Happier Abroad Forum Community

One thing I've noticed more about myself over the years is just how much I can't stand know-it-alls. To me it has very little at all to do with whether a person is right or not, but how they go about behaving and speaking to me.

I'll acknowledge that it could just be something which is more of a personal pet peeve. I tend to be a shy person by nature and not particularily given to making authoritative or clear statements. However, I've known people who were certainly arrogant and yet they didn't bother me, mostly because they weren't as in your face with it. The know-it-alls, however, are another matter entirely. I ABSOLUTELY cannot stand them. When people act like know-it-alls in regards to politics or external issues that's bad enough, but when it manifests in day to day matters, it passes beyond my tolerance zone.

What I'm wondering however, given how much this particular issue irks, is if anyone noticed a higher percentage of know-it-alls when they lived in America, as opposed to other countries? Is it any different abroad? Is is just me?

This is an interesting topic. I would like to know more about it myself.

Some people are going to be smarter than you and know more than you do.

I can't recall ever encountering such a person in my travels abroad. Most people seem pretty open to listen rather than be constantly expounding their great knowledge. I also notice people don't volunteer information unless you ask, or unless you're about to put a chile or glob of wasabi in your mouth.

Maybe it's an insecurity thing?

Keep in mind that I am not referring so much to people giving advice on major issues.

I'm referring to people acting bossy and obsessive over small day-to-day mundane things. The tone in which unsolicited/unwanted advice is given (snarky and condescending in the case of some I have meet in my day to day dealings).

I have to say I've run into incredible intellectual snobs n Europe, particularly at the university. Germans and Czechs would try to "correct" my English pronunciation, since they considered American English to be deficient. I had Czech students (I was teaching English to!) correct my pronunciation of English words. The pure pushy arrogance in those two cultures really pissed me off. They also tend to think they know more about everything than Americans do. The Germans told me point blank that they think Americans are rich, dumb, and arrogant.

okay the comment above is just really funny about the czechs, although i know the women are going to be really fun to be with.
we are rich dumb and arrogant.

we ARE NOT rich. its now poor and the middle class is leaving america for good. middle class is actually being exported to india and
china. they get paid a $1.00 or so an hour. those jobs were $30 an hour for the middle class. now those jobs are " BYE BYE NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN "

DUMB yes some people are actually stupid. Arrogant " we are the greatest country in the world " yeah right.

ssjparris wrote:okay the comment above is just really funny about the czechs, although i know the women are going to be really fun to be with.
we are rich dumb and arrogant.

we ARE NOT rich. its now poor and the middle class is leaving america for good. middle class is actually being exported to india and
china. they get paid a $1.00 or so an hour. those jobs were $30 an hour for the middle class. now those jobs are " BYE BYE NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN "

DUMB yes some people are actually stupid. Arrogant " we are the greatest country in the world " yeah right.

A great deal of this is due to complacency and ignorance of your average U.S. voter as well. Politicians on both sides regularly pit the middle classes and below against each other through wedge issues like religion, race, and immigration.

RedDog wrote:I have to say I've run into incredible intellectual snobs n Europe, particularly at the university. Germans and Czechs would try to "correct" my English pronunciation, since they considered American English to be deficient. I had Czech students (I was teaching English to!) correct my pronunciation of English words. The pure pushy arrogance in those two cultures really pissed me off. They also tend to think they know more about everything than Americans do. The Germans told me point blank that they think Americans are rich, dumb, and arrogant.

I have heard the same thing about the Swiss as well. They are all laying in wait, waiting for you to make a mistake and then tearing you apart. You need to establish that you know more than them, and demonstrate that you are the top dog. A discussion of the European response to the Yugoslavian Genocide of 1994 would be a very good topic.

In English, of course.

I actually want to go teach there, just to put those assholes in their place.

If you want to wonder why the central European Germanic tribes tried to kill everyone twice within a 21 year time frame, that mindset of those students is a very good indicator of what motivated them to act in such a fashion.

Where are you guys meeting Europeans like this? Most of the ones i've encountered were polite and inconspicuous. The Brits and Aussies on the other hand have been consistently terrible to be around.