Today, we wanted to shed light on some of such differences; we have gathered instances highlighting certain things that are arguably not that commonplace in the US, as shared by netizens online. Bearing in mind the size of the place, it’s clear that there might be significant differences between life on one of its ends versus the other, but here’s what people online consider to be things locals in the US might not be familiar with. Below you will find not only the images but Bored Panda’s interview with Social Psychology Area Head and Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University, Michael E. W. Varnum, PhD, who was kind enough to answer some of our questions regarding cultural differences. “Given the fact that we tend to live in more diverse and globally interconnected settings, it strikes me that it’s very useful to know about how cultural groups vary in their ways of thinking and patterns of behavior,” Dr. Michael E. W. Varnum told Bored Panda. “If we are thinking about the personality trait of openness to experience, then this might likely play a role,” he told Bored Panda. “Some people prefer the familiar and hew closely to tradition. Others seek out and relish trying new and different things. To the extent one is more open, one might expect greater curiosity, tolerance, and acceptance of people who may have different cultures than oneself. And indeed, a recent meta-analysis finds evidence for this relationship.” “These basic features of the environment like climate, levels of infectious disease, and population density have important implications for our evolutionary fitness in terms of survival and reproduction. And it turns out they explain a sizable amount of the variation in culture that we observe around the world. Interestingly, research also suggests that we often see some parallels in terms of links between these features of the environment and patterns of behavior among non-human animals as well.” “We live in a world that is increasingly interconnected and in societies that are increasingly diverse. Knowing not only what makes us similar but also how we are different is key to fostering understanding and cooperation.” The survey also revealed that after visiting a foreign country and meeting the locals, four-in-ten viewed them differently than before; roughly half of the respondents said they felt a great affection for locals, and close to 40% believed they shared many social values with them. Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.