The American vs. European Mindset on Life

There are countless ways to approach life, but two of the most prominent ones I’ve noticed are the American mindset and the European mindset. Because I mostly consume content in English, I often see the American perspective dominating online spaces. Interestingly, people who embrace this mindset sometimes mock or dismiss the European approach, often without making any real effort to understand it.

Let me begin with a bit of my own background. I was born in Turkey and spent much of my life there before moving to Germany, where I’ve lived for the past seven years. I bring this up because Turkey has been significantly shaped by European ideas. We have public healthcare, a mandatory pension system, widespread public education, and decent public transportation. When Turkey was being modernized, it even adopted laws from various European countries.

At the same time, however, American cultural influence has been very strong. Over the years, society has increasingly leaned toward American ways of thinking. For instance, things like your car or your phone can heavily influence how others perceive your social status. As a result, people often feel pressured to earn as much money as possible to display their success. This mindset also leads to longer working hours, fewer vacation days or sick leaves, and a more competitive work culture with clearly defined hierarchies.

Having lived in both systems and currently living in a country that clearly reflects the European mindset, I feel well positioned to compare the two.

Because of strong American cultural influence, most people are more familiar with the American mindset. It is often centered around hard work, climbing the career ladder, earning more money, and improving your life by owning things — a house, a car, maybe even a second car. I have to admit, it is an attractive idea. The American mindset promises that if you are talented and work hard, you can achieve anything, even become a millionaire or billionaire. That belief is likely one of the biggest reasons why more than a million people move to the United States every year.

But there is also another way of living: the European mindset. Unlike its American counterpart, it does not focus solely on individual advancement. Instead, it emphasizes improving the quality of life for everyone. That is why taxes are high, very high in some cases. In Germany, for example, around 42 percent of your gross salary goes to taxes. In return, you get access to things like public healthcare, a pension system, free education, reliable public transportation, and more. You also get generous sick leave, which can last up to six weeks, and around thirty vacation days every year.

The work culture is different too. It is less competitive. People generally understand that working more or harder does not necessarily mean they will earn significantly more. And even if they do, a large part of that extra income goes back in taxes. So instead of chasing a higher paycheck, many people prefer to work fewer hours and enjoy more free time. According to OECD data, Germany consistently ranks among the developed countries with the lowest average working hours. The Nordic countries are similar. In this mindset, life is less about accumulating more and more, and more about spending time in meaningful ways.

This way of thinking surprised me when I first moved to Germany. I remember asking my German flatmate why he used second-hand furniture instead of buying new things. He said he would rather spend that money on another vacation. Over time, I realized this attitude is quite common. People are often content with what they have and prefer to buy used goods instead of working harder just to afford things they do not really need. There is less pressure to impress others with possessions. In fact, openly talking about what you own is not something people enjoy here. Instead, they talk about experiences, most of which do not cost much at all.

At work, people aim to do their jobs well and then focus on life outside the office. Work is not everything. Most people have hobbies and interests they enjoy beyond their careers. They do not define themselves by their job titles and rarely talk about work in their free time. As a result, there is less stress. People are not terrified of losing their jobs, because they know the system will support them if they need help. There is also less of a rigid hierarchy in the workplace, unless you work in a very old or large company.

I experienced both sides while working for an American company, and the contrast was striking. In that environment, hierarchy was more visible, and leaders made sure their authority was recognized. The company also put a lot of effort into promoting its mission internally, often presenting our work as something world-changing. In contrast, the German companies I have worked for felt more down-to-earth. There was less focus on job titles, less internal marketing, and a more practical approach to work. I will explore this more in a future post, but for now, it is enough to say that the difference is significant.

To sum up, the American mindset tends to focus on personal success and achievement through material gain. The European mindset, on the other hand, prioritizes collective well-being and ensuring a high quality of life for everyone.

As someone who grew up in a society shaped by the American mindset, it took me some time to understand and adjust to the European way of thinking. I want to be clear that I am not saying one mindset is better than the other. It all depends on the kind of life you want to live. If you choose one and it makes you happy, then that is what matters. However, I have also seen many people struggle because they live in a society that follows a different mindset from their own.

Before I moved to Germany, I was not really aware of the European mindset. I believed the only way to live a good life was to work hard, earn more money, and buy more things. That was the message I grew up with. I thought that having more would automatically make me happier. I did not realize there was another way to approach life. But once I arrived in Germany, I slowly started to understand that this society is not built around that idea. If I had kept chasing the same mindset here, I would have ended up feeling frustrated and disappointed.

After a few years, once I understood how the European mindset works, I realized it actually suits me much better. I do not enjoy constantly pushing myself to earn more money, especially when I am not that interested in buying new things. I am not a materialistic person. I live simply, and that makes me happy. I noticed that the money I already earn is enough to enjoy the things I care about. This shift helped me feel less stressed and more content. I no longer feel the need to always aim for more or bigger. I spend less time thinking about what I own and more time enjoying life through new experiences.

The reason I wanted to write this post is to share the idea that there is another way to live. As I mentioned earlier, I often feel a strong pressure from people who follow the American mindset. Many of them seem to believe that their way of life is the best. They earn more, they buy more, and they assume this means they enjoy life more. Maybe they do, from their perspective. But there is also a large group of people who find just as much joy, or even more, by living in a society where everyone has access to basic needs and where there is more time for life beyond work and material things.