If you watch shows such as “Emily in Paris,” you can be forgiven for thinking the world is enchanted by Americans who travel abroad. Silly gaffes, like mistaking a public urinal for a monument and taking selfies in front of it, come across as charming quirks on television.
However, as a single American woman who moved to Europe and made a LOT of faux pas of my own, I can assure you that the real world is definitely not amused.
It’s a hard pill to swallow, but sadly, we’ve gained a reputation around the world for being, well, “stupid Americans.”
Is it offensive? Yes. Could we get upset about it? Sure. But with tens of millions of Americans traveling abroad every year, the likelihood is that you’ll encounter us wherever you are in the world.
Therefore, our reputation is completely understandable.
My biggest secret weapon against being called a “stupid American” is calling myself a “stupid American” first and laughing about it.／Click Magazine
The reality is, we all do “stupid” things, especially when we are in foreign places and we don’t know the local customs, cultures or surroundings. No one is immune from this humiliation, not even genius scholars.
Beat them to the punch with humor
My biggest secret weapon against being called a “stupid American” is calling myself a “stupid American” first and laughing about it.
Let me explain. As I said above, I accept that everyone does stupid things, and I am no exception. I’ve done a LOT of really “stupid” things when traveling in the past, and I’m sure I will do plenty more “stupid” things in the future.
That’s OK! I know in my heart that I’m not actually a “stupid” person.
So, instead of getting offended or upset about it, I just laugh and get others to laugh with me. For example, whenever I don’t understand something, I’m confident enough to say, “Sorry, I know I’m being a stupid American here, but could you help me with this?”
I find this approach instantly disarms people. Instead of becoming frustrated, it makes them eager to help. Instead of driving a wedge between our cultures, it brings us closer together.
By beating them to the punch and stating the phrase “stupid American” before they even have a chance to think it, it flips the script and delivers a bit of reverse psychology that makes people think and say, “No, you’re not stupid. I’m happy to help you.”
At the very least they will laugh with you, not at you. Don’t believe me? Notice how I used this same technique with you at the beginning of this article. Believe me. Implement this tip and no one will ever roll their eyes or doubt your intelligence ever again.
