A few common stereotypes about Americans are that we’re very loud, rude, patriotic, don’t travel, obese, love guns, and love corporate businesses. I think a lot of these stereotypes are perpetuated by the media (which is where I initially learned about most of them), which can sometimes be the only interactions people have with Americans. However, I also think that there are enough people in the US who fit one of the stereotypes that, when Americans travel, it would be very common for the person to embody at least one of the common stereotypes, which would then solidify the stereotype in other people’s minds, even though it is not necessarily true for every American. It’s also interesting that there are specific stereotypes for certain parts of the US that are spread through the media and individual encounters. For example, the idea that all drivers in Massachusetts are very bad. My aunt was visiting and encountered an aggressive driver in a parking lot and made a comment about Massachusetts drivers and how my uncle had warned her about it before she came and I have seen a few jokes on tv shows about bad drivers in Boston. The stereotypes associated with Americans can make other people expect them to be very obnoxious and ignorant, in general. These preconceived notions can result in a more guarded interaction and, possibly, less genuine interaction with others if they are expecting you to be obnoxious and ignorant, which is unfortunate.