--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If a foreign country doesn't look like a…" description: "\"If a foreign country doesn't look like a middle-class suburb of Dallas or Detroit, then obviously the natives must be dangerous as well as badly dresse..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/lewis-h-lapham-2-111748_foreign-country_if-a-foreign-country-doesn-t-look-like-a_1644023.png" --- # If a foreign country doesn't look like a middle-class… ![“If a foreign country doesn't look like a middle-class suburb of Dallas or Detroit, then obviously the natives must be dangerous as well as badly dressed.” quote by Lewis H Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/lewis-h-lapham-2-111748_foreign-country_if-a-foreign-country-doesn-t-look-like-a_1644023.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/lewis-h-lapham-2-111748_foreign-country_if-a-foreign-country-doesn-t-look-like-a_1644023.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/lewis-h-lapham-2-111748_foreign-country_if-a-foreign-country-doesn-t-look-like-a_1644023.png) > “If a foreign country doesn't look like a middle-class suburb of Dallas or Detroit, then obviously the natives must be dangerous as well as badly dressed.” Lewis H Lapham ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stereotyping based on appearance leads to false judgments about danger. **In simple terms:** Appearance stereotypes cause false danger judgments. Key Takeaway Avoid judging by looks. Themes stereotyping appearance danger Mood critical empathetic Type observation analysis When to use this quote - travel - urban planning - law enforcement Key Concepts social psychology media influence Questions to Reflect On - How do we challenge visual biases? - What evidence counters assumptions? A Different Perspective Stereotypes can be harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Foreign country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-country/) ## Related quotes > [I think the stereotype about footballers being badly dressed is unfair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-sturridge/i-think-the-stereotype-about-footballers-being-badly-dressed-is-unfair/) [Daniel Sturridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-sturridge/) > [It's terribly easy to be well dressed. It's much more difficult to be badly dressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-haslam/it-s-terribly-easy-to-be-well-dressed-it-s-much-more-difficult-to-be/) [Nicholas Haslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-haslam/) > [It's always the badly dressed people who are the most interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-gaultier/it-s-always-the-badly-dressed-people-who-are-the-most-interesting/) [Jean Paul Gaultier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-gaultier/) > [I love fashion, but I don't come from a background of loving clothes, and I remember feeling badly dressed from a young age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-eclair/i-love-fashion-but-i-don-t-come-from-a-background-of-loving-clothes/) [Jenny Eclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-eclair/) > [I'm always in those tabloids where they show who's badly dressed. It's funny, because each time I'm getting my picture taken, I'm thinking, This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-silverman/i-m-always-in-those-tabloids-where-they-show-who-s-badly-dressed-it-s/) [Sarah Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-silverman/) > [It's hard to describe how bloody awful music was, how desperately bad it was, how our 1960s heroes had become boring and useless. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-wilson/it-s-hard-to-describe-how-bloody-awful-music-was-how-desperately-bad/) [Tony Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-wilson/) > [The cardinal sin is not being badly dressed, but wearing the right thing in the wrong place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-head/the-cardinal-sin-is-not-being-badly-dressed-but-wearing-the-right/) [Edith Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-head/) > [“Pretty, but badly dressed," breath of an oracle which had passed by her and vanished after depositing in her heart one of the two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/pretty-but-badly-dressed-breath-of-an-oracle-which-had-passed-by-her/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [I moved to Queens, New York, when I was seven and a half. I went to middle school in a foreign country, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-jin-lee/i-moved-to-queens-new-york-when-i-was-seven-and-a-half-i-went-to/) [Min Jin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-jin-lee/) > [It was very liberating, living in a foreign country, a place where everything was new and strange - the food, the customs, the climate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/it-was-very-liberating-living-in-a-foreign-country-a-place-where/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [Being in a foreign country means walking a tightrope high above the ground without the net afforded a person by the country where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/being-in-a-foreign-country-means-walking-a-tightrope-high-above-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [I went to a foreign country as a Japanese actor, not a Hollywood actor. This takes courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-watanabe/i-went-to-a-foreign-country-as-a-japanese-actor-not-a-hollywood-actor/) [Ken Watanabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-watanabe/) > [I think Indians will pick up on a lot of the direct commentary on Delhi, which Americans will obviously miss, while Americans might get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-mahajan/i-think-indians-will-pick-up-on-a-lot-of-the-direct-commentary-on/) [Karan Mahajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-mahajan/) > [There are not a lot of German players out there who are successful in a foreign country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-mertesacker/there-are-not-a-lot-of-german-players-out-there-who-are-successful-in/) [Per Mertesacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-mertesacker/) > [“insanity is the inability to communicate your ideas. It’s as if you were in a foreign country, able to see and understand everything that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/insanity-is-the-inability-to-communicate-your-ideas-it-s-as-if-you/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by Lewis H Lapham > [What the Bush administration is primarily interested in is regime change in the United States, not regime change in Iraq or South East Asia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham-2/what-the-bush-administration-is-primarily-interested-in-is-regime/) Lewis H Lapham Explore all 2 Lewis H Lapham quotes ## More Foreign country quotes > [“insanity is the inability to communicate your ideas. It’s as if you were in a foreign country, able to see and understand everything that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/insanity-is-the-inability-to-communicate-your-ideas-it-s-as-if-you/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There are not a lot of German players out there who are successful in a foreign country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-mertesacker/there-are-not-a-lot-of-german-players-out-there-who-are-successful-in/) [Per Mertesacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-mertesacker/) > [I think Indians will pick up on a lot of the direct commentary on Delhi, which Americans will obviously miss, while Americans might get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-mahajan/i-think-indians-will-pick-up-on-a-lot-of-the-direct-commentary-on/) [Karan Mahajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-mahajan/) > [I went to a foreign country as a Japanese actor, not a Hollywood actor. This takes courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-watanabe/i-went-to-a-foreign-country-as-a-japanese-actor-not-a-hollywood-actor/) [Ken Watanabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-watanabe/) > [Being in a foreign country means walking a tightrope high above the ground without the net afforded a person by the country where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/being-in-a-foreign-country-means-walking-a-tightrope-high-above-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [It was very liberating, living in a foreign country, a place where everything was new and strange - the food, the customs, the climate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/it-was-very-liberating-living-in-a-foreign-country-a-place-where/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [I moved to Queens, New York, when I was seven and a half. I went to middle school in a foreign country, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-jin-lee/i-moved-to-queens-new-york-when-i-was-seven-and-a-half-i-went-to/) [Min Jin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-jin-lee/) > [“In the foreign country, we call the past, crucifixion was a common punishment. It was invented by the Persians, carried back to Europe by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/in-the-foreign-country-we-call-the-past-crucifixion-was-a-common/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“Waiting for a late friend. Waiting in line at the movies. Waiting for the phone to ring. Waiting for the mail. Waiting at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyo-maclear/waiting-for-a-late-friend-waiting-in-line-at-the-movies-waiting-for/) [Kyo Maclear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyo-maclear/) > [I think many years from now, people will still watch television, though it will probably be 150 inches wide. What will change is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-moonves/i-think-many-years-from-now-people-will-still-watch-television-though/) [Leslie Moonves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-moonves/) > [In Ehrenfeld, we were all jammed together. All the fathers were foreign-born - Welsh, Irish, Polish, Sicilian. We were so jammed together, we picked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bronson/in-ehrenfeld-we-were-all-jammed-together-all-the-fathers-were-foreign/) [Charles Bronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bronson/) > [Moving to Liverpool was a new world for me. I had been living with my parents in Holland, and all of a sudden I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-babel/moving-to-liverpool-was-a-new-world-for-me-i-had-been-living-with-my/) [Ryan Babel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-babel/) > [ I guess my biggest failure was not getting reelected. \[The loss taught me\] not to ever let American hostages be held for 444 days… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/i-guess-my-biggest-failure-was-not-getting-reelected-the-loss-taught/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [If we have a foreign country, which it appears that we do, interfering in an election in any way, we need to know that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-murray/if-we-have-a-foreign-country-which-it-appears-that-we-do-interfering/) [Patty Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-murray/) > [“Here there comes a practical question which has often troubled me. Whenever I go into a foreign country or a prison or any similar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/here-there-comes-a-practical-question-which-has-often-troubled-me/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Browse all 200 Foreign country quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-country/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If a foreign country doesn't look like a middle-class suburb of Dallas or Detroit, then obviously the natives must be dangerous as well as badly dressed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lewis H Lapham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham-2/if-a-foreign-country-doesn-t-look-like-a-middle-class-suburb-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Foreign country" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham-2/if-a-foreign-country-doesn-t-look-like-a-middle-class-suburb-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/lewis-h-lapham-2-111748_foreign-country_if-a-foreign-country-doesn-t-look-like-a_1644023.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/lewis-h-lapham-2-111748_foreign-country_if-a-foreign-country-doesn-t-look-like-a_1644023.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/lewis-h-lapham-2-111748_foreign-country_if-a-foreign-country-doesn-t-look-like-a_1644023.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If a foreign country doesn't look like a middle-class suburb of Dallas or Detroit, then obviously the…” — Lewis H Lapham", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lewis H Lapham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham-2/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If a foreign country doesn't look...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham-2/if-a-foreign-country-doesn-t-look-like-a-middle-class-suburb-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham-2/if-a-foreign-country-doesn-t-look-like-a-middle-class-suburb-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```