Myths are merely that - myths! Both the English and American cultures face the very same issues and challenges. Common myths about England begin and continue largely due to difference of approach to these same situations.

Because we as Americans don’t understand their culture as we are not part of their daily routines, we develop myths about their likes, dislikes, needs, habits and desires. The ironic twist to all of this is that they have the same basic needs and desires with very similar goals to be successful, loved and remembered.

The entire United Kingdom is now a massive melting pot of a ridiculous number of cultural influences in the same way we are in America. The myths about English culture are derived primarily from perceptions of past impressions from cinema productions and their opposing legal system.

Hence, our common myths about the English are unfounded. So, let’s dispel some of the common myths while receiving an education about our beloved perceived “predecessors to America,” which is also a myth in itself when considering locations like St. Augustine, Florida, founded by the Europeans long before the arrival at Plymouth Rock.

The most common myth we hear as Americans is that they are far more intelligent a species with a higher standard of education. This is indeed a myth as their education levels are all over the place depending upon the part of the country in which they reside. They have private and public education platforms and schools just as we do.

The British have technical and vocational studies much like we have in The States for those who do not attend university. They have students who never finish what we would consider high school down to drop outs in primary school.

Their accents cause a strain and issues in the workforce in the same way we struggle with personality conflicts from the northern to the southern tip of America. And, when it comes to appearances in other countries, they are not all “refined” as we perceive. They share the very same problems Americans do with youthful foreigners misbehaving while visiting other countries.

They are perceived as having “class,” for which there are only two discernable classes: lower class and royalty. The business class that has been uprising over the last century is vastly diminishing due to their crashing economy, once again returning them to two classes. In America, we are faced with the same problems, which we refer to as the “have” and “have nots.”

They are far more opinionated than we are on average. When given the opportunity to speak, they can and will wear out even the most winded local politician. So being reserved and well-spoken is yet another myth about the English.

Britain has “Guy Folks,” we have the “4th of July” - both blow up the enemy in the spirit of the country. The Britts are quickly embracing coffee at tea shops while we are indulging in tea at coffee houses.

Overall as Americans, we admire freedom of speech and our legal system is based as “innocent until proven guilty,” while England admires restraint and their legal structure revolves around “guilty until proven innocent.” To sum it up nicely, perception is the driving cause of the multitude of common myths about the English. Americans will continue to believe what the want to believe no matter what the reality of the situation is.