Americans love to brag. Confidence, bravado, and speaking things into existence are baked into the culture. Canadians tend to do things in a different, more reserved way: quiet, understated, and unassuming. So when Americans start bragging about certain things, Canadians usually don’t protest or argue back.
We polled a group of Canadians about things Americans brag about. Here are the things that they quietly question.
Very visible patriotism
Many Canadians we interviewed said that flags, slogans, banners, and patriotic references are loud and all over the place in the U.S. Canadians also have pride in their country, but we keep it more low-key. They insisted that pride doesn’t have to be so in-your-face to be valid.
“We have the best healthcare in the world.”
Canadians hear this all the time and often feel torn. Yes, they know the US has amazing hospitals and cutting edge tech and specialists. But many questioned how Americans can be so proud of a system where healthcare is determined by insurance coverage and bills can be astronomical, and one illness can bankrupt a family.
To Canadians, that’s not something to brag about. If you can’t easily afford healthcare, it’s not great healthcare.
Freedom as some uniquely American virtue
Americans often mention freedom with great pride and emphasis. They talk about freedom as if it only exists in the U.S. or if it’s some special, inalienable right they have because they’re American.
Canadians, on the other hand, mentioned that they feel free every day too. They can say what they want, go where they want, vote and live their lives without fear.
Extremely large houses
Americans love to brag about giant houses, often as a status symbol for how well they’re doing. But many Canadians argued how realistic and practical that is.
Heating and cooling costs, property taxes, cleaning, repairs, and unused rooms all seem excessive to them. Bigger doesn’t automatically seem better to them. It just seems like more work.
Huge portion sizes
Getting a huge portion for the price is often seen as a win. But some of our Canadian interviewees wondered if that’s such a good thing.
Oversized restaurant meals just lead to food waste, overeating, or uncomfortable bloating in their experience. They think balance is more important than gluttony.
Loud, intense sports culture
Americans often take pride in the fact that their sports fans are the loudest and most passionate. Canadians like watching sports too, and sometimes things here get rowdy too; but they questioned how extreme some of the fandom in the U.S. gets, especially when it crosses the line into violence and hooliganism. They don’t see sports as a reason to yell at strangers.
Extreme confidence and optimism
Americans believe big and speak with a ton of confidence. Just look at their politicians. Canadians do admire that positivity. However, some questioned how much of that American confidence is real and how much is a performance. Canadians are more comfortable with modesty and realistic expectations.
Customer complaints as a fundamental right
Americans sometimes take pride in how they demand refunds, speak to a manager, or get “what they deserve.” Canadians said they found constantly complaining to be an uncomfortable assertion of power, rather than something empowering. They thought it strange that asking for special treatment over small issues was something to be proud of.
Endless choices in stores
Americans brag a lot about how they can have dozens of options for every product; cereal to toothpaste to phone plans. However, Canadians feel too many options can feel exhausting rather than exciting to them. Many wondered whether having 40 flavors actually makes life better or just makes choosing more difficult.
Having an unnecessarily large pickup truck for daily driving
Many Americans brag about how they own an enormous pickup truck, even though they only use it for their daily commute. Canadians, however, would quietly ask why one would need such a massive vehicle for regular errands or city driving. They found it seemed needlessly ostentatious, less convenient to park, more costly to fuel and simply unnecessary, unless one was actually using the truck for work.