Personality and sense of humor, by Samuel Henry

Of the many cultural differences, I have noticed between Spanish and American cultures, I want to focus on personality and sense of humor. When I arrived to Spain, it wasn't long before it became very clear that here in Sevilla, they do not hold back with what they are thinking or want to say. They are very outgoing and extroverted with their opinions. During discussions I have had with my host mom and "amigos espanoles," a fly on the wall listening in on the wall would summarize this "outgoingness" as a subtle disregard for sensitivity. Considering this, then therefore at the same time Spanish people have to be less sensitive themselves for it to be a cultural norm. A popular saying in the United States to describe this is that the Spanish do not "beat around the bush." An example of this is when one of my teachers here in Spain (I won't say names) teased someone in my class for standing very close to the urinal while going to the bathroom. It was extremely light-hearted and a hilarious joke. It is this type of sense of humor that I think Spanish people, especially sevillanos, resemble. On the contrary, in the United States, people are definitely more careful in what they choose to say and what to keep filtered to yourself. There is less of a teasing culture. I have to say that in comparison to Sevillanos teasing other people, with the American sense of humor or personality, as least speaking for myself and the relationship I have with my friends, the fun and laughing stems more from individuals teasing themselves embodying themselves as goofy. This could be explained by the tendency for people to share what is perceived as out of the ordinary. Within my friend group, we go back and forth sharing funny stories. It has been a magnificent experience to witness this first hand.