Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Explain Which Things America Does Better Than Most Countries

Barn with an American flag on it
specphotops/Unsplash

Traveling the world can be a highly enlightening experience.

It opens us up to various cultures and customs that can only expand our wisdom of the capabilities of what people can achieve while also reminding us that we are all the same.

And while there are common practices that are shared by different nations, there are some things that Americans seem to excel at more than in other countries.


Curious to hear exmples of these, Redditor Tannerman1 asked:

"What does America do better than most countries?"

North America provides everything in abundance.

It's A-maize-ing

"Turning corn into things that are not corn."

– Aeekio

"When you have this much corn, what else do you do with it?"

– Beautiful-Page3135

"Being from Illinois please do something with all this corn."

– LordofTheFlagon

Maritime Airbase

"Aircraft carriers."

– Tubbaaoo

"I think the stat is something like the US has half of all the large carriers in the world right now. I do know in WW2 by the end of 1944 or 45 they had more escort carriers in service than most countries had naval ships commissioned in the country's entire history."

– FLABANGED

The Great Outdoors

"National parks, we also have amazing state parks and local parks."

"Before anyone starts no you having woods too isn't the same thing."

– Dull-Geologist-8204

"I’m not sure the very idea of a National Park would be a thing if not for ol Teddy Roosevelt, and the United States making them the thing they are."

– NicksAunt

Americans are very social people that have no qualms reaching out to a stranger.

Sometimes, that's a real good thing.

"Chatting, I’m from a European country where most people will avoid talking to stranger. But you can literally talk to anyone you met in the street in the US and most of them are willing to talk."

– FloorSad3826

Forming A Bond

"People in many parts of the US do talk. I’m from the US and I’m kind of introvert, but I’ve actually have grown to love it as I’ve gotten older. I’m a white guy in a mostly black neighborhood and I f'king love going to the grocery store. We have this awesome little actual grocery store and everyone talks to me. It’s basically the friendliest place I’ve ever been."

"There’s an old dude who just starts spouting off with trivia questions to anyone who will listen. I responded with the answer to one and he was like, “How the f'k did you know the answer to that?'”

“I’m a biologist.”

"He and I are basically best friends now."

– sloppy_biography

Three Guys Walk Into A Bar...

"I have had this experience. The only people who would talk in pubs in London were an Irishman, a Lebanese fellow, and the Nepalese bartender. There’s a joke in there somewhere. They were super cool cats, too. Oh, and the guy I chatted with in a bar in Paris, also Lebanese. None of the locals would speak more than a few words."

"Americans? We’ll talk half an hour to a wrong number."

"Side note: Does anybody know if everyone in Lebanon actually knows everybody else? It has now happened twice that I’ve met people on different continents who knew each other’s siblings."

– Lemur-Tacos-768

The Germany Connection

"I met a chatty lady in Germany once and when I told her she was a friendliest person I’d met in Germany she said very quickly: 'Oh, I’m not from here, I’m from Sweden.' Then we both laughed loudly and got the side eye from the Germans."

– Syd_Vicious3375

When it comes to certain American activities, it's no contest.

Just To Be Frank

"Hot dog eating contests"

– First_Ad5835

"I was going to say that the champion of the Nathan’s Famous contest is Japanese, but I looked it up & Joey Chestnut is the current reigning champion."

– sagitta_luminus

Americans Are Globally Recognized Due To...

"Dominate media and pop culture around the world. Nobody else comes close to the US in this regard."

– DougyTwoScoops

Accommodating Everyone

"I haven't been in a lot of countries, but from my limited experience, it's the Americans With Disabilities Act."

"I have a lot of complaints about it, but I can still say that using public transportation doesn't require me to walk down or up 40 steps, with the alternative being walking . 3 miles to find an elevator that can fit one person at a time and moves so slowly it's barely usable."

– oneofyrfencegrls

What You Didn't Know

"Ironically enough science. The US has more Nobel Prize winners of all other countries combined. And here's the key thing: many of those researchers were immigrants, or at least didn't have family going back to the Mayflower."

"Also this will really sound ironic: tolerance for other cultures. The US is among the most diverse nations in the world. The most iconic American cultural icons are ultimately a mix of local and international traditions. Asiatic countries are super duper racists, but we call them 'xenophobic.'"

"Agriculture. The US is a behemoth when it comes to agriculture and agriscience. The biggest issues is cultivating for logistics instead of taste. Those yield however come with technologies other nations find repugnant and so ban American imports to protect domestic agriculture."

"Charity. Americans as a whole donate more to charities than any other nation, and on a per capita basis as well. Most Americans probably see ads or donation boxes on a daily basis."

– WiryCatchphrase

I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing but American establishments can dish out sizable portions of food for what dining patrons pay for.

Some entrees at restaurants are enough for sharing and ordering one main plate can be an economical option to allow room for a variety of other dishes–including dessert–without breaking the bank.

Go big, or go home, right?

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Heidi Klum
Lyvans Boolaky/Getty Images

Heidi Klum Just Outdid Herself With Her 'Very Ugly' Medusa Halloween Costume—And Wow

Halloween is the coolest time of year for someone to express themselves and to let their true identity shine.

Some take the Halloween festivities very seriously, like a man in Decatur riding around his neighborhood on a bicycle while wearing a Michael Myers Halloween mask, or even Project Runway host Heidi Klum one-upping her costume year after year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Actor Jesse Eisenberg pictured at a film event — the Now You See Me star recently revealed he’s donating a kidney to a stranger, calling it his most meaningful act yet.
JB Lacroix/FilmMagic via Getty Images

Jesse Eisenberg's Kidney Gift

American playwright, filmmaker, actor, and now literal lifesaver Jesse Eisenberg is taking his holiday giving to a whole new level. The Now You See Me star revealed on the TODAY show that he’s donating one of his kidneys to a total stranger.

The man isn’t conjuring a disappearing organ act. He’s actually doing it.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump; Changpeng Zhao
60 Minutes; Horacio Villalobos/Corbis/Getty Images

Trump Ripped For Hypocrisy After Claiming He 'Doesn't Know' Who Crypto Founder He Just Pardoned Is

President Donald Trump was criticized after he claimed during a sit-down interview with 60 Minutes correspondent Norah O'Donnell that he doesn't know who Binance cryptocurrency exchange founder Changpeng Zhao is despite pardoning him less than two weeks ago.

In 2023, Zhao pleaded guilty to violating anti–money laundering laws after Binance allegedly failed to report suspicious transactions involving groups such as Hamas and al-Qaida. He later apologized, paid a $50 million fine, and served nearly four months in prison before being pardoned by Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Split screen of a woman with a stern reaction and a man with a shocked expression.
@vanessa_p_44/TikTok

Guy Has Priceless Reaction To Learning His Mom Named Him After 'South Park' Character—And We're Obsessed

When it comes time for parents to name their soon-to-be-born child, they often cast a wide net looking for inspiration.

Many will name their child after a beloved friend or family member, while others might choose a name from a classic film, novel, or television series.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Gavin Newsom Expertly Trolls Trump Administration With Parody Spirit Halloween Costume Memes

California Governor Gavin Newsom had social media users cackling after he, in a series of photos on X, mocked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with photoshopped meme versions of Spirit Halloween costumes.

Noem, who has led the nationwide immigration crackdown that continues to tear apart families around the country, is the "Border Barbie" of one meme that pokes fun at her for shooting her dog, her penchant for bringing camera crews wherever she goes, and the way South Park writers lampooned her in one of its most widely-seen episodes this year.

Keep ReadingShow less