# Stereotypes that you have often found to be true **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2017, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408 "2017-06-08T01:33:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ssgenius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@ssgenius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ssgenius)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/1 "2017-06-08T01:33:12Z")
Are there any stereotypes that you found to be true ? A bit of background on this. I used to teach a course where we got students arriving from all over the world. (This was taught in the USA) After multiple students from various countries throughout the world, I came to these general conclusions. If a student was from Argentina, almost always they would be in the top 10% academically and would go above and beyond any minimum requirements that were put out and would be the best innovators and would be disappointed if they did finish at the top of the class The Germans would follow any instructions exactly. If a step was optional and could be omitted depending on the circumstances , they would still follow that instruction even if it was redundant. (Example would be checking the battery status of a tool 30 seconds after you just put it down and it was working fine previously). The Chinese would memorize everything and repeat the answers back exactly. If a scenario or situation ended up being out of the box, they struggled. The Canadians would work hard and be among the top of the class and were generally good innovators but if given a chance would also be liable to go out partying. The Americans had the greatest variety in the student’s ability. The top students were really top notch and the bottom students were really bad. They were also prone to overkill a problem. (ie if 5 shots is enough to do the job, then they would do 50 just to be sure) The British were the most sure of themselves (except for the Argentines) and would be the quickest to point out any flaws or problems. The Australians would be the most likely to party. The Mexicans would only do the bare minimum required but were very good in repairing damaged items in the field with improvised tools. The Nigerians would be among the most likely to cheat or copy someone else’s work The Kazakhstanis would be among the hardest working and would be able to make do with a minimum of equipment. The Russians would be the mostly likely to end up drunk and would be the most likely to bend the rules or safety margins. (Say that a piece of equipment was rated for a maximum of 125 C in temperature. They would run it at 140 C without a second thought - and it would often work at that temperature but with a reduced lifespan) The Saudi’s were the most likely to avoid physical labor and would be last to volunteer for that. The ones from India were generally the best with computers and were the most likely to try to look for ways while attending this course to immigrate to the USA Another thing I noticed is that people had more in common with other people of their age (no matter were they were from) rather than older generations of their own country. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/2 "2017-06-08T03:01:34Z")
I don’t think this thread is going to end very well. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/3 "2017-06-08T03:07:14Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I don’t think this thread is going to end very well. I think it will die a quick death. I don’t think there are too many posters who want to be treated as pariahs. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/4 "2017-06-08T03:08:02Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I don’t think this thread is going to end very well. Canadians wouldn’t be so rude as to point that out. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/5 "2017-06-08T03:11:10Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I don’t think there are too many posters who want to be treated as pariahs. Unless the Portuguese start posting. We all know what they’re like. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/6 "2017-06-08T03:19:41Z")
A stereotype: I’ve found that people who consider themself a genius – enough to put it in their user name – are usually not as smart as they think they are. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/7 "2017-06-08T04:00:55Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Unless the Portuguese start posting. We all know what they’re like. I probably would but I’m drunk right now. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Crap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.crap/32/3131_2.png) [@Dr.Crap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Crap)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/8 "2017-06-08T04:54:17Z")
[It’s true what they say, British people _can_ fly!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOnXQnBwvrw) ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/9 "2017-06-08T08:15:02Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > I probably would but I’m drunk right now. I’m Australian, and while I’m not technically partying, I’m almost drunk too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/10 "2017-06-08T08:31:40Z")
> [@ssgenius](#): > > … > The British were the most sure of themselves (except for the Argentines) and would be the quickest to point out any flaws or problems. > … I can tell you with absolute certainty that this is unequivocally nonsense. > [@ssgenius](#): > > … > The Saudi’s were the most likely to avoid physical labor and would be last to volunteer for that. > … No apostrophe needed in “Saudi’s” there. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/11 "2017-06-08T08:59:51Z")
Of course there are anecdata to substantiate stereotypes. Otherwise the stereotypes wouldn’t exist, would they? ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/12 "2017-06-08T10:25:05Z")
Not a stereotype, but an odd trend (correlation?) I taught for years in a flight school that had students from all over the world. The GPS displays in the airplanes could be set for “North Up” or “Track Up”. The Track Up setting orients the map display to the same direction as the airplane, the way your car GPS probably does. The North Up (obviously) keeps North at the top, and doesn’t rotate as the plane turns. Almost everyone preferred the Track Up setting, except the students from India. If I got into a plane and had to change the setting, it was always following a flight by one of the Indian guys (I started checking the schedule logs when I first noticed this). I’ve always wondered what is different in the way they process graphic/chart information. I find it harder to mentally rotate the map to correspond to the outside world, but they seemed to have no trouble with it. ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/13 "2017-06-08T10:44:12Z")
I think it is true there are National and regional tendencies and therefore stereotypes about such groups come about. To think otherwise is faulty. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/14 "2017-06-08T10:53:43Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > Of course there are anecdata to substantiate stereotypes. Otherwise the stereotypes wouldn’t exist, would they? The same may be said of unicorns. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/15 "2017-06-08T12:45:37Z")
Bang&Olufsen is my favourite stereotype. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/16 "2017-06-08T15:21:01Z")
> [@Dr.Crap](#): > > [It’s true what they say, British people _can_ fly!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOnXQnBwvrw) As God is my witness, I thought that people from Turkey could fly. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/17 "2017-06-08T16:54:48Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > I’ve always wondered what is different in the way they process graphic/chart information. I find it harder to mentally rotate the map to correspond to the outside world, but they seemed to have no trouble with it. I recall a study comparing map use between men and women. They found a similar trend, men drew maps (for directions) with North up, and women preferred to draw one from the point of view. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/18 "2017-06-08T17:11:29Z")
You know the stereotypical “[crazy cat lady](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_lady)”? (I can’t believe they have a Wikipedia page) I’ve known three older women, each with many (\>a dozen) cats. The three women did not know each other, but were identical in every way. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/19 "2017-06-08T17:15:34Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I don’t think this thread is going to end very well. Stereotyper!!! If one gets a stereotype wrong, is that a stereotypo? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408/20 "2017-06-08T17:15:57Z")
Yeah, I’m a guy and a map maker (GIS) North goes up thank you very much. The only time it does not is if you are making a physical (paper) map, and have scale/size/paper restrictions that make you rotate things. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypes-that-you-have-often-found-to-be-true/788408.md?page=2)