(Disclaimer: This is just my personal perspective as a dude with his experience who has lived in 3 different countries and has been exposed to multiple cultures and stories from all over the world since I was a little kid. I am probably totally off about some things, but because I think it's relevant and potentially useful to some friends here, I thought I should share this perspective openly. Feel free to disagree, just be nice :-P)
In 2013 when I was living in a tiny village full of dilapidated houses in Xiamen, I had a lot of people ask me why I'd want to be there instead of in America. In America everything was supposed to be better. Better cars, better schools, better jobs, better roads, at least that's how many people felt.
Nevermind that they had never been there.
I'm not going to say America is a bad place although the government has hurt some people in different parts of the world, and we have a complicated history. But for me, the understanding that people had of America was similar to the image I had of their country...one from 20-30 years ago.
Theirs was supposed to be....well a shit-hole to be frank, that's how much people who had come over said and that's what the media showed us even up until that point. And America in 50's and 60's and even the 90's was still a place with a lot of growth and opportunity.
There was still this image that anything is possible in America, and people were just starting to realize that their standard of living was starting to catch up, and in some ways (like railroads, delivery and internet service) it had even surpassed America. Of course, it hadn't caught up for these people in the village who were renting undesirable old rooms and hadn't gone to college, but for those of them who owned land, it was absolutely catching up to America.
They could afford the latest iPhone and whatever else they wanted, they had investments and businesses aside from the house they lived in, they traveled the world freely and ate whatever they wanted.
For the people who rented, well, they worked hard, and had running water and electricity and their house looked a bit shit and their phones were a lot cheaper, but their kids would inherit their restaurant or convenience store or maybe work a job in the city to make ends meet and life was a little unstable but not too bad, not any more unstable than anywhere else.
From my perspective, as an American who grew up in the rich suburbs but wasn't from a very rich family and didn't have the mental and emotional capacity to fight to fit in and become a lawyer or stock broker, I didn't really see what these people were missing, other than the right to complain about certain things on the internet or in the streets.
Being below middle class (even slightly) now looks incredibly similar between the two countries as far as quality of life, and from what I have seen from friends around Asia and Europe, it didn't look that different in places like Bangkok or in Rome either.
There are surely places in the world (and maybe you live in one) that have a lower standard of living, and maybe you live there, but I just want to highlight this "grass is greener" mindset and figure out what's real and what's not.
The villagers in Xiamen, including people from poorer cities nearby had something that poor people in America lacked too: a support network. I was quite surprised to find that even the poorest people living in the worst houses ate like kings every night...and they could do this because the cost of living was much lower than in the city center, and because they pooled their resources in ways I had never seen in America.
They shared spaces that Americans would never dream of sharing, and often worked far away from their families only returning 3 or 4 times a year. But then again there are those in America who work 2 jobs to support a family.
In America and Japan, many people I've met are on their own. I've met people who have fallen from grace and ended up homeless without anywhere to go because their family believes it's not their responsibility and that that person should figure their own shit out. I've met people who refuse to live with their parents despite having extremely low incomes and high expenses because the shame and social taboo and instead opt to live in rat infested boxes just as bad as the worst village houses mentioned above.
I noticed that people had way more free time in these neighborhoods while people trying to make it in the world with their average or above average incomes had no time or energy for anyone, they are working too hard and have to put on a fake smile every day in order to avoid offending anyone. I wouldn't say the people were happier, but their were friendlier because they had the time and energy to be. It's not that rich people are all snobby, but some of them have to keep a level of composure that people in such a village do not.
I find that this habit of willingly sharing resources and cooperation helps a lot of people get through things much more comfortably. I know there are people who work incredibly hard and can barely get by, and if they don't cooperate, they end up pushing themselves to their limit. By sharing the burden of childrearing and living within their means, they can often ease a lot of financial burden.
I had it a bit easier than the locals at first because I had worked and saved up a tiny bit (only around 8k USD) for 5 years in Japan when the yen was high and had a nice safety net, but because I wanted to explore and understand the world and myself better, I worked as little as possible and eventually ended up drifting around East Asia nearly penniless, trying to figure out how I wanted to navigate the world given my skill set and interest.
For some time I rented the cheapest place I could find, a room in a very grimy house with a toilet that did not flush and all kinds of pests and shared the house with 10 other people. Later I lived on studio floors and did work for free while accepting people's kindness for room and board. I actually tried to quit using money for two years.
I realize there are much harder places to live than this, but my whole point is that these people all thought it would be better to live overseas, not for political reasons, and not for social reasons, but because they imagined their life would be better by default if they worked hard and I just didn't see it.
I mean, there were good reasons to leave (political, social, just to explore), but most who dreamed of moving overseas...just wanted the status that came with living overseas, and speaking English.
When I think of the places that have it worse then the places I've been, I often ask myself what is missing there. What would make those places as peaceful and happy as that relatively poor village and what would make them less jealous of people from my country and where I grew up?
Safety
The main thing I'd say is safety. Much (not all) of Asia is relatively safe, safer even than American or European cities, and that makes it much easier to have some peace of mind, even if there is grime on the walls and certain things are falling apart and it's hard to afford the things you want. Occasional incidents are inevitable but if they don't happen countless times a year, then you are in good shape. I can't speak for the rest of the world, but at least in the Eastern part of Asia, I think they're doing a lot better than Western countries.
Space
I think this is one of the big things that attracts people to America and I get it. I felt this VERY strongly in Hong Kong, and to some extent in Tokyo, although other cities in the region were much better. Hong Kong has great people but they aren't the most patient in the world, and you can understand why with the size of their living spaces. I even went to visit a friend in an extremely fancy apartment complex and was shocked at the size of her family's apartment. Everything was pristine...and tiny! It's there that I decided that I would prefer an old dilapidated house in an inconvenient location than a fresh new tiny apartment in the center of the city.
Utilities and Infrastructure / Cleanliness
This is one thing (aside from safety) that makes me understand why many people want to leave their hometowns, but if you are looking for the best infrastructure, in some ways I feel East Asia will do you better than Europe or America. The transportation system is far better and things get fixed way faster. It's also important to note that the more developed things are, the more expensive they become and the harder it is to control things yourself because regulation becomes more and more strict. I'm not allowed to play instruments or have a cat in my apartment here, and if I bought a house in America, I wouldn't be run many kinds of businesses out of it because of zoning laws. The amount of licenses needed for many things is kind of absurd, while in many places that are less developed, you can often ignore these very difficult application processes or just bribe someone. These aren't always for safety and security, it becomes a kind of formalized mafia that decides who can do what.
If you are coming from a place with no regulation, you may appreciate some of the regulations, but if you look at it from the perspective of someone who has had them their whole life, they can be a bit suffocating at times. I prefer light regulations without corruption, but what you have most places is either heavy regulation with corruption or barely any useful regulation with corruption.
Medical care
Honestly, I've met more clueless doctors in 3 countries than helpful ones so I am a bit biased here, I think health is backwards everywhere, and aside from Emergency care, I don't really need my health managed by a doctor. I wish we focused more on healthy lifestyles and ways you can take care of your own health in general. So yeah, emergency care is nice to have, but if have a strange rash on your arm, most doctors around the world probably will only help you by alleviating the symptoms and not the root cause, which is probably diet or lifestyle related.
Education
This one is hard for me. It is true that the US has many of the most prestigious universities in the world and that the name alone will get you far if you are job hunting. If you want that for yourself or your kids, I get it. I do. But I didn't get much out of my "good education". Really not much at all ,other than debt. Prestigious doesn't actually mean good, although it tends to be slightly less shit.
I think it depends on what you want to do. If you have any intention of being an entrepreneur or a freelancer, or an artist or a store owner, just don't bother. Educate yourself, you can learn anything 100 times quicker than a school can teach you if you are motivated.
Image
This one I cannot relate to at all. The image that people who live overseas are somehow more sophisticated or better than people who don't or that America is more free by default, which...sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't. The idea that America is rich is built upon the fact that we have the most billionaires and a lot of space compared to the population so we can built bigger house...but now many people don't have money for that and can't afford to build or buy houses.
Freedom is a core part of America's image and I do really appreciate how that is a concept that people think to pursue, I believe that rhetoric is one of the very great things about America.... but everyone's definition of freedom is different, and few people actually feel they are free, they merely look at the worst examples they can find to compare with to say they are free. You can't drink alcohol on the street in America, you can't do a lot of things if you don't have money, you can't pee in an alleyway, you can't get naked in your backyard, and you can't refuse to send your kids to school in many circumstances.
I know peeing in an alleyway isn't the hallmark of a free society, but I'm just saying, there are more things you can't do than you might imagine.
The one thing that always bothered me about the concept of freedom in America is the ease with which a person or company can tie you up in a lawsuit. To me, when going to court is that expensive, time consuming and leaning towards those who have more resources, that is a severe infringement on my freedom. I don't think it's my problem if you trip in my store for example but in America, the person who trips and falls on your property is likely to sue you and might even win. This actually happened to my parents, where someone stopped short while driving and my parents ended up hitting them, then they were sued for causing neck injury to the person, even though it was their fault.
So it's not worth going to America or EU?
Well, it might be, depending on your goals, and how high you think you can make it up the social ladder. Do you plan on staying or making some money and returning home? Do you know anyone there? Do you have a realistic plan and have you done enough research? Are you willing to admit defeat and end up in the same kind of situation you are in now (or worse) but on the other side of the world?
The fact is though, if I were earning US dollars or bitcoin in a country with a weak currency, I would be more concerned with finding a relatively safe neighborhood with stable water supply and electricity and building a community of people I trust. It's more about taking advantage of exchange rates and the socio-political situation of the world than anything.
If you got the house and the utilities and safety, it's basically just becoming the same shit everywhere...fewer and fewer opportunities for those who follow the normal path, more opportunities for those who think outside the box and get creative.
Take advantage of exchange rates regardless on where you choose to live. This is where you can win no matter what.
If you can build any kind of savings in bitcoin or perhaps USD or Hive, and you have the chance to travel, do it. See these places for yourself. Listen to different people's stories on youtube and get to know people from other countries on Hive.
You might find that their problems are more similar than you think. Or maybe you'll discover something is totally different that you never would have imagined.
Personally, I think we'd all be best off going abroad for some time, a few years at least, and to multiple countries if possible. Obviously some people's circumstances don't allow it, but if you can go out of curiosity and with a sense of exploration, that will be far better than coming out of desperation.
Everyone here is in a great position because they can earn crypto. Don't blow it. Holding on to some coins with real value and hedging your bets for a few years can absolutely change your life, and I can attest to this. Be honest, and build your reputation in the community because you actually earn more that way, and because it's the right thing to do.
I would love to hear what friends from around the world have to say about their image of America and Europe and how they think it might be different to live there. A lot depends on individual circumstance, so I'm sure we can have many interesting conversations around this topic.
Feel free to share your perspective!
If you are interested in blogging here and earning some change while sharing ideas and making friends, send me a message on Instagram or Twitter (@ ipluseverything)
ブログで自分の思っていることをシェアしながら小銭を溜まったり新しい友達をできたりすることは興味あれば、InstagramやTwitter（@ipluseverything）でメッセージを送ってください。 英語のオンラインレッスンの興味ある人もどうぞ、メッセージをください^_^
Novels/music/merch/social media/patreon:
https://linktr.ee/selfhelp4trolls
Untangled Knots podcast:
Japanese Upbringing Explained (interview my Japanese student)
Confessions of the Damaged 1.1-1.3 on Amazon
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