America has long fascinated the world for its power, its ambition, and its ability to sell a dream. For Indian founder and filmmaker Anupam Sidhant, a first visit to the United States, particularly California, led to an uncomfortable but eye-opening realisation, the real difference between India and America is not skill or craft, but confidence. He wrote a long post on X on what Americans do better than anyone else, they tell their story loudly and without apology.
I recently went to the US for the first time, and came back with an uncomfortable thought :
— anupam sidhant (@anupamsidhant) January 1, 2026
Most of us are taught to build quietly.
Americans are taught to build loudly.
For the first few days, I did what every first-time visitor does. I stared at the roads, the buildings, the… pic.twitter.com/R1CjY1JH2b
Why does America stand out?
According to Sidhant, the country does not narrate itself softly or cautiously. It presents its version of reality boldly, almost aggressively, without apology.
As a filmmaker and someone who has run a media company for eight years, Sidhant says he cannot experience the world passively. He instinctively analyses everything around him, questioning why certain things are framed the way they are, why some stories feel believable, and why others work so effectively.
He believes places, much like films, are not neutral. They are carefully constructed and authored, shaped by deliberate choices and emphasis.
Drawing from his background in storytelling, Sidhant points out that good art relies on persuasion. Artists, he says, are professional manipulators not in a negative sense, but in the sense that they guide audiences into belief. People willingly suspend disbelief when they trust the storyteller, even when they are fully aware of the illusion.
This is where America stands out. The country wears its story confidently, like a perfectly fitted suit. Even if that suit is partly manufactured or borrowed, it is worn with conviction.
Sidhant is quick to add a disclaimer. His impressions are based solely on California, not the entire US. But he also notes that the same logic applies to India, where your land often shapes what you think you know about a place.
What struck him most in California was how Americans celebrate what they build. Cities sell souvenirs proudly. Towns print their names on T-shirts. Colleges, beaches and studios are all turned into brands. Even small details are elevated into experiences such as themed parking lots at tourist attractions.
Importantly, the celebration extends beyond just the glamorous parts. Even uncomfortable or controversial histories are turned into narratives that people engage with. Americans, he observed, do not shy away from their past.
What surprised him was how this constant storytelling never felt forced. He did not feel tricked or manipulated. Instead, he felt welcomed into the narrative, so much so that he willingly bought into it and carried pieces of it back home.
For Sidhant, the biggest realisation was that none of what he saw felt technically out of reach. From a skill or craft perspective, he believes Indians are just as capable of creating similar experiences. The real difference, he argues, lies in confidence.
What Indians should learn from Americans?
What many Indians are never taught is how to stand proudly behind their own work. There is a tendency to downplay success, deflect praise and hide competence behind what is often labelled as humility.
Sidhant questions whether this is truly humility at all. He believes Indians are often conditioned to think that keeping their heads down is virtuous, that ambition should be quiet, and that confidence is something to be suspicious of.
According to him, this mindset leads to self-erasure. People shrink themselves before criticism even arrives. They apologise for being good at what they do.
During his time in San Francisco, Sidhant says he was struck by the energy of young people he met. What stood out was not arrogance or aggression, but fearlessness. They did not apologise for ambition or wait for permission to try. They carried themselves as if they already belonged in the future they were working towards.
He says this mindset is not something to resent, but to study. Sidhant makes it clear that he is not advocating arrogance. Instead, he argues against pretending ignorance of one’s own abilities. “If you have built something meaningful, acknowledge it.If you are skilled, own it. If you have spent years mastering a craft, do not hide it”.