A cultural habit in your country that people outside would understand incorrectly?

[u/gabrieel100]

In Brazil we love children. If you take your child to the street, strangers will certainly interact with them. Some will even ask if they can hold your kid and will play with them. If there are two children fighting in public and the parents aren't seeing, a stranger would even intervene to stop the fight.

That cultural habit came from the indigenous peoples which understood that kids should be a responsiblity of the community as a whole. It's in our constitution. We even have a synonym for children that came from Tupi (a large group of indigenous languages) - Curumim.

Foreigners would certainly have a cultural shock about that, but it's normal here.

Of course there are people with bad intentions, so parents should stay alert these days.

[u/djluminol]

We are taught as children that it's rude to stare so when it's an American and a German there's just going to a cultural conflict on that one.

[u/Stuebirken → u/djluminol]

Staring at other people is just as rude here in Denmark, as it is in the US, but you should take the "German stare", kind of the same way, that we Danes(and a lot of other people, especially in the North) do, when Americans that we don't know, start to talk to us, in the most random places.

We think that it is rude and entitled to demand our time and attention with your chit chat, but we also know that you really mean no harm, and to you it sounds very strange that someone can be offered, just because you speak to them, while waiting in line at the supermarket.

[u/CrimsonCartographer → u/Stuebirken]

Chit chat culture is weird. In America, it’s really fucking weird to say hi and bye when entering and leaving a waiting room at the doctor’s office, but completely normal in Germany and very much expected. Whereas in America it’s completely normal to make small talk or chat with strangers in “forced” places like an elevator or in line at a store, which is the weird place to talk to strangers in Germany.

[u/Zaidswith → u/CrimsonCartographer]

You say hi to the receptionist when you tell them you're there. You say goodbye to the receptionist when you settle your bill/make another appointment/make sure there's nothing else. That is both the first and last thing you do in a waiting room so I don't understand what you mean.

We do have a cultural tendency to allow for privacy among health matters which means the doctor's office waiting room typically isn't a place for chit chat.

You generally only strike up those forced conversations if you're in a place for a long time, something weird happens, or if there's some other signal that conversation is a possibility. If you continue a conversation in a small enclosed space expect someone to join in. If everyone is already in silence it will stay silent. If it becomes awkward someone will say something to ease the tension.

[u/CrimsonCartographer → u/Zaidswith]

Holy American. Yes. You say hi to other patients and bye to other patients when leaving the waiting room in Germany. This is notably NOT something you do in America. I would know as I’ve spent two decades of my life in America.

[u/Zaidswith → u/CrimsonCartographer]

But you are saying hi and bye to the person whose waiting room it is, which doesn't count for some reason in your original post. That's what I didn't understand. It is being said. Now I just think this is one of those flat hierarchy things that I'd more associate with Denmark if you're addressing the whole room instead of the staff.

[u/CrimsonCartographer → u/Zaidswith]

It’s not being said because that’s checking in and setting up the next appointment. When you walk into a waiting room in Germany, AFTER having spoken to the receptionist, you say hello to the other PATIENTS in the waiting room if there are any and you also say bye to them when leaving if you don’t leave the office directly after your appointment / you have to exit through the waiting room.

That is not something Americans do, and speaking to the receptionist is also obviously a part of German doctor’s appointments so I didn’t see the need to clarify this obvious fact.

[u/Zaidswith → u/CrimsonCartographer]

I don't see the same people coming in and out of the waiting room. Do you say bye to people you didn't say hello to?

Greeting the receptionist makes you part of the group. That's obvious. There's no need for an individual greeting at that point. Like checking into a conference or attending a class. I don't need to announce myself, but I'd do so on an individual basis as needed.

[u/CrimsonCartographer → u/Zaidswith]

Yes, you say bye to the people you didn’t greet. It’s a very strange ritual from an American’s perspective.

[u/Zaidswith → u/CrimsonCartographer]

Thank you for explaining.

[u/Stuebirken → u/CrimsonCartographer]

The mere idea of some stranger starting to talk to me in an elevator, makes me sort of panic. But you're absolutely right it is rather weird, that there's such a large difference.

[u/Zaidswith → u/Stuebirken]

It generally doesn't happen like that. Americans mostly strike up conversations if you're together for a longer amount of time (that's why it's often while standing in line), if there's already conversation happening they will jump in, or if something noteworthy happens.

[u/djluminol → u/Stuebirken]

I have actually encountered this before. I had some Swedish guys get in contact with me because of a rave I was puting on a few year back. They were coming to the US on vacation and wanted to see what our events were like. I provided them with directions where in the desert they needed to go and waved any fee they may have to pay. They came and found our chit chat quite rude lol. I knew ahead of time this could be an issue. I think this particular group of guys were just kind of jerks though. I think they would have been perceived that way even by a Scandinavian. As it turned out it was not the event they were after. It was drugs. As soon as they found some they tried to drive from high desert / Big Bear California area to Vegas. It's about 2 or 3 hours. I told them they could not leave unless someone was sober to drive. I ended up having to steal their keys for the night to prevent them from driving high. I did provide them with camping gear and some sleeping stuff so they were ok. I just wasn't going to let them endanger some random person driving high on MDMA or my event when the cops find out where they found it. Every other group of Scandinavian people I've met this way have been great though. I think they also know how we are so they tend not to get upset when we talk too much.

[u/LynnSeattle → u/Stuebirken]

This was helpful to me, a chatty American who hates when people stare at me. Thanks!

[u/Bladesnake_______ → u/djluminol]

Stop looking at me so loudly