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It’s not easy to generalize about the United States for the size
of the country and the ethnic mix of its people contribute to its
variety: however, there are a few characteristics you may encounter in
“typical” Americans from Atlantic to Pacific.
Individualism. Americans value independence. They generally
believe that the ideal person is autonomous and self-reliant. This may
mean that they prefer to spend less time with their friends than in
other countries they often dislike being dependent on other people, or
having others dependent on them. Some cultures view this as
"selfishness", others as a healthy freedom from the constraints of ties
to family, clan or social class.
Americans tend to value their individuality, to think themselves
the equal of any other man or woman, and to believe they are masters
of their own destiny. They feel free to speak their minds on most
subjects and are often astonishingly frank in expressing political
opinions, cherishing above all other rights to the freedom of speech
guaranteed by the Constitution. They are direct in their
communications; they say no when they mean no. Americans do not
commonly exhibit class consciousness or make distinctions amongst
themselves along class lines. The vast majority identify themselves as
belonging to the middle class. Except for, perhaps, the very rich or
very poor, Americans do not usually feel that their success in life will
be determined by the social class into which they were born, and do
not usually show excessive deference or superiority to each other in
public situations. This may be different, however, within a
professional setting.
Making Friends Americans appear open and friendly at first
meeting, but this means only that they are pleased to make new
acquaintances and accept new people into their social groups; it may
or may not lead to true friendship. They smile easily and are not
hesitant to talk, but this is not an automatic commitment to friendship.
In this mobile society where Americans are taught to be self-reliant,
friendships are often transitory and established to meet personal needs
at a certain time. Many Americans have "friends at work', "friends at
school", and so on, but only a few very close friendships. These
friendships are usually the result of repeated interactions between
individuals who find they share similar views and a variety of
experiences together. Casual friendships are especially common
among college-age students who are trying to establish personal

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