During my recent stay in Czechia, more people than before asked me about differences between life in the United States and Czechia. This may have different reasons, but I believe one of them is the heightened awareness of geopolitical shifts and the need to understand the Czechs’ standing among them. Another reason may be aging – as I am getting older along with the cohort of peers, we all start reflecting upon our past lives and the future. The big (American) dreams have long been reconsidered and the realistic options narrowed significantly from the naïve boldness of youth. In result, many seek to understand whether the previous choices made (such as living abroad or staying home) were wise or not.
Whatever the case, I found myself unable to answer that question in a way that would satisfy me, let alone the inquirers. In fact, my answer always started with an honest, but disappointing “I don’t know.” I don’t know, because I don’t really know what life is like in the United States, let alone Czechia. And does anyone really do? I live in Washington D.C. – a metropolitan capital of the most powerful country in the world. And when I visit Czechia, I spend a few days in cosmopolitan Prague and then a bit more time in my native Silesia. Always surrounded by family members and friends who hold similar degrees, world views and account balances. So whatever I (think I) know is a combination of my direct, yet very skewed experience, media (not social media – I’m a recovering user), and overall impressions.
Thus, frustrated with my inability to answer the obvious and quintessential question every expat face, I’ve decided to give it some more effort and organize my thoughts. So, my friends, these are the differences I see between Czechia and the United States.
The most obvious thing that strikes many Czechs living abroad and insightful ones living at the homeland is the limited drive Czechs have. While excellent problem solvers, hard workers and truly inventive people, Czechs often content themselves with what they’ve got. Well, you may think that is the key ingredient in the recipe for happiness. But that’s not quite where this contentment leads given that Czechs always complain. They complain all the time (and about everything). And their contentment, however real it is, is frail and tends to get shattered when confronted with realities outside the country.
Which is why Czechs do not travel often. And when they do, they lean towards known territories – Slovakia, Croatia, a few Greek islands, Turkey, Egypt. And even if they venture farther, which some do of course, they pity other nations for all the misfortunes they’re constantly living through – the poor-quality beer pretty much everywhere, the work-driven lifestyle in the US, the laziness in the South, the poverty in any place outside of West, the limited social safety net (pretty much everywhere) and the abundant social safety net in Scandinavia, the food, the girls, the boys, the infrastructure etc. etc.
Now, how does it reconcile with what I said about fragility of their contentment? I suspect that Czechs’ condescension towards others is partially driven by insecurity and constant suspicion that, in fact, other nations may be better off. One example for all. Whenever I talk about money – earnings & spending in the United States, Czechs tend to conclude that the situation is similar between the US and Czechia with less effort needed in Czechia to attain the same living standard. Absolutely nothing proves this to be the right conclusion and every Czech knows it every time he or she travels westward (and often eastward too), because their real purchasing power pales in comparison with Westerners’ and affluent Easterners’. The purchasing power and spending habits of average American college kids on spring break would embarrass a hard-working middle-class family from Czechia. And there’s no hiding from this once you get to pay 7 EUR for beer in a regular Parisian bar.
Within the Czech borders, the contentment transpires in ways that are well illustrated by a Czech proverb “do not put out what’s not burning you,” combined with the popular wisdom of “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” If you’ve never been to Czechia, watch whatever movie from 40, 50, 60 years ago and you immediately know what the country is like. Of course, things have changed, but you may be shocked how little that change has impacted on the overall appearance and feel of the country – something I don’t see in the US where the city I live in (Washington DC) and the city I used to live in (New York) changed so dramatically over the past decade. Houses are the same in Czechia – in fact the most popular type of residential living “panelove domy” or apartment buildings made from cheap concrete panels – have overlived their life expectancy by decades. Cars are the same – of course you don’t see Trabants and Ladas anymore, but you would be surprised for how long Czechs hold onto the same car. Services are the same. Food brands are the same. Restaurant menus are the same. Retro is not a trend in Czechia, it’s a mindset.
In all of this, though, there is an element I find particularly sympathetic about Czechs – it’s environmentally friendly to keep using things that work as long as they do. In America, the logic seems to command replacing things that no longer work or meet expectations, even if they could be fixed or repurposed. Americans seem to be compelled to improve constantly. Even if something works, could it work better they ask. And when it does, could it cost less? Czechs recognize if something doesn’t work (thus the constant complaints) and they may even have views on how to fix it, but they almost never feel it’s their responsibility (or opportunity) to do so. Those few that do are typically rich.
Americans waste a lot, and, at times, it seems they only do it because they can. Or to show they can. They heat their houses too much in winter and cool them down too much in summer. They buy and dispose of tons of cloths every year. They change car every 3 years. In fact, they change houses quite as often. They stock their grocery stores and fridges only to throw away obscenely large quantities of food away. ‘Why to fixt it if you can replace it’ could be a slogan to capture the American mindset described above. While sometimes destructive to environment, this mindset drives progress and innovation. Along with the notion that everyone with a good idea and enough perseverance can be the next Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos.
Czechs envy and despise the rich and successful of the world – these are the people who disrupt their contentment and calm. Of course, had they become rich overnight, they would have looked down at others immediately, but that would have needed to happen without a slightest effort (such as winning lottery), since otherwise it is not worth it. Despite this difference, I believe that Czechs and Americans get equally frustrated by their inability to succeed in a big way when confronted by the success of others. The difference is that Americans would always look for reasons in themselves for this failure, while Czechs would typically blame others or simply claim they could have been on the top of the world only had they wanted.
At this point, you probably think I am being too critical of Czechs – pointing all their shortcomings out. I can’t say otherwise, as a true Czech I tend to complain… And in many respects, I find Czechs puzzling, confusing, disappointing. But they are also very genuine and friendly.
Yes, Czechs don’t smile and people in services behave as if their clients were the worst enemies. But once you engage in a conversation and show your human side, Czechs open up. And it doesn’t take much – usually simply showing you are as ‘normal’ as any other human being. They can become very friendly very quickly and be very genuine about their friendly feelings – inviting you for a drink, to their home and truly expecting you to come. On the other hand, Americans smile, serve and engage in all sorts of pleasant small talk, but they are almost impossible to befriend. Their friendships are made in the first 20 years of life and hardly ever change afterwards. 12 years in the country, I call very few Americans a friend.
This feature connects with another one – Czechs are genuinely interested in others. Not for networking purposes or else, but simply because they want to learn more about others, and they’re not shy to ask uncomfortable questions – a necessity in forming true relationships. You may happen to be questioned by a Czech on all things imaginable, not because that person goes through a script of questions to be asked a stranger, but simply because your interlocutor wants to learn as much about you as possible.
Unfortunately, this interest in others commonly translates into frequent judgmental observation of others that forces everyone to constantly play a role assigned to him/her by the society. Indeed, Czechs’ interest in others can be quite intrusive as one can find him/herself constantly observed and judged by others for the way s/he dresses, walks, talks and anything in between. It matters little whether you live in a small village or a big town, you still get judged with the same intensity, except in the latter you’re more likely to find a refuge in anonymity. On the other hand, Americans, while certainly judgmental, let others live their lives in ways they want without making anyone uncomfortable. No doubts, your neighbors won’t be shy to let you know your front yard needs better maintenance or parents at the playground will raise their eyebrows if you act out of script. But random people on the street will find a little urge to let you know what they think about you, which is not the case in Czechia.
I could continue, but this would most likely mean focusing on details, some of which would only further demonstrate the features already described. Fundamentally, the key question is where life is better – in Czechia or in the US? In fact, I think that was the underlying question many of my interlocutors had in mind when asking about the differences. As you can imagine, the answer is ‘it depends.’ It depends on your preferences and how much your mindset and personality align with the characteristics I’ve described earlier. Are you a self-driven person always looking for a new challenge or someone who strives to find happiness in the small pleasures enjoyed by generations of ancestors? Are you up for large networks of contacts that can always be leveraged for various purposes or deep friendships formed over years of beer drinking? Do you measure yourselves against the rest of the world or against your neighbor only? Is complaining the kind of small talk you indulge? Do you prefer a cold glass of beer or a smiling waiter?
The good news is that whatever your answer, you can always carve for yourself a little Czechia in the United States or a little America in the Czech lands.