Ask HN: Is there a better mindset in the US? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Is there a better mindset in the US?

8 pointschris_dcosta2 comments

I'm from Europe and I come to the conclusion that Europeans are really negative contributors on forums, and I wondered what other peoples experiences are.

I have no evidence for this but just a gut feeling. Europeans appear to be happy to downvote than give positive feedback. I've noticed this on a number of forums such as this and stackoverflow for example.

My impression is that if you post a question in Europe daytime, you run the risk of criticism and downvoting, but post it during US time and a bad comment will generate comment, and general positive advice, rather than outright criticism.

Of course I prefer this approach, and find it almost a hidden "code of conduct" when US timeframe replies come in.

Is this just an illusion or are people generally more keen to avoid downvoting wherever possible in the US?

No, it's for real. I'm European, and this is a big reason why I prefer living in the US, people are more positive here. Of course, there are negatives to that, from hypocrisy to overconfidence to simple avoidance of unpleasant realities, but there are trade-offs wherever you go. I personally prefer the US approach, but likewise there must be many American people that would find Europe offers a better match for their work style.

tl;dr the differences are real, but the significance of these is subjective.

I would venture to guess that some of it may be due to American exceptionalism or better put the belief in it. Until recently optimism has been a pretty big trait among middle class Americans. It was not uncommon to have a conversation with someone and have them say something like it will all work out, or brighter days are ahead, with both parties taking it as an absolute truthful forgone conclusion. As such perception is reality, when people believe that they tend to not allow their mind to venture towards the negative and tend to offer advice that while valuable, is only geared towards the positive outcome. This may in effect reinforce the perception of optimism and exceptionalism. I could be wrong but I would suspect that it is a contributing factor.

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