--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Yet another thing Canadians and Europeans…" description: "\"Yet another thing Canadians and Europeans have in common is an obsession with the United States, and with distinguishing themselves from it, often by c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/timothy-garton-ash-15575_common_yet-another-thing-canadians-and-european_593647.png" --- # Yet another thing Canadians and Europeans have in common… ![“Yet another thing Canadians and Europeans have in common is an obsession with the United States, and with distinguishing themselves from it, often by crude stereotyping.” quote by Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/timothy-garton-ash-15575_common_yet-another-thing-canadians-and-european_593647.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/timothy-garton-ash-15575_common_yet-another-thing-canadians-and-european_593647.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/timothy-garton-ash-15575_common_yet-another-thing-canadians-and-european_593647.png) > “Yet another thing Canadians and Europeans have in common is an obsession with the United States, and with distinguishing themselves from it, often by crude stereotyping.” [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It observes that Canadians and Europeans often define themselves by contrasting with the United States, using stereotypes. **In simple terms:** People define themselves by opposing others. Key Takeaway Recognize and move beyond simplistic stereotypes. Themes identity culture stereotyping nationalism Mood critical reflective Type analytical observational When to use this quote - political discourse - media analysis - cross‑cultural studies - education curricula Key Concepts comparative sociology social identity theory Questions to Reflect On - How does comparing to the US shape your own identity? - What alternatives exist to stereotype‑based distinctions? A Different Perspective Stereotyping can obscure genuine cultural differences and foster bias. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Canadians Europeans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canadians-europeans-4853609/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Crude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crude/) [Crude Stereotyping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crude-stereotyping-4853611/) [Europeans Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europeans-common-4853613/) [Obsession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsession/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Stereotype](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stereotype/) [Stereotyping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stereotyping/) [Thing Canadians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-canadians-1242464/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [I should say that Canada is one of the major criminals, not just the tar sands and so on, but even mining throughout the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-should-say-that-canada-is-one-of-the-major-criminals-not-just-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Americans are pushy, obnoxious, neurotic, crass - anything and everything - the full catastrophe as our friend Zorba might say. Canadians are none of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/americans-are-pushy-obnoxious-neurotic-crass-anything-and-everything/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [Nobody's perfect so while you over there criticizing, stereotyping, assuming, and judging take a look at yourself first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nobody-s-perfect-so-while-you-over-there-criticizing-stereotyping/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is useful to remember, however, that neglecting valid stereotypes inevitably results in suboptimal judgments. Resistance to stereotyping is a laudable moral position, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/it-is-useful-to-remember-however-that-neglecting-valid-stereotypes/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“Stop the noise of assumption and you'll hear the music of ascension.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/stop-the-noise-of-assumption-and-you-ll-hear-the-music-of-ascension/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“The human compulsion to group people and objects together was ingrained in our being since we evolved. We need to group things, group the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-caruso/the-human-compulsion-to-group-people-and-objects-together-was/) [Charlie Caruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-caruso/) > [Stereotyping and generating brands around musicians I think contributes to their eventual demise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/squarepusher/stereotyping-and-generating-brands-around-musicians-i-think/) [Squarepusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/squarepusher/) > [By stereotyping my work's audience as self-involved and prissy, women-only packaging also insults my readers, who could all testify that trussing up my novels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/by-stereotyping-my-work-s-audience-as-self-involved-and-prissy-women/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [When the government is looking for a criminal in the crowd, it construes people in terms of culpability: innocence or guilt. When a corporation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-miller/when-the-government-is-looking-for-a-criminal-in-the-crowd-it/) [Nicole Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-miller/) > [(Stereotyping) is only for those without the imagination to see people as they are instead of being like someone else they understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/stereotyping-is-only-for-those-without-the-imagination-to-see-people/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [“On being Single. How many times have we heard people asking “So why are you single?” “Oh no! What happened!?” I haven’t heard anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mystqx-skye/on-being-single-how-many-times-have-we-heard-people-asking-so-why-are/) [Mystqx Skye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mystqx-skye/) > [The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says: It's a girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/the-emotional-sexual-and-psychological-stereotyping-of-females-begins/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [Stereotyping is taking a universal human behavior and applying it to a specific social group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stereotyping-is-taking-a-universal-human-behavior-and-applying-it-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Yeah, I smoke, I drink, I have tattoos, but that doesnt mean Im a bad person. Stop stereotyping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yeah-i-smoke-i-drink-i-have-tattoos-but-that-doesnt-mean-im-a-bad/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) ## More by Timothy Garton Ash > [I'm a historian by training and by conviction. And so the thing that has throughout informed my thinking about international relations is history. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/i-m-a-historian-by-training-and-by-conviction-and-so-the-thing-that/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [America should do a reverse Columbus. The world no longer needs to discover America; but America urgently needs to discover the world's view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/america-should-do-a-reverse-columbus-the-world-no-longer-needs-to/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [Ordinary Americans, and especially the small minority active in Democrat and Republican primaries, must learn more of what people across the globe are thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/ordinary-americans-and-especially-the-small-minority-active-in/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [No country in Europe has a larger proportion of men and women of immigrant descent, mainly from the African continent and mainly Muslim: an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/no-country-in-europe-has-a-larger-proportion-of-men-and-women-of/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [Well, that's the way democracy works. We have to build this Europe with the material we have at our disposal. And this material is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/well-that-s-the-way-democracy-works-we-have-to-build-this-europe-with/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [Europe is a woman, now middle-aged, who has already had a number of heart attacks and is currently experiencing the biggest health crisis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/europe-is-a-woman-now-middle-aged-who-has-already-had-a-number-of/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [The main problem with American power is not that it is American... No, the main problem with American power is the power itself. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/the-main-problem-with-american-power-is-not-that-it-is-american-no/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [What is the elephant in all our rooms? It is the global triumph of capitalism. Democracy is fiercely disputed. Freedom is under threat even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/what-is-the-elephant-in-all-our-rooms-it-is-the-global-triumph-of/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [Nuclear proliferation - the proliferation of WMDs altogether - is one of the greatest dangers of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/nuclear-proliferation-the-proliferation-of-wmds-altogether-is-one-of/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [I find Chinese debates about their political system domestically, but also about China's claims in the international system, to be among the most original…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/i-find-chinese-debates-about-their-political-system-domestically-but/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [Every step that produces a single job for a currently unemployed European should be taken. Every centimetre of red tape that puts someone out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/every-step-that-produces-a-single-job-for-a-currently-unemployed/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [But transitions from the politics of violence to democratic compromise are always messy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/but-transitions-from-the-politics-of-violence-to-democratic/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [America is divided by a great argument about itself. Europe is divided by a great argument about America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/america-is-divided-by-a-great-argument-about-itself-europe-is-divided/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [The trouble is that privacy is at once essential to, and in tension with, both freedom and security. A cabinet minister who keeps his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/the-trouble-is-that-privacy-is-at-once-essential-to-and-in-tension/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [Russia has lost an empire but not yet found a role. Russia has to decide what it wants to be. And as we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/russia-has-lost-an-empire-but-not-yet-found-a-role-russia-has-to/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) [Explore all 42 Timothy Garton Ash quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) ## More Common quotes > [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Our times demand the declaration of the world's resources as the common heritage of all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/our-times-demand-the-declaration-of-the-world-s-resources-as-the/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [When you have a cavity in your tooth and you let it get worse, eventually you have to get a root canal. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newton-john/when-you-have-a-cavity-in-your-tooth-and-you-let-it-get-worse/) [Olivia Newton-John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newton-john/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down in the mind before you reach eighteen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/common-sense-is-nothing-more-than-a-deposit-of-prejudices-laid-down/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [A time will come when the science of destruction shall bend before the arts of peace; when the genius which multiplies our powers, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-arago/a-time-will-come-when-the-science-of-destruction-shall-bend-before/) [Francois Arago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-arago/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [Those who advocate common usage in philosophy sometimes speak in a manner that suggests the mystique of the 'common man.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/those-who-advocate-common-usage-in-philosophy-sometimes-speak-in-a/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Browse all 7,866 Common quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Yet another thing Canadians and Europeans have in common is an obsession with the United States, and with distinguishing themselves from it, often by crude stereotyping.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Timothy Garton Ash" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/yet-another-thing-canadians-and-europeans-have-in-common-is-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Common" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/yet-another-thing-canadians-and-europeans-have-in-common-is-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/timothy-garton-ash-15575_common_yet-another-thing-canadians-and-european_593647.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/timothy-garton-ash-15575_common_yet-another-thing-canadians-and-european_593647.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/timothy-garton-ash-15575_common_yet-another-thing-canadians-and-european_593647.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Yet another thing Canadians and Europeans have in common is an obsession with the United States, and with…” — Timothy Garton Ash", "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": "Timothy Garton Ash", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Yet another thing Canadians and Europeans...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/yet-another-thing-canadians-and-europeans-have-in-common-is-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/yet-another-thing-canadians-and-europeans-have-in-common-is-an/#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 } } ] } ```