioned how she was born by C-section because her birth was premature. Another time, we were out on a walk and this American we had just met told us that he suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome.<br><br>Of course, this is not the case for all Americans, but I think many of you can relate to what I’m saying. I’m not criticizing you. I simply find it weird that you Americans talk so much about your personal lives. I don’t tell people I’ve just met about my illnesses or how much money I make or where I live or what car I drive or my political views or my religious views. I mean, why do you Americans talk so much about your personal lives? I’ve met so many Americans who talk about these things and it’s just weird.