is this true? Does weighing ingredients cause dismay in American kitchens, where nobody owns weighing scales?

I own a weighing scale. I hardly ever cook.

many of us were brought up with measuring, rather than weighing. It's a cognitive shift a lot of Americans can't or won't make

It's definitely uncommon to have a kitchen scale here, but I don't think it causes much dismay because we aren't often dependent on weight-based recipes.

I can see it being useful for baking because the quantities can be so finicky, but it doesn't seem particularly essential for regular cooking. It's fine if your soup comes out a little different every time; an ounce here and there won't ruin it.