If you're an American living abroad, it doesn't take long to realize that American's don't have a very good reputation. For those of us living in Japan, it's not the Japanese who speak badly about us, it's the other foreigners. Americans are the most disliked people, yet there is no one group of people Americans dislike. Shouldn't that say something about us?

Consider the cliches.

1. Americans think their country is the best. True. Yet we don't flagrantly display our nation's flag on our backpacks the way Canadians do. As a matter of fact, people of other nations display the American flag on their clothing and think nothing of it. Patriotism is natural. Have you ever met an Australian who hasn't told you, "Australia's got everything"? Do you know a Brazilian living in Japan who doesn't plan on returning to Brazil because "There is no country like Brazil"? Have you ever met an Italian who couldn't talk with passion about the endless pleasures of Italy? The point is, everyone loves their country.