The idea of the Fluther is not to “fit in”, and certainly not to say what everyone else says.

Share what you know, and your experience will be valued for what it is (depending on how well-spoken you are, of course).

I’m not sure what you mean by fluffy… since I can’t imagine Europeans not falling in love or understanding each other… or caring what the next guy has to say. So I’ll interpret your question to mean “softening the blow or minimizing conflict with politically-correct language.”

Americans are very experienced with politically correct speech. Our entitlement to free speech is a double-edged sword – we can say whatever we think but to be socially acceptable our words get processed through a filter before being spoken. Maybe this is the fluff you speak of?

Say it straight if you want to. We’ll get used to it. Just make sure it’s productive.

I’m not sure what you’re talking about. There doesn’t seem to be any difference in the way “American” answers are worded here. Most people here seem to be American anyway.

No say what you mean. I award points to answers that make me think more deeply.

@ squirbel

“softening the blow or minimizing conflict with politically-correct language.”

That’s what I mean, besides that, isn’t it just also part of American culture?

yeah, it’s a major part of our basic culture. But don’t allow that difference to deter you from voicing your thoughts. Productivity of words is the must valued characteristic.

Ameri-fluff vs. Euro-trash!

I don’t think that showing compassion is “fluff”. Just an excellent quality of human-beings. As far as the points go, I doubt you will earn any on this question.

@Ken00bi: Initially I was thinking, “well, I’ve never really heard of that before, especially as a culture. I mean, look at the Japanese!”.

I don’t think it’s necessarily a case of political-correctness. I think if we’re talking about social tact in a broad cultural context, the Brits outdo us by far.

Having been trained by some European theater professionals, though, I do see a real difference: Americans can get very precious.

An anecdote:

I worked on a play which was a remount of a show at the National, so the entire production team was British. At one part of the show, I played the piano. The British music director came in, berated me in front of the cast (at one point, calling my hands “a useless lump of flesh”). I have a pretty thick skin about acting, but I was devastated.

It wasn’t until the second day of public humiliation that I realized he was just busting my chops (albeit in a way that I’ve never experienced from a director)—it was a cultural miscommunication. Once I started throwing it back at him, we formed (somewhat of) a bond.

So, yes, I do think there’s an aspect of “it-doesn’t-really-matter” that isn’t as present in the American collective unconscious.

<—I am thin-skinned. I try my hardest not to take offense, though.

Haha :)

I think you are doing pretty well with 49 points and only answering 12 questions so far. Keep at it. You’re doing just fine. Just give your best answers and enjoy the site. Pretty soon as you get to know the others, points won’t really matter so much..

It would be hard to tell, as we do not know the national origin of the writers. Further, there is a range of personalities in any culture, and as there are so many emigrants to America, many of us grew up as Americans in essentially European households. My parents, for example, maintained a household in some ways far more Prussian than American.

@ scamp It’s not really about the points I wasn’t really serious about that, my kind of euro humor.
@ bulbatron9 not sure what you mean with euro trash. Perhaps you can tell me… I am not lightly offended btw.
Two people voted for my question, but maybe my wife voted for me… Still one person thought it wasn’t a retarded question, lol.
@hossman Would you salute your mom? ;-)

My mom wasn’t from that side of the family. But my dad’s mom. . . Her favorite phrase was “Alles en ordnung,” “everything in its place.” “Children should be seen and not heard” was one of her favorites as well.

bulbatron—fluff up your respnose so he can understand it better. Ken00bi , Just a little American humor here.

Scamp
I understood the start end end of bulbatrons message but the stuff in between fluffed up my eyes, and didn’t make sense.

No. 3 I love you! Best of luck! Fluff, fluff, wink, wink, nudge, nudge! Cheerio!

@ bulbatron I hope I am not overly civilized and I admire your cultures politeness, it’s something we do lack here. Seriously.

We enjoy our fluff so much there is a festival dedicated to it. We have the fluffenator, and let’s not forget the flufferettes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-zaEwQ8sF8