When you’ve traveled to other countries, did you notice any major cultural differences in how men behaved compared to men in your own country? Or were you surprised by how similar their behavior, mannerisms, or ways of operating were to yours?
Do you notice major cultural differences?
r/AskMen
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I date women so that’s mostly who I focus on. Yes, there’s a huge difference, like day and night. It’s the only thing that gives me hope that I will be happily married one day. If I only saw life in my own country I’d probably be as miserable and hopeless as the other men.
No, not really. The only real difference I have ever seen is language. There are some dances and musical differences as well as personal views, but those don’t seem to be much different on the grand scheme of things.
Yes. As an American man it’s very odd to travel to countries where husbands “own their wives” for instance in China where I can rent a car and drive but my wife cannot.
In Morocco we stayed at a family run hotel with one young man and five women. One day we went to pick plants for animal feed. When we got there, the women (and us) picked and he lay down for a rest. He then loaded the bags onto a cart and rode it back pulled by donkeys.
My wife really wanted to tell him to help the women but we persuaded her it was a cultural thing and not for us to judge.
I lived in Greece for 6 months in a smaller area.
-People are 100% more direct in their thoughts and emotions
-A lot safer. I routinely went to a beach pier area where moms would walk around with their young kids, elderly people, etc. No dangerous junkies or bums harassing people. Groups of teens hanging out not hurting anyone or disrespecting others. The cops will stop any nonsense, and not with politeness like American cops.
In Egypt, a young adult/older teen seemed to be bothering a street vendor. The vendor gave the hardest slap Ive ever seen to the adult to the point he went flying back. The cop just laughed, kept smoking his cigarette and seemed to be explaining to me (in Arabic, which I dont know) that it wasnt a big deal.
Definitely. Relationship dynamics are very different.
African men can be very rigid with traditional practices and some absolutely refuse to mentally move into the 21st century. Women still have to listen, obey and acquiesce. Families are more patriarchal and men have the final word. The whole “you go sleep on the couch” thing is not a thing here.
Traveling and living in Europe / USA, things were very different there. Your kids talk back with zero consequences, moving your gf into your parent’s home and sharing a bedroom? Stay at home dads? 😂.
I did learn a lot though and some of which I try to apply to my life. It’s an experience going into other cultures and observing.
P.S…don’t get me started on the whole colorism thing with black Americans. It’s hilarious
Yeah, in some countries men are way more open to showing affection to children that aren’t theirs. In the US people are more afraid of being labeled as a pedo.
Also in other countries men care less about being fully naked in a locker room. In the US it’s just old men that do it.
I went on mission trips to Nicaragua back before COVID and the government there went crazy. The men were very macho and often had children by multiple women. They also tended to abandon women. The women had total control over the household. We built houses for families and they were always deeded to the women, not men.
I was surprised by sexism in Korea. It’s one of the most developed countries in the world, prosperous, quite popular with their pop culture etc. But when it comes to women emancipation, it’s not at all where you’d expect it to be. I’m exaggerating/generalising, but it felt like some of those guys see women as servants who are tolerated until things get real.