Practical Cultural Observations

Below I share some of my experience as an American of Libyan descent living in Libya.

These are realistic information and verifiable facts that are useful to not only occidentals currently in Libya, but also to those searching for a fair and unbiased assessment:



Americans ask what you do for a living to assess your value to them; Libyans ask your tribal affiliation.

Americans find excuses for not doing a job; Libyans make a job out of crafting excuses.

American men complain of their culture being “p*ssyfied”; Libyan men don’t know what culture means.

American women freely explore their sexuality; Libyan women wed, reproduce, age then die not knowing what sex is.

Americans would drive two-thousand-dollar clunkers but sleep on six-thousand-dollar beds; Libyans drive sixty-thousand-dollar luxury sedans while secretly getting by on a single daily meal of white bread.

Americans think sexual deviance is acceptable; Libyans think sexual deviance is acceptable only when they indulge in it.

Americans judge you by how you look and are too timid to admit it; Libyans racially profile your a$$ and start a FB group about it.

Americans eagerly burden themselves with the guilt of their ancestors (ACLU, anyone?), their lovers and their bosses then hire a psychiatrist to sort it all out; Libyans take bulldozers to their schools and hospitals then blame the “top”.

Americans, real Americans deep-fry their sweet potato in butter and bacon fat; Libyan middle-class families smother their French-fries with mayonnaise and top their pizza with canned tuna.

Americans use the web to stay in touch with real friends; Libyans use the Internetz to make friends (natural creeps).

Americans would humbly let a Nordstrom sales person pick out a suit/dress for them; Libyans would proudly flaunt a garb made of newspapers and scotch tape just because it was of their own “design”.

Americans think only self-centered metrosexuals wear cologne; Libyans will cheerfully dive into a pool of industrial-strength insect repellent if they think it smells good.

Americans try to look at women as “whole and complete” people; Libyans omit a woman’s bust and intellect from the equation.

Americans’ immigrants- and media-overexposure got them fearing everything; Libyans limited interaction with the world have them fear only three things: fire, electricity, and Internal Security.

Americans think they are the center of the world; Libyans believe that they ARE the world.


An illustration of a Libyan American manly hug. Pay attention to the compulsory cheek-on-cheek action: