Do you think, from your experience, that people from another country/ies

[raccoon]

are less self-centered than most Americans?

If so, please post which country so I can research it.

[panader0]

1. Thank goodness you are OK

babylonsister was giving tips about cooking racoon just a few posts ago!

[raccoon]

2. I'll have to look into that thread. nt

[ogneopasno]

3. I think everyone is self-centered, just in very different ways.

[Tartiflette]

4. Look at small countries..

It depends what you're looking for .. I would suggest my home country New Zealand, for a starter, as it is a small country with a relatively short history, and was a colony of a power from the other side of the world. As a kiwi, I know we are acutely aware of our isolation from the rest of the world, and how much "the world" happens outside our borders. Many New Zealanders thus ship off to foreign parts when young to see the world ebyond our shores, and a substantial proportion do not return (I didn't). But I would suggest any small country which has minimal impact on world affairs might have a populace that would be less navel-gazing.

[Selatius]

5. If you want rock-hard numbers, you should compare countries using the 5 cultural dimensions.

Professor Geert Hofstede has compared world cultures against each other through 5 cultural dimensions.

1. Power Distance Index
2. Individualism (probably what you are looking for)
3. Masculinity
4. Uncertainty avoidance index
5. Long-term orientation

Here is the info for the United States:

http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_united_states.shtml

There are only seven (7) countries in the Geert Hofstede research that have Individualism (IDV) as their highest Dimension: USA (91), Australia (90), United Kingdom (89), Netherlands and Canada (80), and Italy (76).

The high Individualism (IDV) ranking for the United States indicates a society with a more individualistic attitude and relatively loose bonds with others. The populace is more self-reliant and looks out for themselves and their close family members.

The next highest Hofstede Dimension is Masculinity (MAS) with a ranking of 62, compared with a world average of 50. This indicates the country experiences a higher degree of gender differentiation of roles. The male dominates a significant portion of the society and power structure. This situation generates a female population that becomes more assertive and competitive, with women shifting toward the male role model and away from their female role.

[deaniac21]

6. JAPAN

[sinkingfeeling]

7. I felt the people of Peru and other Central and South American countries are less

self-centered. I also felt that the Irish (Republic of Ireland) are more content with their lives and country, which isn't determined to run the world.