1. Tipping Culture Is Practically Mandatory
In America, tipping isn’t just a nice gesture—it’s often expected and essential to a worker’s income. Restaurant servers, bartenders, and even delivery drivers rely on tips because their base wages are frequently below the federal minimum. The federal tipped minimum wage is just $2.13 an hour, so the rest is supposed to be made up through tips. For many Americans, that’s just how it is.
But if you mention this to someone from a country where service workers earn livable wages without tips, they might look at you like you’re describing a glitch in the system. Why should customer generosity be the foundation of someone’s income? It places an unfair burden on workers and opens the door to inconsistent pay. Still, most Americans don’t question it until they travel abroad.
2. Healthcare Costs Can Ruin You
In the U.S., an ambulance ride can cost $1,000 or more, and a hospital stay can lead to five- or six-figure bills—even with insurance. Medical debt is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in America. For most people, getting sick isn’t just a health issue; it’s a financial emergency. That’s just accepted as part of the system.
If you tell someone in Canada or the U.K. that going to the ER might mean deciding between treatment and paying rent, they’re understandably baffled. Why is healthcare tied so tightly to employment and profit margins? Americans often avoid seeing a doctor simply because of cost. And yet, this remains one of the least questioned parts of everyday life.
3. Student Loans Can Follow You for Life
In America, it’s possible to be in your 40s, 50s, or even older and still be paying off student loans. Some borrowers carry debt for decades, especially if they’ve had to defer payments or faced compounding interest. Unlike most other debt, student loans are nearly impossible to discharge in bankruptcy. So even financial hardship doesn’t always offer relief.
In countries where college is free or heavily subsidized, this level of long-term debt sounds surreal. Why should education come with a lifelong price tag? The idea that investing in yourself could become a decades-long burden is rarely questioned until someone outside the system points it out. But for millions of Americans, that’s just how it is.
4. School Starts Shockingly Early
Many American high schools start around 7:30 a.m., which means some kids are catching buses before the sun rises. This early start time clashes with research showing teenagers have naturally later sleep cycles. The CDC and pediatric experts have even called for later school start times to improve teen health and performance. But the early bell continues to ring.
Why? Because that’s the way it’s always been—fitting school around bus schedules, parent work hours, and sports practices. Few seem to ask whether those logistics should trump students’ health. And yet, generations of sleep-deprived teens continue to drag themselves to class in the dark.
5. Prescription Drug Prices Are Sky-High
Americans pay more for prescription drugs than people in any other developed country—sometimes by several hundred percent. A vial of insulin, for example, can cost over $300 in the U.S., while the same product may cost under $50 in Canada. Even with insurance, copays can be substantial, and without it, many simply go without their medications. That’s just the system we’ve built.
Pharmaceutical companies argue that high prices fund innovation, but that doesn’t explain the massive price differences for the same drugs abroad. Why should life-saving medicine be a profit center instead of a public good? It’s an accepted absurdity that only becomes obvious when you compare it to how the rest of the world operates. Still, it’s rarely questioned in everyday conversation.
6. Paid Parental Leave Is Basically Nonexistent
The U.S. is the only wealthy nation that doesn’t guarantee paid parental leave at the national level. New parents often return to work within weeks of childbirth because they can’t afford not to. The Family and Medical Leave Act offers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, but that only applies to some workers and still doesn’t cover their paycheck. Most families just make it work however they can.
Talk to someone from Finland or France, where parents can get months or even years of paid time off, and you start to realize how harsh the American setup is. Why isn’t bonding with a new child or recovering from childbirth considered a national priority? Somehow, we’ve normalized the idea that families should “tough it out” on their own. And that unspoken expectation shapes millions of lives.
7. Food Portions Are Huge—and Expected
In America, “value” often means getting the most food for the least money, which leads to enormous portion sizes. Restaurant meals can easily contain double or triple the recommended daily intake for calories, sugar, or salt. It’s not uncommon to be served a plate so large it could feed two or three people. And most people don’t bat an eye.
This isn’t just a cultural quirk—it has major health implications, contributing to high rates of obesity and related diseases. Why did we decide “more” always means “better,” even when it leads to waste or poor health? It’s rarely questioned, but it shapes how people eat, spend money, and even view satisfaction. In most other countries, the portion sizes—and expectations—are dramatically different.
8. Work Is Central to Identity
In the U.S., one of the first things people ask when they meet you is, “What do you do?” Careers aren’t just jobs—they’re identities, moral values, and social status wrapped into one. Hustle culture celebrates long hours, and vacations are short, often left unused. It’s a badge of honor to be busy.
But in many parts of the world, people work to live, not live to work. Why is productivity so tied to personal worth here? It’s a system that often leaves people burned out, isolated, or feeling inadequate if they’re not constantly climbing a ladder. Still, it’s the water most Americans swim in, without really noticing it.
9. Car Culture Reigns Supreme
Public transportation in much of the U.S. is limited, unreliable, or nonexistent, especially outside major cities. As a result, driving is essentially mandatory for daily life—commuting, shopping, even going to the doctor. Urban design prioritizes highways over walkability or bike infrastructure. So people drive everywhere, often alone.
Compare that to cities in Europe or Asia with robust public transit and pedestrian-friendly design, and it becomes clear how car-dependent America really is. Why aren’t more cities designed around people instead of vehicles? It’s an assumption that’s so ingrained it rarely gets questioned—until gas prices spike or traffic gets unbearable. But this default mode of living shapes everything from city planning to climate impact.
10. Voting Happens on a Workday
Election Day in the U.S. is held on a Tuesday, which often makes it hard for people with rigid work schedules to cast their votes. While some states offer early voting or mail-in ballots, millions still have to juggle work, childcare, and long lines. Other democracies hold elections on weekends or declare them national holidays to encourage turnout. But in America, that’s just not how it’s done.
Why is something as fundamental as voting not made more accessible? Voter turnout in the U.S. lags behind many peer countries, and logistical barriers are part of the reason. Yet the Tuesday tradition, dating back to 1845, remains largely unquestioned. Changing it would require a national conversation that hasn’t yet taken root.
11. College Is Wildly Expensive
The average cost of college tuition in the U.S. can easily top $35,000 a year for private schools—and that’s not even counting room, board, or books. Students routinely graduate with tens of thousands of dollars in debt, a burden that can take decades to pay off. It’s normalized to the point where high schoolers are encouraged to take on massive loans before they can legally rent a car. For many, it’s the only perceived path to upward mobility.
Yet when you tell someone in Germany or Sweden that public universities in their countries are free or close to it, it makes the American system feel pretty harsh. Why is higher education treated like a luxury item in the U.S.? It shapes entire life trajectories based on whether or not someone can afford a degree. But somehow, it’s just business as usual here.
This post 11 Things That Are “Just How It Is” in America—Until Someone Asks Why was first published on American Charm.
