A Non-American Asked Why The "American Lean" Is A Thing, And The Responses From Americans Are Hilarious And Sad

You whitethorn person heard that 1 of the ways non-Americans prime retired American tourists is by the "American lean." That is to say, we thin to thin against objects oregon displacement our value to 1 ft erstwhile we're waiting around.

Apparently, there's some truth to this: According to erstwhile CIA main of disguise Jonna Mendez, Europeans deliberation Americans are "a small slouchy" and the CIA would bid spies to basal up straighter successful bid to amended blend successful overseas.

But wherefore bash Americans bash this? Redditor Raski_Devora asked the radical of Reddit that precise question, and honestly, the responses from Americans were a small TOO real.

A batch of explanations fundamentally boiled down to "we consciousness awkward."

"I didn't cognize it was an American thing, but I often consciousness awkward conscionable lasting there. Leaning against thing makes maine consciousness little awkward, I guess? I donno. It's kinda similar asking wherefore Slavs squat. It's conscionable what we do, I guess."

—Santos_L_Halper

Because frankly, lasting wholly squarely would marque you look suspicious, don't you think?

"Who the f**k stands with some feet firmly planted? What are you bracing yourself for, the affectional interaction of uncovering retired you're a dork?"

—bipocni

I mean, you're conscionable cooler erstwhile you lean.

"Cuz we posted up consecutive chillin astatine each times"

—Embarrassed-Buy-8634

Maybe we're conscionable excessively cool, ever thought of THAT?

"Americans are little ceremonial successful astir situations, bully posture is little emphasized. It’s cool. Think James Dean oregon manner models."

—No-Oil-1669

However, astir comments landed connected a circumstantial issue: It feels similar we're ne'er allowed to sit.

"American and I've gotta thin connected everything due to the fact that each occupation I worked was aggressively against america sitting successful lawsuit the customers saw america comfortable, I guess? There's a weird conception that sitting equals lazy."

—pickleruler67

I mean, however often bash you spot a cashier sitting? Rarely.

"Every retail occupation I had acted similar a lawsuit seeing you sitting would beryllium the astir offensive, f***ed up happening you could do."

—Neat-Client9305

I deliberation you should beryllium legally allowed to reverse-fire your brag if they talk this operation to you:

"Not allowed to beryllium astatine work, truthful we thin to thin against things. The phrase, 'Time to lean, clip to clean,' is besides precise prevalent. We're not good btw."

—W3R3Hamster

And past there's conscionable our wide enactment culture.

"My backmost is sore from carrying the company."

—stoolprimeminister

The grind, the hustle.

"We're exhausted each the time."

—Jackanatic

The deficiency of nationalist enactment holidays.

"Like 4 days disconnected enactment a year. We tired."

—redboe

And past there's the full wellness security (or deficiency thereof) thing.

"We person a crap ton of injuries from ne'er going to the doc and OSHA violations."

—Upstairs-Parsley3151

The '90s kids volition subordinate to this one, too. We person a precise circumstantial root of backmost pain, particularly since we had astir 1 infinitesimal to get to our adjacent people and truthful nary clip to get to our lockers.

"My backmost hurts from going to schoolhouse betwixt 1990–2004 and wearing dual enarthrosis strap bookbags that hung debased and destroyed an full generation's spine."

—EndersScroll

Now, immoderate Americans successful the thread refused to judge the validity of this "American lean" concept. And to beryllium fair, it's not similar each azygous American leans, and each azygous non-American stands similar a dang statue.

"I bash not judge non americans don't lean.... what if they've been lasting successful a enactment for an hour?"

—Always_Worry

But radical mentioned the prevalence of squatting successful immoderate countries and cultures.

"Drive down the thoroughfare successful South Korea and you spot folks squatting alternatively of leaning."

—Artistic_Potato_1840

And the Brits successful the thread were being precise British.

"Englishman here. We don't thin during queueing. We conscionable suffer, it's what we're bully at."

—kennypeace

My idiosyncratic mentation relates to this observation:

"I’ve noticed this since the 1970s. It’s due to the fact that determination is simply a deficiency of bully nationalist infrastructure for seating, positive the thought that sitting down is frowned upon successful enactment civilization astatine the working-class level."

—FreeNumber49

There's a warfare connected seating successful this country, due to the fact that deity forbid radical walk clip determination without spending money.

"There is virtually obscurity to beryllium successful public. No chairs successful stores, nary benches connected the street, nary tables adjacent state stations. America can't tummy the thought of a stateless idiosyncratic resting anywhere, truthful determination are NO comfy places to beryllium astatine all."

—BuddhistNudist987

But I would besides bargain an statement similar this:

"I don't cognize if it's conscionable an American thing, but it's assemblage language. It's saying, 'I'm comfy talking to you, I'm present to listen, I instrumentality you seriously, but this isn't a nonrecreational meeting, and you're not my boss.'"

—paco64

Or, possibly this idiosyncratic is right, and it's each conscionable confirmation bias.

"My presumption is that it's mostly mendacious signifier recognition. They announcement Americans for a batch of existent reasons: clothes, question guides, looking astir unfamiliar with the surroundings, accents, and past since they are paying much attraction to them they announcement smaller things similar erstwhile they thin connected things. They astir apt aren't paying astir arsenic overmuch attraction to their chap locals who whitethorn besides beryllium leaning to a comparable degree."

—Regular_Kiwi_6775

What bash you think? Is the "American lean" a existent thing? If so, wherefore bash you deliberation we bash it? Let maine cognize successful the comments!