Have you ever had a time that you offended someone of another culture on accident? Let’s be honest and say, you probably have and you might not even know it!

HSBC World Bank ads have a good way of expressing these culturally different customs. Watch this video for a good laugh!

In all honesty, though, a lot of what we think is right and wrong is decided by our culture. Ask yourself these questions:

• Do I slurp my soup?
• Do I take my shoes off when I go inside a home?
• When I eat at someone else’s house, do I finish everything on the plate?
• When I talk with someone, should I look them in the eyes?
• Do I cover my mouth when I yawn?
• How do I take compliments?
• Do I strive to perform above my peers?

Chances are, you have your own answers for these questions, and you have a certain belief about how you should approach these.

But personally,

• I slurp my ramen, and some non-creamy soups (it actually cools it off, so it doesn’t burn my tongue).
• I take my shoes off when I enter anyone’s house or apartment.
• I eat everything on my plate at friends’ houses.
• I try to look people in the eyes.
• I cover my mouth when I yawn.
• I deflect compliments (or say thank you, depending on the day). And,
• I strive to bring my peers to my level of understanding.

That’s MY culture. If I think about it, it’s the culture I’ve assimilated from both my American experiences and my experiences in Japan. And I’m doing what I think is best.

Now, you’re probably thinking, “Man! I can’t believe she slurps her soup and ramen! That’s gross!”

And you are right, if you are coming from a western perspective. It is impolite to slurp anything in America and most of Europe. However, I have been made fun of in Japan because I was so quiet with my noodle-eating.

What’s Your Point?

Well, if I had to sum up my main point in a phrase or two, it would be this:

Just because you have one outlook on life doesn’t mean that it’s the same for the whole world. Do your part to avoid needless misunderstandings.

Isn’t that just the plain truth? I especially like the second part, about avoiding misunderstandings.

Misunderstandings are usually unnecessary, and they usually happen because someone assumes they know what they other person means. But there’s just one problem.

In America, if you nod your head, you mean “yes,” and shaking your head means “no.” But it isn’t that way for the whole world. If you nodded your head in Bulgaria or Albania, for example, they would think you were saying “no.” And shaking your head in these countries means “yes.”

So, in order to combat this, all we need to do is:

1. Admit we don’t know everything.
2. Ask questions.

It’s that simple. But problems arise when we:

1. Assume we know everything.
2. Judge the world harshly because “we knew they meant harm.”

A Little Word on Media

Ignorance is the biggest problem today, as far as media is concerned. And media drives our perception of people, places, and events.

My advice–assume media is lying until you have proven it otherwise. Media would have you believe that everyone is guilty until proven innocent. Let’s turn that on its head, and say that media is guilty of fraudulence, until we can prove them innocent.

After all, a big percentage of news that gets shared and re-posted on Facebook isn’t actually real news. It’s made up!

And this happens all the time. So, readers beware! Don’t repost false information.

Why Cultural Diversity is Good

We don’t want everyone to have the same culture! I mean, the only good thing about that is not having any miscommunications. But think about it. We travel because we like to experience something new. We travel to places because we like the different cultures. It is refreshing to see the world from a perspective different from our own.

In order for true learning to occur, there must be interest and intrigue. There needs to be something there to stimulate the learner. And let’s face it, going to the same school everyday, experiencing the same schedule in the same way, with no opportunity to experience anything new, we don’t care if we miss a day or two (or five, or ten).

But! Give us something interesting to learn about every day, and you can guarantee we’ll be there!

Give us different views of the world, and we’ll want to be there.

Validate our personal experiences, and we’ll want to be there.

Students have such an innate interest about those who are different. Build on that interest!

We have such a wonderful world. Let’s make sure we talk about it!

Comment Below!

• What experiences do you have that you think others would be interested in hearing?
• What interesting things have you learned about other cultures?

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