Imagine a place where everyone uses metric, watches soccer, drives tiny cars, and measures temperature in Celsius….that’s Europe… and South America… and Canada. Well, and pretty much the entire rest of the world.
Then there’s, us, America… the complete opposite.
The question is “Why?”
American uniqueness is more than just funny quirks, it’s a window into the American psyche. Whether it’s resisting the metric system, building our own rifles instead of adopting foreign ones, or spelling color without the ‘u,’ the U.S. has always done things a little differently. So why does America so often swim upstream while the rest of the world floats together?
The “We’ll Do It Our Way” Mentality
To many outsiders, Americans come off as intentionally contrarian. Whether it’s driving on the right side when the British Empire drove on the left, or clinging to imperial measurements while nearly every other nation, including the Brits, moved to the metric system. While it looks like a stubborn refusal to conform, from an American perspective, it’s not stubbornness, it’s independence.
This spirit of independence extends into technology, weaponry, and of course, weights and measures. As I touched on in my post in March: “The Backbone of Liberty”, the refusal to adopt the FN FAL rifle during the Cold War, despite it being a global standard, or “right arm of the free world”, is a prime example. The U.S. tested the FN FAL, but ultimately went with the domestically developed M14. Why? Because it gave us control over production, used existing tooling, and came with the comfort of a rifle similar to the M1 Garand, what General Patton called “the greatest battle implement ever devised”. That same mindset can be seen in America’s long-standing refusal to switch to metric or Celsius.
If it ain’t broke (for us), why fix it?
Rebellion as Identity
America isn’t just a country that fought a revolution, it’s a country forged by revolution. Unlike Canada, for example, which didn’t gain independence until 1982! Our act of colonial defiance is baked into the national DNA, passed down generation after generation since our founding. The phrase “Don’t Tread on Me” isn’t just a slogan—it’s a personal mission statement for patriotic Americans. Many of us, myself included, feel an emotional connection with the Gadsden Flag and its deeper meaning of “don’t mess with me” independence. (BTW: I even have it hanging up above my gun safe and I get a smile every time I look at it.)
Let’s face it, American culture is inherently skeptical of external authority and consensus, especially if it sounds like a compromise. Even today, when the rest of the world aligns on an issue, the American instinct is to ask, “Who decided that, and why should we listen?” This can come across as arrogant or rebellious to the rest of the world, but it’s deeply rooted in the historical experience of fighting for self-governance and crafting a unique identity apart from global norms.
Rugged Individualism
America was shaped not only by our geography but also the attitude of our people. Survival on the frontier depended on self-reliance, creative problem-solving and a little bit (or a lot!) of luck. That mindset didn’t disappear after the Wild West, it evolved into a broader cultural trait: solve it yourself, build it your way, and don’t rely on someone else. In other words, rugged individualism.
(Strange how that didn’t translate the same way for our neighbors to the north or south.)
That thinking also applies to America’s technological path. Our country has a long history of choosing domestic innovation over global integration. Look at military procurement: even if an international design is good (like the FN FAL and the experimental .280 British caliber), the tendency is to either build something new or radically modify it until it’s distinctly American (like the AR15).
In many ways, our cultural need for independence trumps global uniformity.
Exceptionalism vs. Conformity
American Exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is not just different, but destined to be different because of our historical uniqueness. There is no doubt about the result: America has had more inventions in the past 100 years than all other countries combined. (I just made that up, but it sounds legit. Actually I just did some research and approximately 55% of the significant inventions over the past 100 years came from the USA.) We can see it today as the only global super power, not just militarily but by most other measures of economic comparison. It takes the combined GDP of the top four economies after the United States—China, Germany, India, and Japan—to exceed the US nominal GDP. If you start at the bottom of the list it takes the bottom 100 countries to equal the GDP of United States. So we must be doing something right.
This can obviously lead to friction with the rest of the world. For example, Europeans might wonder why Americans resist the metric system when it’s clearly more logical and standardized. To them, our system of standards looks needlessly complex (it is). But from inside the U.S, inches, feet and miles looks like stability, tradition, familiarity, and yes, freedom from outside imposed norms.
The FN FAL vs. M14: A Case Study in National Character
I’ve talked about this before because it is such a perfect case of American non-compliance: During the Cold War, many NATO countries adopted the FN FAL as their standard battle rifle. It was rugged, reliable, and eventually gained the nickname “The Right Arm of the Free World.” The U.S. even tested the rifle under the designation T48 and gave it serious consideration. But in the end, the American military went with the M14—a rifle that shared more DNA with the older M1 Garand than with the FAL.
Why? Partly because the M14 could be produced using existing machinery. Partly because it was designed domestically. And partly because, deep down, the U.S. just didn’t want to adopt a foreign design—even a good one.
The decision wasn’t purely technical; it was clearly political. It reflected a desire to maintain sovereignty, control, and a uniquely American path. We had just won WW2 and weren’t about to let another country dictate our primary infantry rifle and cartridge – even if the rest of the world was in alignment over something else.
Global Norms vs. National Identity
Is there a good time to “just go along” with global standards?
Americans often resist conforming not because we can’t or won’t, but because not going along is the point. It’s an expression of independence, a rejection of global conformity, and sometimes, yes, a little bit of national pride wrapped in defiance.
Sure, it means holding onto miles, Fahrenheit, and driving huge pickup trucks while other countries go metric, Celsius, and drive shoebox sized compact cars. But it also means embracing a sense of agency and freedom that runs deep in our culture.
Conclusion: The Freedom to Be Different
So when the rest of the world asks, “Why don’t you just go along?” the American answer is often: “Because we don’t have too… and not going along is what got us here.”
Whether it’s adopting a rifle, a measurement system, or an international standard, America tends to look inward first. And while that can lead to frustration or confusion abroad, it’s also part of what defines our country. Love it or hate it, the U.S. doesn’t just march to the beat of a different drum—it builds its own drum and plays it loud.
Because in America, conventional is boring. And independence?
That’s non-negotiable.
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