I’m always a little shocked by Americans, because as a native American I think I should have a good sense of them. Having lived most of my adult life outside the States has no doubt changed me more than I realized. When American friends visited me in France I was often surprised by assumptions they had about what was normal and not normal.

American norms are not universal, which comes as a shock to a lot of Americans. They just need to get out more, but that’s hard to do if you’re not independently wealthy.