The United States has no European culture passed down.

American culture is embodied in American character, characteristics and behavior. To adapt to American culture, it is natural to understand American character, characteristics and behavior. Studying in America, you can't help studying and working with Americans. Therefore, we should get out of the small circle of international students in China, get in touch with Americans, understand their personalities and characteristics, and be familiar with their hobbies, so as to adapt to American culture as soon as possible. Let's briefly introduce some personality characteristics of Americans in a comparative way.

Personal independence: Compared with China, Americans have strong personal independence. Americans generally believe that they are independent individuals, and their importance exceeds other values. In the United States, family and collectivity are also important, but individual independence and individual rights are the most important. This is very different from the concept of China people. People in China often put the importance of family, collective and country above individuals. Americans' strong personal independence is closely related to their cultivation and exercise from childhood. After six months of birth, American children usually sleep separately from their parents, and parents also educate and cultivate their children's characteristics of self-independence and dependence. In the process of growing up, most Americans chose their own life path, their own major, their own work life and their own marriage partners. In a word, you control your own destiny, don't rely on your parents, and don't rely on social life.

This strong personal independence often makes Americans self-centered and quite selfish in everything. But Americans' personal independence mainly depends on their own struggle and personal ability. Moreover, the attitude of emphasizing individual independence also makes Americans generally respect others and think that all people should be equal.

Competitive consciousness: closely related to individual independence, Americans have a strong competitive consciousness and are often in a state of mutual competition. In the United States, friendly or not-so-friendly competition can be seen everywhere, which reflects the American sense of competition everywhere. Americans' enthusiasm for sports is in the same strain as their strong sense of competition. Due to a strong sense of competition, Americans worship record-breaking achievements in sports and business, and even some trivial achievements in daily life are fascinated by them. Sometimes the sense of competition is very misleading to Americans. For example, for a book or a movie, they often measure their achievements not by content, but by whether they can become bestsellers or how much box office value they have. In college, students attach great importance to superficial academic achievements and grades, or the average score.

On the contrary, China people have always respected "harmony is the most important thing", and their code of conduct is modest and prudent, slow and steady, walking with one step and three shakes, and acting before acting. This is very different from the competition that Americans talk about everywhere, so it is often difficult for China people to adapt to the fierce competitive mentality of Americans at once. Therefore, if international students want to adapt to American life, they must change the traditional habits of China people, be aggressive, be competitive, and remember that if they are modest and prudent in the United States, opportunities will pass by; If you are slow and steady, you will miss your success. However, while China students strengthen their sense of competition, they should also see that although Americans are keen on competition, they also attach importance to the spirit of cooperation and collaboration at work, and generally do not turn mutual competition into hostility between individuals. On the contrary, China people value "harmony" more than "struggle". Once they compete, they will either destroy the spirit of cooperation or be hostile to each other.

Frankly and frankly: China people have a cultural tradition of "saving face", and they are more tactful and tortuous to people and things. They are deeply afraid of hurting themselves and others' faces, and sometimes even do things that "prefer face to lining". On the contrary, Americans are outspoken and not good at beating around the bush. For them, the essence and benefits of the problem are far more important than saving "face". In conversation, Americans are willing to get to the point quickly. They don't want to spend too much time on polite greetings. They often bring up embarrassing or even offensive topics. The frankness and frankness of Americans are also manifested in their willingness to express their views. For example, in class, they actively express their views and ask questions. Even if the article is irrelevant or even full of loopholes, they don't care, and there is no psychological constraint of losing face. China students are hard-working, diligent and of high quality, but seldom take the initiative to speak in class. The main reason is that I am afraid of failing English and saying the wrong thing. In the final analysis, they are afraid of losing face.

At first, China people will not get used to Americans' straightforward, outspoken and faceless personality, and it will take some time to get used to it. But remember, in America, we must be brave enough to express our views and say what we want to say, otherwise we will lose interest in order to save face and not hurt our feelings. Moreover, the United States is a pluralistic society, and most people have developed an attitude of "valuing things over people". It doesn't matter if they have opinions, even if they are incorrect. However, this is easier said than done. China people need to work hard to overcome the habit of loving face and being afraid of losing face. Especially the China people who come to study in the United States, some of them already have a certain status and identity in China, and it is even more difficult to put down their faces. However, in studying in the United States, you should put down your airs anyway. You should learn, do and ask.

Time concept: American society is full of movements and changes because of fierce competition, and people are always in a hurry, which has caused the formation of Americans' tense time concept. Most Americans have a time register, and their daily schedule is full and very nervous. In the eyes of international students, Americans always seem to be in a hurry. Because of the tense pace of life, Americans often give people the impression of being impolite and impatient. They are rude, but they often seem a little rude. They usually do things as quickly as possible, and then quickly turn to other things.

The biggest advantage of Americans' tense view of time is high efficiency. It is true that you have been running, how can you be inefficient! In contrast, China people have a long view of time, and often calculate things in days, unlike Americans who calculate things in hours, so the efficiency is naturally poor. Americans' nervous view of time also makes their appointments usually very punctual. On the contrary, many people in China have no sense of time, and they are often late for appointments, even a few hours late. This habit is hard to accept in America. As far as defects are concerned, Americans' concept of temporal time is closely related to materialism except for their lack of deep understanding of things and history. Americans strive for success, and the measure of success is most easily reflected in how much money they earn.

Law-abiding and public morality: In the eyes of many international students in China, Americans tend to be informal when dealing with people, even those who are very different in age and social background. For example, students call their teachers by their first names. But in comparison, the vast majority of Americans are not only very law-abiding, but also very public-spirited. Americans put the law in the first place everywhere, emphasizing the need to act according to law. Most of them have contracts, which are signed by both parties and handled according to law. If they break the law, deal with it according to the regulations. There is nothing to say. This is quite different from China people's obsession with love and intercession in French. Therefore, when signing any document, we must make clear its terms. If there is something unclear, be sure to make it clear before signing, otherwise refuse to sign; Once signed, you must act according to the contract, and you will be punished if you violate it. Don't be careless

Most Americans have a strong sense of public morality, which can be shown in every gesture. If someone follows you when you open the door, Americans usually hold the door and wait for the person behind to take over, so as not to bump into future generations when you close the door. If you open the door for someone, he will definitely say thank you. For another example, Americans rarely litter and spit everywhere. When there are many people, they can queue up in an orderly way on a first-come-first-served basis. On the contrary, China people lack this habit at home and often pay no attention to these trivial details. This may not matter at home, but when you study and work in the United States, you must pay attention to public morality when you get along with others. This is not only a basic social etiquette, but also a kind response from others if you pay more attention on weekdays.

Rights and obligations: One of the characteristics of Americans is the clear distinction between rights and obligations. Americans are famous for talking about rights. "This is my right, and that is my right" is hanging all day. For Americans, their rights will never be given up. If they are hurt, they will fight for it, even if they are good friends. They will never worry when they go to court. If the rent is below the required temperature, heating must be provided. If the landlord does not do so, he should immediately negotiate and inform the landlord to comply. If the house is damaged, the landlord should repair it and give it to the tenants. Most Americans know to obey the rules. As long as they abide by the rules and safeguard their rights, Americans will generally abide by them. Therefore, if the rights and interests of foreign students in China are damaged, they should fight for it, and they should not submit to humiliation, thinking that it will be much easier to do things in the future if they show respect and make friends. But Americans only talk about rules, not friendship.

Unlike rights, Americans rarely talk about obligations. But they are very aware of their obligations, especially those of others. As far as renting is concerned, clarify the obligations of tenants and homeowners, and then act according to regulations; If everyone shares a room, every household has the obligation to keep the room clean and the residence quiet. If someone fails to fulfill their obligations, other roommates will come out to correct them. Generally speaking, as long as Americans think that someone has not fulfilled their obligations, they will take care of them and even sue the police. This is quite different from the tradition of "everyone sweeps the snow in front of the door, leaving others to sweep the snow in front of the door" in China, and foreign students often feel uncomfortable when they first arrive in the United States. In short, the rights and obligations of Americans are clearly stated. Everything is in accordance with the regulations. They naturally live in peace, respect each other and get along easily.

Europe:

German

When I first met the Germans, they often gave people the impression of being silent, unsmiling and dull. After a long time of contact, you will feel that the Germans are sincere and frank, although they are serious and formal. If you ask a strange German for directions in the street, he will show you the way enthusiastically and patiently. If he doesn't know, he will ask someone else for you, or take pains to accompany you for a while until you understand.

In public social occasions, Germans are very stiff and not good at humor. They are methodical, sit tight, do things seriously and follow the rules and regulations. But Germans like lively scenes very much and will take every opportunity to hold entertainment activities, but they still feel heavy and lack real relaxation. Germans are conscientious and have a strong sense of responsibility, and they can't be a little perfunctory about their work. Once they are careless and dereliction of duty, you can only find another job. There is a saying in Germany that "business is business, and shochu belongs to shochu". Friends who don't distinguish between alcohol and tobacco in private, do business clearly between public and private, and don't talk about any affair.

1) An orderly country

The German nation is a nation that pays attention to order. People who have been in contact with Germans or have visited Germany are deeply impressed. In Germany, everything from space, land and architecture to housewives going out shopping is arranged in advance. Signs to maintain order and prohibition boards can be seen everywhere. Everything has clear rules and requires people to strictly abide by them, and so on. For example, the business hours of shops are strictly regulated. Generally, shop assistants go to work at around 7: 00 a.m., clean doors and windows, sort out goods, open at 8: 00 a.m., close at 6: 00 p.m. and have no rest at noon. From 2 pm on Saturday, the shops are closed and closed on Sundays. This business hour must be strictly observed by all shops, and it is not allowed to operate beyond the time limit.

Germany has strict traffic laws and regulations, and various road signs are clear and eye-catching. The blue road sign beside the expressway can be seen from a distance under the reflection of street lamps at night. The big blue letter U(U-Bahn) that marks the subway is hanging high in the air, and you can see it at a glance from 100 meters away. It is no exaggeration to say that for a foreigner, as long as he knows all kinds of traffic signs, he can travel all over Germany without speaking a word of German. These signs have become an important means of maintaining traffic order in Germany. German public transport is famous for its punctuality. Not only airplanes but also trains are famous for their safety and punctuality. Even buses have their own running schedules, so they must run by the hour. Residents only need to check the timetable at home and get on the bus at the station on time, without waiting at the station in advance. Even if the bus arrives early, wait until the punctual start. German car drivers can be regarded as a model of punctuality. As a passenger, you must also buy tickets according to the regulations, and you will be severely punished if you violate them. German cars are driverless, and passengers have to buy tickets at the ticket vending machine according to the fare indicated on the traffic map. When you buy a ticket, you must determine the bus fare, otherwise, if you don't pay attention, you will miss a ticket hole in the automatic ticket checking machine. Once found, you will have to pay a fine of tens of marks. Germans are uncompromising in the implementation of laws and regulations, and they have the strongest principles and cannot tolerate any pity. Germans always carry one thing with them, and that is a notepad. Germans write everything down in notebooks. One of their habitual actions is to reach for the notebook. An idiom is: Please wait a moment, let me look at my notebook. Everyone from company managers to middle school students and housewives has a notebook. In Germany, you must make an appointment in advance to make a trip. Germans must make plans first, even housewives should make a shopping list first. If a couple is planning to travel abroad, they may have made a travel plan as early as a year ago. They will call the tourism bureau first to ask about the quotation, service items, travel schedule and so on, and then compare them. After choosing the entrusted travel agency, you should go to the travel agency in person to discuss it in detail until everything is accurate and enter the travel plan into the computer. Next, we need to know the human geography and language of the country we are going to. Such a travel plan, which was put into practice a year later, has long been arranged in perfect order. This shows the planning and rigorous attitude of the Germans.

(B) serious and calm, not grandiose

When I first met the Germans, they often gave people the impression of being silent, unsmiling and dull. Contact for a long time, you will feel that although Germans treat people seriously and formally, they are also sincere and frank. If you ask a strange German for directions in the street, he will show you the way enthusiastically and tirelessly. If he doesn't know, he will ask someone else for you, or take pains to accompany you for a while until you understand. In public social occasions, Germans are very stiff and not good at humor. They are methodical, sit tight, do things seriously and follow the rules and regulations. However, in private social circles, Germans will also get together freely with friends. They can abandon the status of managers and officials, call their friends by nicknames, and talk frankly with their friends about their troubles in life. Germans love happy scenes very much and take every opportunity to hold entertainment activities, but at this time it still gives people a heavy feeling and lacks real relaxation. Germans are conscientious and have a strong sense of responsibility, and they can't be a little perfunctory about their work. Once there is negligence and dereliction of duty, you can only find another job. There is a saying in Germany that "business is business, and shochu belongs to shochu". Friends who don't care about alcohol and tobacco in private have a clear business, but they don't talk about anything ambiguous. Germans are meticulous and selfless, just like a machine, strict and cold. Germans have a strong sense of "seeking truth from facts", paying attention to reality and not exaggerating. German living room is unpretentious, neat and generous. All kinds of daily necessities, such as doors, locks, switches, clothes hangers, glasses, lampshades, etc. They are all down-to-earth and would rather lose weight than become superficial. For a building, a piece of furniture and a set of equipment, it seems that they all pay attention to long-term planning and internal quality, just like Germans do things, they pay attention to being down-to-earth and never talk.

(3) industrious and tidy Germans.

Germans have diligent and tidy living habits. Most people sweep the courtyard at dawn, and the living room is orderly and spotless. German housewives are obsessed with cleanliness. After seeing her husband and children off in the morning, they put on their work clothes and started the most meaningful work of the day: cleaning the house. They will kneel on the ground and scrub every corner. Even if cleaners and gardeners are asked for help, housewives often work with their classes until the windows are spotless. Creating a warm, comfortable, beautiful and clean home is the greatest wish of every virtuous housewife. The German nation is a hardworking nation. Walking in villages and towns in Germany, beautiful garden villas can be seen everywhere. Germans have extremely high requirements for housing, and owning an independent house is the ideal of ordinary Germans' lifelong struggle. People work hard on weekdays, save money to build a house, and build a spacious, decent and comfortable house for themselves and future generations, which is regarded as a sign of a perfect and fulfilling life. Germans' hard-working spirit is not only reflected in employees, but also in senior officials and big entrepreneurs. German-style strict school and family education also determine that they are incompatible with the relaxed style. After observing Germany for a long time, an American teacher made such a comparison to children of virtue in his investigation report: on a sunny day after rain, an American girl will be attracted by the bright sunshine and play outside for a while before reading; And a little girl in Germany will go out to play after finishing her homework. Work first and then play. This is German education. People have the right to enjoy life only after hard work.

(4) Law-abiding people

There is a joke: only Germans drive in the middle of the night 12, and stop at a red light. On the one hand, it shows that Germans have a strong sense of abiding by the law, and at the same time, it also shows that Germany is a country with strict law enforcement. In Germany, people regard obeying the law as the highest ethical principle, and people generally have the psychology of seeking stability, fearing chaos, being content with the status quo and being complacent and self-sufficient. The formation of this kind of psychology has its certain historical origin. Throughout the development history of Germany, all previous reforms or revolutions can be said to have been carried out from top to bottom. From Bismarck's "iron and blood policy" to the dictator's launching of two world wars, totalitarianism and dictatorship led to the "obedience spirit" or "servant consciousness" of the lower class. Obey the ruler blindly and tamely, as described in the German historical drama, "The officials made a decision and the emperor agreed. Obedience is our duty. It must be a great honor to carry out the imperial edict. " After the war, Germany embarked on the road of bourgeois parliamentary democracy under the impetus of western powers, and the German democratic consciousness was strengthened. People take the initiative to participate in political life and express their opinions freely. Although the obedient servant consciousness has been shaken off, some psychology left over from history still exists in the German character and consciousness. In an enterprise, subordinates absolutely obey their superiors, do everything according to the rules, and lack flexibility and initiative; Obedience is the bounden duty of workers, while leaders take obedience to orders and laws as the standard to measure the quality of workers. This is also one of the reasons why Germans are rigid and inflexible. Germans are influenced by topography and climate, and people in different regions also have certain differences in personality. For example, North Germans are more open, especially Hamburg people, who are located in a port city and well-informed, but they are also somewhat exclusive, and are not so hospitable to foreigners or foreigners. On the contrary, Nande people, especially Bavarians, are located in the inland mountainous areas, with conservative thoughts, but simple, warm and helpful. Generally speaking, the German nation is a united and disciplined nation. They are polite to the old, weak, women and children in public, don't make noise, pay attention to public health, and don't like gossiping behind others' backs. Germans are very protective of their country's reputation. Although political parties will attack each other and expose their shortcomings in the general election, they rarely express their dissatisfaction with their country.

In Germany, it is customary that the husband's surname becomes the same surname of both husband and wife after marriage, that is, the wife changes her husband's surname after marriage. If Miss Eng Schlayer marries Mr. Paul Webb, the woman will conveniently take her husband's surname and be called Eng Webb. However, according to German law, husband and wife can decide their own surnames, which can be husband's or wife's surnames, and they can also put their surnames before their surnames. For the couple mentioned above, the wife can be changed to Inge Schlayer-Webb, and the husband can also be changed to Paul Webb-Schlayer.