I read people say online that Americans are loud. What does this mean, exactly? Is it literal volume or is it our personality/presentation? Something else?
I may be moving to Australia because of my wife’s job, and I want to better understand this. I want to assimilate and I don’t want to be annoying. I’m personally pretty low key and listen more than speak, but this is my perception of myself.
Another factor, there’s so few of you that escape the country (only 48% of you have a passport) that the only ones folks in EU mostly see are;
- the wealthy assholish ones 😡
- the plucky risk taking ones on holiday on a couple pennies and a dream 😁
- people here on business trips 😐
- the influencers 🤢
This is absolutely true. The American Dream carrot keeps us from spending and learning about others. If we did that, we might have some legit options that help the people. We don’t want that though!
Thanks for the reply!
As a Midwestern American, my girlfriend and I went abroad on a trip that happens to be where cruise ships dock. We did not take a cruise. However, the most annoying people we met on the entire trip were southerners from the US. Just everything about them was the worst. Every stereotype you can imagine was being presented. They were god fearing and cheeto loving, and they made it known. We weren’t even in the US, for fuck’s sake. The cherry on top, for me, was every single American store we passed on the tour bus, one of them had to yell the name of the store. “SAYAM’S CLUHHHB”…“WAYNDEES” Like, can you shut the fuck up? It was, right then, in that exact moment, it hit me like a bolt of lightning, no wonder people say Americans are loud and annoying. Because the vocal yokels absolutely are.
Oof. We Americans are such douchebags sometimes. Hello fellow Midwesterner! I’m in the Chicago area myself currently.
Thanks for your insight and anecdote!
So here’s a Canadian answer.
I have found that, on average, Americans speak at a higher volume than folks from my country. At the same time, they seem more willing to share things that we wouldn’t except in more familiar company. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, but there are times when I would recommend a touch more discretion.
For the most part I think you’ll be fine in Australia. Just whatever you do, DON’T support Collingwood and DON’T drink Fosters.
Ha! Thank you for the comment.
Fosters? Seriously? When there are craft brews? I’m going to be drink the craft or wines…I just wish weed was legal.
Oh, just a note. Don’t look for a “pub” or a “bar”. For some obscure reason, a drinking establishment is called a “hotel”. I don’t know why but that’s the way it is. I spent about 45 minutes wandering around trying to find a place for a bite and a drink. Finally had to flag down a local.
Americans speak loud, you hear them from a faar and can spot them easily
Understandable. Thank you for your answer.
I flew back to America from Tokyo today and as a frequent traveler to Japan I can tell you it’s all of the above. As a very introverted, easily overstimulated person I love going to Japan because it’s my ‘quiet time’. Coming home I’m usually overwhelmed by the sheer noise of being in America.
- People simply speak louder than they need to here. In Japan you speak in a hushed voice unless it’s necessary to raise it. Also people aren’t afraid to lean in a little closer to hear what is being said to them. In America people stand 2 meters away from each other and have to speak loud enough for the whole room to hear
- People speak more and don’t value quiet time. In Japan you don’t speak on trains. Your inane conversation can wait. Its more pleasant for everyone if you just stay quiet. Then an American tourist boards and everyone in the car gets to hear all about their opinions on some anime whether they want to or not
- People tent to interject / interrupt more here
Hopefully this didn’t come across too much as venting. I can’t wait to go back.
Thank you for your answer! It’s definitely not coming across as venting. You have some great thoughts and the idea about standing further away when speaking really hits home to me as something I’ve been thinking might be part of the reason for our loudness as I’ve been reading other answers.
Thanks for the Tokyo insight as well. Our family has booked a trip to Japan this Fall, so we’ve been trying to brush up on culture and language as best we can so we aren’t total assholes over there. 😂
Billy Mays is an outlier and should not have been counted. He raises the average volume of the entire country
It’s the literal volume. In Germany you mostly recognize Americans because they are mostly louder than other people, for example in public places or transport.
Thats the image but it does absolutely not apply to everyone.
all of the above
Thank you for your answer. I do hope that I buck that trend when people meet me.
I went to Geneva, Switzerland when I was in college. There was a public square with about 1000 Swiss eating at different tables, all leaning forward like they were telling secrets. We 6 American college students were louder than all the 1000 Swiss in the square, by volume.
We 6 American college students were louder than all the 1000 Swiss in the square, by volume.
You noticed this and just kept going?
We figured it out eventually
I wasn’t even being judgmental. Just curious. I basically have a personality disorder because I have a loud voice and am kinda extroverted. But I think if I were to live in like L.A. I’d be considered introverted. Maybe average for like rural Minnesota.
Wow. Any reason why you kept going? If I noticed that then I would probably mimic others nearby.
Thanks for your reply!
We were just laughing and talking among ourselves as per usual. This was before cellphones.
WHAT?
Just kidding.
There’s a range of actual volume, my boss I cannot hear half the time because he is quiet but a couple of coworkers have voices that really carry, it’s not exactly volume or not just volume, it’s throw.
Talkative we are, overall. Not everyone of course, but there is a lot of talking.
And pushy and curious we are, overall, too. I think that can read as loud too.
As an Australian, I took up baseball because the crowd is far more pleasant than the Aussie Rules football mob.
You’ll be fine. Half of Australia doesn’t have an “inside” voice.
Awesome! Thank you for your comment!
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lol. I appreciate this comment. Honestly, I’ve been to Australia, Italy, Germany, and Mexico. Every country has these people. I just find it interesting that Americans are called out for it so much, but I also kind of get it too. 😂
You talk loud and don’t shut the fuck up. Yes, you have an opinion on everything. Yes, you think your country’s great. Yes, you think you are great also. Shut up.
I remember being on holiday in Thailand, visiting a village that very clearly had set aside an area as a market for tourists. The Americans decided to have a conversation between one area and another about heading off to look at the village school or whatever. EVERYBODY ELSE, locals and tourists, could tell this specific area was for tourists, but the USAians just couldn’t read the room and had to loudly talk about it. JFC it was painful to witness.
Thank you for your answer. We Americans can be very stupid when it comes to reading the room and observing things for sure.





