Amazing Skills that Americans Possess but Outside People Struggle With

By: Shelly Grinfeld | Last updated: Mar 21, 2024

What’s your superpower? No matter where you’re from, everyone has special skills that come naturally to them. From public speaking, making small talk, driving, or whatnot, we all have at least one thing that can be spotted from a mile away, our signature thing, a trademark if you will. But have you ever thought about how where you’ve grown up impacts how good you are at something?

Well, just like the French are famous for their bread and the Swiss for their cheese, these things Americans just happen to be stellar at more than everyone else. Although it is not an exact science, we’ll bet most Americans you know can do these things better than anyone else. Do you agree?

1. Projecting their Voice

We all know most Americans are good at public speaking, they have to talk about anything with confidence but perhaps one of the reasons that makes them so successful at it is that they can project their voice like no other. Chances are if you’re in a crowded room you’ll hear the American right away.

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If you see two Americans run into each other in the street after a really long time chances are that you’ll be able to hear them from a mile away. You know it’s true!

2. Self-reliant and Independent

Americans are great at being independent. America is generally an individualistic society and culture and that has its advantages. Americans tend to be extremely self-sufficient and great at getting things done or making things happen on their own.

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Although they are less likely to solely rely on others for this reason they are more likely to take on more and take initiative in certain situations. We wouldn’t object though to asking for some help once in a while.

3. Immediate Crisis Response

Whether it’s terror or a natural disaster, Americans hit the ground running. They skillfully spring into action, rescuing people off rooftops or breaking in to save a pet from your home. Coming together to rebuild homes and businesses as a result of floods is just one of many examples. Donating blood or providing free counseling the list goes on, Americans get it.

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Source: Sgt. John Crosby / WikiMedia Commons

If shit is about to go down you better believe that an American has your back and is ready to do what is necessary or can be done to help minimize the damage. If you’re going to have a crisis having an American around is the first step in finding the best and most immediate solution.

4. Americans Are Handy

Americans are just more handy than most people, from DIY crafts to repairs around the house, they do it all. These skills are a part of growing up. It’s a safe bet that many Americans have fixed their shelf and painted their walls more than anyone else. Not only that, they’ve probably done it better than anyone else.

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Source: Handy Home Repairs - YouTube

That cool cabinet or floor lamp you saw on Instagram? The Americans of the group already made it themselves and in record time. If you want a lift to the hardware store they’ve already got a trip planned for tomorrow.

5. Chatting Up a Complete Stranger

Let’s start this countdown with something small but mighty, small talk. Americans can have a 20-minute conversation with the wrong number or a person who happens to be walking their dog at the same time as them. It’s a gift.

If you’re looking to distract someone then calling on your American friend to create a diversion may just be your best bet because they can make small talk about almost anything with anyone. We guarantee they won’t even need to bring up the weather at least once while they do it.

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6. Food Alterations and Substitutions

It’s a pain when you go to a restaurant and want a certain dish but don’t like one ingredient or can’t eat a specific element, but what’s worse is knowing you can’t alter or substitute it for something else. Americans love accommodating, they do customer service the best, so if you need a substitute or a swap, they are the professionals.

Source: Midjourney

They most likely have every type of alteration you need and if they don’t they are ready with at least two other suggestions to fix your issue. That is not the case for many other places around the world. What you see is what you get, if you don’t like it, order something else.

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7. Driving Long Distances with Short Breaks

If anything can be said about Americans is their ability to plan efficiently. This is what makes driving long distances with short breaks possible. They are stellar at it. Perhaps the secret lies in the fact that they know exactly where they are going and dress for comfort.

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If you can pinpoint something Americans love the most it is comfort over everything. They don’t rely solely on cruise control and they are great about sharing the drive. You can’t forget about getting a good night’s sleep the night before and staying hydrated too.

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8. Speaking Like They Know What They Are Talking About

Americans can take almost any topic and present it in a way like they are the experts. They have one of the most useful abilities in the sense that it allows them to be extremely convincing. Having the ability to fake it until you make it may just be the defining moment of making or breaking where you end up.

Source: secondnature.com.au

It is this skill that helps them excel at selling almost anything to anyone. If you can frame something in a way that makes sense then you can convince anyone of almost anything without even trying. The key is confidence and Americans definitely have that by the tons.

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9. Cheering People On for Literally Any Reason

Americans are the ultimate hype people. They can cheer you on for about anything and it’ll make you feel like you’ve achieved or possibly done the greatest thing of all time regardless of how mundane it actually is. Their ability to root for you like there is no tomorrow and turn even the simplest of things into milestones is something to admire.

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If you want to feel good about something or are having a bad day, you without a doubt want an American in your hype corner. You’ll feel better in no time, not to mention that you’ll also feel like you can do anything all at once.

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10. Barbecuing Up a Storm🔥🥩

American Barbecue might just be one of the skills that Americans are most famous for and we are not sorry about it. If you’re invited to an American barbecue you do not want to turn this down. This barbecue will not only be a feast for the eyes but also a feast for the stomach.

Source: Adam Roberts / ABC News

Perhaps this is one of the reasons that Americans will come up with any excuse to get on the grill, from Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, the 4th of July, and everything in between, if it’s American, it’s Barbecue Day!

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11. Entertainment

No one does entertainment like Americans, from award shows to TV, film, and generally all media. If it’s entertaining then chances are it’s American. Americans do it best, so it’s no wonder everyone wants to copy them or break into the Hollywood scene. If you’ve made it in America then you truly are a bonafide star.

Source: AMC Entertainment, California

We aren’t sure if it’s because of all the hype or what but Americans have set the standard when it comes to entertainment and they have no plans to slow down any time soon. There aren’t any complaints here but we are eager to see what comes next. If it’s American then it is sure to be a hit.

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12. Entrepreneurial Spirit

Some of the biggest tech hubs and innovations are American and those who know Americans are not surprised. There is no spirit like the entrepreneurial spirit of an American. It’s safe to say it’s that confidence has entered the chat again. If you believe then anything is possible.

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Americans believe in themselves wholeheartedly therefore taking their entrepreneurial spirit to a whole new level. This might just be why Americans are some of the most successful when it comes to production and creation.

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13. Following the Rules

Americans can take direction like no other. Some may even say that Americans are sticklers for the rules. Whether or not you agree one thing is for certain, if an American is following the rules it will be followed to a T. They will be extremely polite about it and will maintain a high standard when it comes to behavior.

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They are usually as polite as people can get, being politically correct with thank yous and hellos. There will be no missteps at an American gathering.

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14. Making Friends

Americans can make friends with almost anyone. An American complimented another American on the street, cut to, they are now best friends. No, it’s not the start of a joke but if two strangers, who happened to be American, walked into a bar best bet is they’ll be friends by the end of the night. Not because of the alcohol.

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Americans love talking to new people and connecting and it comes easily to them more than any other. Nine times out of ten they’ve already made a new friend in the strangest place before lunch has rolled around.

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15. Making Something Boring Interesting

Americans have the wonderful ability to take the most boring story and make it the most interesting. The simplest encounters become feel-good stories when an American tells them. From the facial animation to the hand gestures, Americans become even more lively as they recreate how they felt in the exact moments their story unfolded.

Source: York County Library

Whether it is a story that actually happened or a made-up story for your kids before bed, a story told by an American is sure to keep you hooked and coming back for more. If you want to share a story it’s recommended to let the American of the group tell it, you’ll get more of an audience.

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16. Sales Person

Americans can skillfully sell you just about anything. Even if you already have the thing they are selling you’ll surely buy another few with a pitch like this. Girl Scout cookies, a car, or a new investment, Americans will have you hooked. By the end, you may even end up buying several of the same things.

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The sales confidence of an American starts at an early age, selling Girl Scout cookies is only one example. When you start young than it only goes up hill from there. It’s no wonder they can convince you to buy things you don’t even need. Suddenly the excessive American consumer culture makes sense.

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17. Networking

Americans do networking best, whether it’s those LinkedIn updates or going to all those conferences, the collection of contacts and business cards an American gets on the daily is as impressive as, if not more so, the numbers you’ll get at the bar on a good day.

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Americans know how to market themselves and they know that no connection is too small. You never know when a connection will come in handy and when you’ll need it the most. Once they have you as a connection, they are also just as skilled at maintenance.

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18. Speaking Their Mind

Americans have freedom of speech and press better than anyone else, it’s probably one of the reasons why Americans can speak their mind so freely without worry. Of course, they are always trying to be “politically correct” but they are never shy in saying exactly what they think.

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This is not without consequences of course. Regardless of the framing Americans skillfully and freely express themselves without worry since they are protected from all sides.

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19. National Parks System

Americans have the best National Park System you’ll ever see. They know their parks and they love them the most. Their park system and passes make it so you have unlimited access not only to national parks but also to National Monuments, historic sites, etc. This is one of the reasons that it makes an American road trip as iconic as it is.

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If there is a road trip an American should be the one to plan it if you want to get the most out of it and exhaust all that nature has to offer. Most Americans know the system’s ins and outs so get to packing.

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20. Promptness

Americans love their punctuality and they expect it from everyone else too. Americans love being on time. They will leave earlier just to prevent the risk of being even a couple of minutes late. It makes them great people to count on if you’re on a time crunch.

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As the saying goes, “Time is money.” If a wedding starts at noon then you better believe it will start at noon right on the dot, no earlier and not later. It is recommended and encouraged not to be late to classes, employment interviews,  parties, and everything in between, and when they say come on time, they mean BE ON TIME.

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21. Eye Contact

Americans are so good at giving eye contact to the person that they are speaking to that it will almost feel like they are starting into your soul. This may be one of the reasons that they are great at public speaking, a hit at the party, and a networking pro. It’s all in the eye contact, it projects confidence and makes the person you are talking to feel like they are the only person in the room.

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This skill is perhaps the skill that makes them the best at connecting with others. Eye contact is what will get you incredibly far, especially as an American.

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22. Americans are Great at Making Nicknames

This may or may not come as a shocker, but Americans are quite informal in their personal lives. This may be the reason that they give others some of the best nicknames that stick. Most people call each other by some form of nickname or simply their first name.

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Most likely the American friend group has a nickname for just about everyone and if they don’t then they are about to get one.

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23. Adaptability

Americans are excellent at adapting to a variety of situations in record response time. Their ability to do this relies heavily on the fact that they can read the room with the bat of an eye. Once they have adjusted to the ongoing situation it makes them even more able to command the room seamlessly.

If you see an American working the room they’ve already gone through the adaptive phase of the evening, with the blink of an eye you could miss it.

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24. Communication

Americans are skilled communicators. They are great at getting their point across in a way that another is more likely to be receptive to it. It’s the American tactfulness that helps save them from getting into trouble, depending on who they are talking to

Source: Euro News

They say that if you can get your point across well then you can do anything. Americans would agree and do it the best.

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25. Culture Sensitivity

Americans love to be politically correct, they don’t want to say or do the wrong thing. For this reason, most Americans spend extra time crafting their answers to questions and forming their opinions in a way that can be presented to others without offense.

Source: scienceforwork.com

It makes them skilled politicians and entrepreneurs as well as the best business representatives out there.

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26. Flexibility

If an American has made plans and they need to be changed or someone calls them up spontaneously and plans need to meet Americans are so good at being flexible. They can easily change a course of action and are not locked into their ways.

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This flexibility trait makes them the best people to have when things don’t go as planned since they can think on their feet. It allows them to go with the flow more often than most.

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27. Patriotism

One thing that Americans do better than most is patriotism. They love their country and they love showing it. You can get an American flag on just about anything. Americans have pride, honor, and loyalty to their country in a way that you don’t see in many places.

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They go to school and pledge allegiance to the flag first thing in the morning. Their patriotism starts at an early age, so it’s no wonder that it is at a level above most. Name another place that has the same level of dedication. We’ll wait.

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28. Polite Smiles

Americans have mastered the art of polite smiles better than anyone else, that is if people even come close to doing it as much as the average American. Americans do the “polite smile” so seamlessly they might not even be aware that they are doing it.

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What is the “polite smile” you ask? It’s the smile that you give when you pass someone on your morning walk or you indirectly make eye contact with a person on the bus. It’s the non-verbal way of being friendly without being too friendly. You’ll be surprised to know that around the world a lot of people have not mastered this skill nor is it customary.

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29. Optimism

Americans take optimism to a new level. It’s no wonder that they literally have the phrase, “the American Dream.” They are dreamers and always try to look at the glass as half full while they keep pushing forward. It’s this exact optimism that makes them the best hype people.

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Their unwavering optimism gives them the spontaneity to take risks, believe in themselves, and make their dreams come true.

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