15 funny memes show the crazy side of American life that the Europeans can't comprehend
The American way of life is different.

An incredibly busy off ramp in America and a monster truck that looks like a school bus.
America and European countries share many similarities in culture and governmental structures. They are democracies with similar legal systems, innovative in science and technology and have a significant influence on the world through art and culture.
That being said, there are some glaring cultural differences that are fun to point out. The broad generalization is that Europeans have refined cultural tastes, whereas Americans are a bit more brash and believe that bigger is always better. These are stereotypes, of course, and there are plenty of brash Europeans and Americans with refined tastes.
One of the biggest differences is America’s embrace of consumer culture, which Europeans see as excessive and tacky. Americans have an unquenchable love for processed foods and portions that make most Europeans shudder.
The sheer size of America is also hard for many Europeans to comprehend. During an 8-hour drive, Europeans can visit multiple countries with different languages and cultures. However, you probably won’t make it through some of America’s larger states in that short of a time.
I'm sorry, Europeans. Los Angeles and San Francisco are not an hour away, and you probably don’t want to drive from New York City to Disney World.
People have pointed out some of the significant differences between Americans and Europeans through memes with the simple caption, “The European mind cannot comprehend this.” It’s a fun way for Americans to point out the excesses that make America unlike any other place in the world.
A lot of the memes are centered around America’s love for chain restaurants and how they often are found in clusters dotting the American landscape. The downside of chain restaurant ubiquity is that it makes the country’s cuisine feel a bit homogenous. One can drive all the way from Des Moines, Iowa, to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and still find the same 10 places to eat.
The European mind cannot comprehend this pic.twitter.com/cvpi6ECs5g
— jackson (@jackkk_pot) March 26, 2024
the european mind cannot comprehend the McCastle pic.twitter.com/f1OYbr6vUp
— col-b (@colbmusic) March 23, 2024
The European mind cannot comprehend this pic.twitter.com/pAQwXOtTSL
— Jakub (@jakubsfantasy) March 28, 2024
Americans eat huge portions compared to the average European. When Europeans travel to America, they most frequently point out this. Americans also enjoy processed foods that feel more like they came out of a laboratory or off an assembly line than if they occurred randomly in nature. This stands in stark contrast to the European diet which often features smaller portions, less processed food, and a greater emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients.
The European mind cannot comprehend the size of the American onion pic.twitter.com/ihQjqcIUqQ
— Venice Casual (@VeniceCasual) March 26, 2024
the european mind cannot comprehend pic.twitter.com/2khpmaDtX0
— 𝔏𝔦𝔬𝔫𝔢𝔰𝔰 (@InsaneMistress) March 24, 2024
The European mind cannot begin to comprehend https://t.co/NMRWEnfOpI
— 𝘽𝘼𝙎𝙆𝙀𝙏𝘾𝘼𝙎𝙀 (@BasketCasePA) March 28, 2024
The European mind cannot comprehend this https://t.co/tYwu3GjhXV
— rachel (@rachelxxnaroz) March 28, 2024
The European mind cannot comprehend this pic.twitter.com/h23IjsMJVR
— 🌰 (@BluntBuckeye) March 27, 2024
America is also huge.
You can drive 9.5 hrs in North Carolina and still be in North Carolina. The European mind cannot comprehend this. pic.twitter.com/4tgkLclKQj
— Brandon 🪓 (@Totally_Brandon) March 20, 2024
Americans have their very particular brand of unique crazy, whether it’s monster truck rallies, the tacky beauty of Las Vegas or our very vocal support for gun rights.
The European mind cannot comprehend this pic.twitter.com/sEIblavXOC
— Old Row Sports (@OldRowSports) March 21, 2024
the european mind cannot comprehend pic.twitter.com/hUCJ78t6fL
— MK (@alm0ndmilkltte) March 21, 2024
The European mind can’t comprehend this pic.twitter.com/lMYcHifB2X
— John D Lockefeller (@Dr_Lockefeller) February 11, 2024
The European mind cannot comprehend this. pic.twitter.com/rQ7YZYBWUU
— Zach B. (@60minutesonacid) February 26, 2024
The European mind cannot comprehend this pic.twitter.com/gxR2YLMK4y
— Dr. Jan Philipp Thomeczek (@jpthomeczek) March 24, 2024
the european mind can’t comprehend this pic.twitter.com/78HTPiSqWv
— ari (@paddypubs) September 12, 2023
To keep the rivalry going, Europeans have been fighting back by sharing elements of their culture that would boggle the average American’s mind. Some memes include the interesting ways that A/C-phobic Europeans cool their homes. They also railed at Americans for being unable to drive cars with manual transmissions and for having really terrible taste in bread.
The Europeans also mocked the incredible price of healthcare in the U.S. and how everyone has their hand out for a tip.
The American mind can't comprehend this pic.twitter.com/JgYR1FR4tg
— Jordan ☉ | 💀🔥⚔️🪽 (@jordaaash) September 10, 2023
The American mind can't comprehend this. https://t.co/5zmLDKA2xR
— Socially Distant Ryan 🇺🇦 (@ryan_hassett) September 11, 2023
The American mind can’t comprehend this https://t.co/WwvesbqOop pic.twitter.com/Rql3W94AXA
— Andrea 🇮🇹🇪🇺 Renzi Hate Account (@ClassicalSocdem) February 19, 2024
the American mind can’t comprehend this pic.twitter.com/ESlF8w8onM
— douglas jones 🇵🇸 (@fatherprost) November 8, 2023
the American mind and its healthcare system can’t comprehend this pic.twitter.com/LRyi1VKahr
— Debbie Soon 🤗 (@debsoon) September 9, 2023
The American mind can’t comprehend this https://t.co/Tu2NJDOK71
— Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry (@pegobry_en) September 23, 2023
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."