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To see what patterns of behavior most Americans consider "normal", I asked an ad agency--whose researchers are experts in uncovering consumer buying habits and motivation--to tell me how Americans wash their hair, go to bed, change a tire. In some instances, the results are entirely predictable; in others, downright surprising.
Four times as many men as women hug their spouse first thing when they walk in the door after work. When no one's around, men are also more likely to drink straight from a carton or bottle. And they're more likely to salt food without tasting it first.
There are some other glaring male/female differences. Who'd have guessed women are more likely to squeeze the toothpaste tube from the middle--or worse, from the top!
Although both men and women swear an average of 16 times a day (much more if we have kids), courtesy lives in America. Most men let women get off the elevator before them. When it comes to opening the car door for the opposite sex--a sign of chivalry--a full 70% of men usually do. And most people acknowledge a sneeze: only 13% remain mute. (Most folks prefer "God bless you.")
It's on the road where we really demonstrate good manners. If upset with another driver, 54% of us do nothing. Less-popular responses: shouting dirty words (17%), making angry gestures (16%), and the rest: flashing our lights.
When it comes to changing a tire, we're fairly self-reliant. More than a third of female road warriors would tackle it themselves, although 6% of female drivers with a flat confess they'd simply stand there and "look pathetic and hope someone would help." But before chests are puffed out thish manly pride, consider this: twice as many men as women hail a cab for a trip of less than two blocks.
We're lazy in other areas too. 90% of us use an alarm clock to wake up in the morning. Most of us rarely change our answering-machine message, and almost a quarter of us slip into our shoes without untying them. And while more than one out of then shop for Christmas year-round, 22% of men and 9% of women putting off until the last day or two.
Americans are compulsive about cleanliness. Almost half of us change the toweles daily or after every shower. On the other hand, 21% of us don't make the bed every day--and 5% admit they never do!
There's a lot of diversity out there. So, whatever you prefer, remember there's always someone else on this planet just like you.
