Comparisons of the US and Russia. Personal experience.

Russian psychology. How is it different, for example, from the American one. At the very beginning of last summer, I, along with my close friends, went to the USA to get acquainted with the local culture and the peculiarities of the American way of life and thinking. I wanted to get something more valuable. In this trip, I wanted to form my own opinion about what America and Americans are different from Russia and Russians. If these questions are interesting to you, as well as me, then this article will please you.
ROUTE

In the US, I have a few friends who live in Chicago. Therefore, we decided to focus our attention mainly on the west coast, along the route New York - Niagara - Chicago - Key West - Miami - New York. Each of us had a traditional picture of America traveling by car. Therefore, we decided to rent a car and drive as many new places as possible. However, in the course of the play, I was disappointed by boring landscapes and monotonous autobahns. Frankly speaking, the route I mentioned above is an abbreviated version. We deliberately reduced the number of cities, in order to spend less time on the car routes from one to another. About what I do not regret. I liked American cities more than autobahns. Not because they are bad. Quite the contrary. Simply, if you traveled from New York to Chicago by car, then consider that you already know what will happen if you go from New York to Washington. Why did we choose these places? Initially, I suggested choosing either the east or the west coast, because if you go around the whole country (and we planned, the west coast, then through Texas and Nevada to California and along the west coast), then it will take more than a month. In addition, the colonization of America began from west to east and we have friends in Chicago. This was the reason for choosing the above route. New York is one of the capitals of the world and, perhaps, the capital of the financial world because it is there that Wall Street is located. Chicago - one of the largest cities in the US, which is associated with many historical moments. By the way, the first skyscrapers (DownTown) were built exactly there. Niagara - a place on the border with Canada, which is interesting for its famous waterfalls. Key West is the southernmost tip of the United States. Before Cuba, you can swim by boat, because it is very close. Miami is the most developed city of Florida. And this is the hottest and most, perhaps, resort staff in the US. In addition, it is there that the most accumulation of wealthy Russians and Ukrainians I will consider various aspects from the point of view of the psychology of the Russian and American people. Psychologists have long known the fact that people acquire social instincts in childhood from parents and social environment. Usually it occurs at the age of 1 to 7 years. And, I draw your attention to the fact that it is instincts, and not just habits of behavior. The difference is that the instinct is, then it can not be remade completely. You can pretend that you have adopted a different worldview, but you can not believe it. Russian culture is very different from the American one, that's why our mentality is fundamentally different from theirs. In fact, as long as you are a child, the surrounding culture forms social instincts in you, which you can not then get out of your head, no matter how hard you try. So, what is different about us? Who works like that? Americans work much better and more independently, under normal conditions, than Russians. If we take a typical situation when a person is employed for hire in the ordinary sphere, the American will cope better than the Russian. But do not write off, swear (this, by the way, is also our national feature), because everything is not so sad. Russians work better in unusual and unstable conditions. If very rude, then the Russians work better when full ass, and Americans work better when everything is quiet. In the 90s an American top manager was hired in an international Russian firm, which in half a year had to be dismissed for the fact that his department Could not cope with work. The American could not understand what was happening. On the fly in his department, he gave every Russian a task with which everyone agreed. But on the whole, the work was delayed and there were no results. The American could not understand why. After all, every worker agreed with his task, but ... did not fulfill it. If I did not agree, then everything would be clear. But they agreed! The foreign Top Manager did not understand that the Russians themselves do not like to work. We work only when there is stimulation in the form of a possible profit, or a possible backstop. In all other situations, we pretend that we are working. One of the reasons is that we lived for a long time in the conditions of socialism, where money was not encouraged diligence. That story with the top manager ended very simply. The American was fired and in his place took a Russian who knew the business less, but he knew the Russians better. A man built up everyone and "stimulated" employees with reprimands or other punishments every day. The department immediately earned and everything got better. So, in the US it's not so accepted. People work without additional stimulation

WHO IS SMILING
If you are the first time in the US, then be sure to pay attention to the external friendliness and smiles of Americans. Compared with them, we look more gloomy and harsh. Americans often think that way. Especially considering the hellish propaganda, which they pour on television. However, I want to draw your attention to the fact that if an American smiles at you, this does not mean that he will give you food. On the other hand, if a Russian smiles at you, he will always give you something to eat, and then he will drink with you. This is a joke, but it has a large share of truth because the smile in Western civilization is part of the social ritual. And in Russian civilization there is no such ritual. Therefore, if you smile Russian - it means that he is REALLY very glad to see you! And if you smile an American, then it does not mean exactly what. Indians, they also smiled, before completely destroying them. On the other hand, for objectivity, I note that actions affect the thinking of a person. Therefore, the person who smiles at you (even on the machine) tends to treat you with more confidence than a person who does not smile. In other words, an American expects more from a person of good and positive than Russian. We are often ready for a negative scenario, in contrast to them.

There are no surprises. Americans pay a lot of taxes, unlike Russians. The main taxes of an average American are:
land tax
Approach tax Both progressing, i.e. Increase depending on the conditions. For example, the closer the land is to the city center or to the reservoir, the higher the tax. The more you earn a salary, the more income.
It is quite common for an apartment (not for a house) in a city (not in the center) to pay 10-20,000 usd / year. And if your annual salary is 200.000 usd, then the rate of income can grow up to 40-50%. That's what you think. In addition, the receipt of money itself is very tightly controlled. The concealment of incomes is a more terrible crime (criminal), in contrast to tax evasion. Roughly speaking, if you are selling chebureks on the street without reflecting activity and income in the tax return, you can easily be imprisoned. And if you specify that you sold 1000 chebureks, and you paid taxes for 500, then you will not be put in prison and will be opened listening, the result of which will be asked to pay taxes for the remainder. In Russia you only need to pay 13%. Moreover, not taxes are fed by the RF budget, but profit from the sale of hydrocarbons (oil and gas). At us each the second is engaged not in lawful entrepreneurial activity (for example the grandmother who trades in semen on a corner), and for it do not put. In general, it is difficult to say whether this is good or bad, but Americans pay taxes and pay a lot of them, unlike Russians.

WHO MORE LIVES IN DEBT
The national debt of the United States is 20,000,000,000,000 dollars. The public debt of the Russian Federation is 50,000,000,000 dollars. The difference is 400 times. This is at the state level. If we talk about ordinary people, then ... everyone lives on credit. And this is considered normal, because loans are very cheap. The main cost of a loan for an average American is: Housing (most often your home) Machine (change regularly) 90% of Americans purchase apartments for mortgages (mortgages of housing under a bank loan). Compare with 10% of Russians. Why such difference? The interest rate is lower. In the US, rates can be 3-4% and in Russia 10-15%. In general, even the psychology of Americans differs from our captive loans. Our people perceive credit as something forced and in every possible way tries to avoid. Americans habitually take out loans and then get re-credited. Our man, if he takes a loan, then to housing. Americans easily take loans without even rest

WHO IS MORE BEAUTIFUL
Russian women are more beautiful than American women both in their external parameters and in their behavior. In general, our women are more ... feminine. They are not afraid to be weaker and seek protection from a man. And in order to be close to a decent man, you do not need to manage a factory, but have a beautiful figure and character. Our women take care of themselves and paint themselves when they go out to the grocery store for sausage (to look beautiful in the eyes of other men). The Americans, for the most part, do not take this matter at all. As a consequence, there is no one to look at. And if we talk about the conversation, then here in general ... you feel that you are talking to a man. Do not try to open the door in front of an American - think that you are trying to offend (I'm better than you, because I'm a man). Perverted psychology, which is difficult for Russians to understand. In our tradition, which is more patriarchal, it is customary to protect a woman and protect her. No one will be surprised if men gardon women from hard work. A man will not be comfortable if a woman does something heavy, while it is something light (starting from the project and ending with the movement of furniture). He will help without even thinking about a woman, but about himself (we are so comfortable than sitting). Americans do not soar at all. They will soar, if you will help her because she is a woman. Now, as far as fatty. Earlier, as my friends say, the difference rushed very much. Those Russians who came to the USA 15-20 years ago, noted that there are a lot of complete people in comparison with Russia. Now, after the appearance of a huge amount of cheap food of poor quality in Russia, the situation has become even. When I go across Moscow I see the same amount of fatty as in New York. Here a lot depends on the region. For example, in the Bronx full more than in Manhattan. Excess fat on the body is a sign of low income and standard of living. Secured people in the US eat well and are very athletic.