I've been to 25 countries, and these are the 7 worst stereotypes I've heard about Americans

Americans have a reputation for being overly patriotic. Many first-time visitors to the US are surprised by the preponderance of American flags waving from our schools, offices, and homes, and it's pretty common to hear Americans proclaim their country the greatest on Earth.

Hand in hand with Americans' supposed superiority complex is an ignorance about the rest of the world, according to the stereotypes I heard while traveling.

It's an unfortunate reality that many Americans who travel lack knowledge of the culture and customs of the country they are visiting, and worse yet, sometimes they don't seem to care enough to learn.

Americans can combat this stereotype by engaging with people from other cultures abroad and making an effort to see things from their perspective.

The United States is notoriously monolingual, perhaps more than any other country in the world.

This reality might not hold up to scrutiny: An increasing number of Americans, especially young ones, are able to communicate in a language other than English. On top of that, the underlying data might be flawed — the US Census Bureau may not be asking the right questions when it asks about language proficiency.

Travelers can't be expected to become fluent in the local language of every country they travel to, but learning a few key phrases can go a long way toward building relationships with people you meet and earning their trust.

American tourists also seem to have developed a reputation of entitlement.

Too often, Americans who travel to other countries expect locals to cater to their cultural preferences and worldviews. The same Americans may demand, rudely, that the locals speak English.

It's important when you travel to remember that you are a guest in another country and should respect the customs and traditions of your host nation.

This stereotype may have some basis in reality — Americans work an average of 47 hours a week, one of the highest figures in the world.

Meanwhile, in many European countries, the average is below 40 hours a week, and in Germany and Sweden, it's closer to 35. On top of the crazy hours, the United States is the only developed country in the world that doesn't guarantee any paid vacation for its workers. And what little paid leave American employees get, they often feel pressured not to take full advantage of.

Given that reality, it's no surprise Americans have developed a reputation abroad for being slaves to their work.

For some, this is the worst American stereotype of them all. Somehow, despite soccer being the most popular sport in almost every country and having an estimated 4 billion fans worldwide, Americans have largely resisted its charm.

Despite soccer's slowly growing popularity in the US, the general lack of interest in the sport in America came as a shock to many non-Americans I encountered while traveling.