'Common' things that happen in other countries that would simply terrify Americans
Talk about a different perspective.

"Common" things that happen in other countries.
'Common' must be a word that's up for debate because my American brain refuses to believe that the occurrences these people are discussing are common anywhere in the world. But I also live where people fish next to signs that say "caution alligators may be present," so maybe I'm not the best judge of "common." Thanks to someone picking "things I never knew I wanted to know" on the Jeopardy board of Reddit, we now have a single thread that will tell you all the places to avoid … or places to travel to if you're channeling your inner Steve Irwin.
Someone on Reddit posed the question "What's something that happens in your country that would scare Americans?" Of course, the Australians were the first to pop on the scene with their spiders the size of dinner plates hanging out on your wall at any given time. Trying to watch TV? Giant spider. Giving your kids a bath? Sure, with a big ol' nope crawling up the wall. Obviously Australia is beautiful, but I think it would have to be to off set all of the things that are trying to take you off the planet. You know, it's pretty so it gives you incentive to stay and try not to die another day.
After the Australians warned the internet of their dog-sized spiders, an American followed up with probably the most American response you can think of, "As an American the walls of my house would be riddled with bullet holes if this were the case." Honestly, while I don't personally own a gun, I know how to make a flamethrower from household items so let's just say I'd be homeless but the spider would be dead.
Just when you thought spiders that could wrap a toddler in their web to save for later was bad, South Africa bursts through the door like the Kool-Aid Man. The South African commenter said that while they don't know any Americans personally, "people get concerned when I mention that we occasionally have baboons invading our houses." Don't worry though, they have social media groups dedicated to letting residents know when baboons are running amok so they can put up their animals.
I'm sorry, what?! You mean to tell me after a long day of work, that you could come home to a dang baboon making himself at home and going through your pantry? Have you seen the teeth on those things? I'm not certain but I'm pretty sure they could eat your face off. The commenter didn't list the town they live in, so I'm just going to cross off the entire country until Baboon City has been identified. Because, absolutely not.
South Africa is out and apparently so is Kenya because they have wandering lions. Of course there are lions, it's Kenya, we just don't pet the big kitty. But apparently, hyenas snatch toddlers in that country and I'm just wondering how people survive in these places. Do they give "how to throat punch hyena lessons" in preschool or do they keep decoy toddlers around? There are so many questions and the commenter did not give any answers that would bring much comfort.
Hey, at least in Romania the most terrifying thing someone listed was waking up to the sound of your neighbor turning a live duck into a dinner-ready duck. After learning about all of the different ways certain countries try to put humans on the endangered species list, a little unfortunate quacking in the morning somehow doesn't sound as bad. If you want to check out the entire list before you make your travel plans, you can do that here.
- Non-Americans share what they admire about Americans - Upworthy ›
- British people share what they find odd about Americans - Upworthy ›
- Non-Americans share the American things they want to try - Upworthy ›
- Someone asked who the female voice of Morgan Freeman was - Upworthy ›
- Woman's rare antique turned away by Antique Roadshow for gut-wrenching reason - Upworthy ›
- 15 cool things people have in other countries that Americans want - Upworthy ›
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."
This article originally appeared in May.