Cultural differences.

[Tony]

Cultural differences.

I was wondering...as all cultures are different, so maybe our approaches to situations - and information - differ in some ways. I was wondering how others saw this.

We could narrow this down to native English speakers or non-English speakers – or any other criteria one wishes.

Are all whistleblowers English speaking?
Do aliens/ETs/EDs talk to or have contact with non-English speakers?
Are there many non-English conspiracy forums? If so, how do they approach this subject?


Are there some cultures that exaggerate more than others?
Are there some cultures that are more clinical and analytical in their approach?

Are we all just different? Or are we of certain types?



Tony

[crested-duck]

We are all very different, but have/share many same qualities as all human beings. I see tptb want to squelch individualism and free thinking for their benefit not ours. Individualism is counter productive to gaining a world full of uneducated & fearfull conformists that benefit only the eliteists that want to rule the world with a system of oligarchs and serfs/slaves. The evidence of their plans are all around, one only needs to understand symbolism to read the writing on the walls everywhere one chooses to look, and not live in denial. Understanding the game and the players motives is key to mental/spiritual freedom at this point in time. Right,wrong, or indiffedrent, we have to make decisions about what to believe, and what makes sense every day. But also must be willing to accept that beliefs change like the weather for the aware. But if you aren't willing to be flexible and evolve in knowledge , you're a useless fool and a idiot that will be easily controled by tptb. Choose knowledge over servitude and blind faith, or reep the consequences of your own actions and choices.....your personal choices directly leed to your personal destiny. Think critically and use common sense, or don't and suffer, your choice so choose well and cherish your individuality.--Rob

[The One]

Are we all just different? Or are we of certain types?

Both but very similar in many ways,We all believe our own individual beliefs and find it very hard at times to accept others.


We live in a diverse world made up of many different cultures, languages, races, and backgrounds. That kind of variety can make all our lives a lot more fun and interesting, but only if we get along with each other. And to do that we have to respect each other. Here are some ways we can respect people who are different from us.

• Try to learn something from the other person.

• Never stereotype people.

• Show interest and appreciation for other people's cultures and backgrounds.

• Don't go along with prejudices and racist attitudes

It does not matter if you are a teacher of this or that there is no one member on here who is better than the other

Together we all make a difference

Communication is the key :grouphug:

[Fred Steeves]

I was lucky to visit several different countries, that spoke several different languages when I was in the Navy. Shocker of all shocks for a young and naive Fred in his mid 20's, no matter where I went, people were the same. They had families, went to work, ran errands, and liked to have a couple of drinks in the evening to unwind. Kind of like where I grew up. Odd that...

[Sebastion]

I noticed the same thing Fred as I was stationed in Germany and then in Okinawa. People were pretty much the same no matter where I went save some minor cultural things. Met many interesting and fine folks all over this planet!



I was lucky to visit several different countries, that spoke several different languages when I was in the Navy. Shocker of all shocks for a young and naive Fred in his mid 20's, no matter where I went, people were the same. They had families, went to work, ran errands, and liked to have a couple of drinks in the evening to unwind. Kind of like where I grew up. Odd that...

[spiritguide]

I was lucky to visit several different countries, that spoke several different languages when I was in the Navy. Shocker of all shocks for a young and naive Fred in his mid 20's, no matter where I went, people were the same. They had families, went to work, ran errands, and liked to have a couple of drinks in the evening to unwind. Kind of like where I grew up. Odd that...

Like you this type of education hit me in my teens. Did we learn or what. lol Personal wants and desires across cultures are basically the same on the personal level. Live,Love, Laugh and be Happy!

:peace:

[Davidallany]

Do aliens/ETs/EDs talk to or have contact with non-English speakers?
Indeed Tony, I had contact with greys several times when I was a child in Iraq. There have been reports of saucer ships landing in North Iraq aka Kurdistan and Kwait as well in the 1970's. They use telepathy, not language.

[wynderer]

i enjoy the cultural differences, too -- that's part of the fun of traveling -- i like it that people wear all kinds of different clothes, & make all different kinds of music , & drive on the wrong side of the street like the Brits do , & that in St Petersburg in Russia, nearly every car is a taxi if you stick your hand out [here in the USA, hitchhiking becoming illegal lots of places]

so many different ways to be an Earth Human

in West-By-God- Virginia, my first spring there , on our long dead-end road --half mostly city hippie families, & the other half 3rd/4th or longer generation hillbillies -- my hillbilly neighbors were talking about setting out their mango plants -- i was puzzled , thinking that mangoes grew only in tropical climes -- when the plants were set out, i saw that they were what most call bell peppers

i've also noticed that the character of a peoples' bit of Earth -- mountains, on the ocean, on the plains -- seems to affect the people & ther culture/ways of living

i also would be interested to learn what countries have 'conspiracy' websites

thanks for the Grey info, Davidallany -- my communication w/the Draco was thru telepathy -- a universal language

[NancyV]

It seems to me like cultural differences are not as pronounced or divisive as religious differences and beliefs. If most of an entire country is based on one particular religion and they are strong adherents and believers of that religion, then their differences with non-believers can be huge. Of course basically all humans have the same desires and motivations, but our brainwashing in religious beliefs can make us more intolerant towards others.

Prejudices that are deeply believed can make it almost impossible for certain people and groups to communicate with or understand those they are prejudiced against. This could be similar to a fanatic religious conviction that you are saved and everyone else is an "infidel" or unsaved or going to hell since they don't believe the way you do. With a prejudice it could be a conviction that blacks or Asians are inferior to whites and don't deserve to be treated as equal humans. The KKK or skinheads might hold this view. So THEIR culture is a limited culture and their beliefs will limit them as long as they believe this way.

Most countries have a certain number of people who hold some kind of fanatic belief, either religious or a prejudice. In fact we sold our home and property in Hawaii and moved back to mainland US in the early 80's partly because I didn't want to raise my children in the culture of prejudice that existed in Hawaii at that time. Seems like Hawaiians hated whites and Asians, Asians hated everybody and Whites either felt guilty or were pissed off by the prejudice. Personally I was pissed off when I experienced prejudice, either against me or against others. But it was a good thing to experience since you don't know how it feels to be prejudiced against unless you experience it...and it's almost impossible to fight it or change others hatreds and beliefs. Well, it's not impossible but it can take a LONG time and a lot of effort.

So as far as a CULTURE goes, if you're raised in a culture of hate, prejudice, superiority, fear, strong religious beliefs, huge restrictions on your freedom, etc., you may end up being a believer in that culture in which you were brainwashed. This would definitely change your approach to situations and information. People often reject information that contradicts their firmly held beliefs. Those who are raised in a more free environment, where they are not AS restricted or heavily brainwashed either by the society or their parents, although we're all brainwashed starting from birth, have a better chance at being open to all information and situations, whether it conflicts with their previously held beliefs or not.

[Tony]

I'm not really talking about prejudices, but natural or influenced characteristics.

Though we are all human, I was wondering if different cultures had different influences put into them. Being British and going to the US, I notice a great difference in attitude.
This could be to do with education systems. On a ordinary human level Americans seem to have a greater self belief, and a different use of language.


I suppose I'm talking about our second nature, the one acquired.

[ulli]

I'm not really talking about prejudices, but natural or influenced characteristics.

Though we are all human, I was wondering if different cultures had different influences put into them. Being British and going to the US, I notice a great difference in attitude.
This could be to do with education systems. On a ordinary human level Americans seem to have a greater self belief, and a different use of language.

Different use of language is evident even in tiny Barbados. The island is only 21 miles long, yet people from Bridgetown, the capital, have different words and pronunciations than the people who live in the north of the island. Some of the northern people have a radius of only a few hundred yards, while Bridgetown people have always had access to travelers from all over the world, as it is a port.
Meanwhile white Anglo-Saxon US culture, in my view, developed from several different types of immigrants...
those who left Europe because of religious persecution who then settled in the Midwest, creating what is called 'the Bible Belt',
mostly hardworking farmers due to their protestant work ethic.
Then there were those who jumped on a vessel to escape the hangman....
and out of that grew organized crime and ruthless business practices.
The enormous size of the country created a sense of vast possibilities, and expansion,
which people in Europe could only imagine and envy them for.

England was far more socialist in the 20th century than the US,
although it seems now that the tables have started to turn.

I remember someone telling a joke;
A man in Chicago watches a guy drive by in the latest Cadillac, and says:
"One of these days I will be driving a car like that."
A man in Manchester is standing by the road as someone drives by in a Rolls Royce and says:
"One of these days I'll see to it that he won't be driving that any more"

That joke made the rounds in the seventies when the unions were crippling the country.
Royalty and monarchy had a lot to do with the British class system.
One could go on and on....

[Tarka the Duck]

The idea that we are all the same only relates to the human condition: wherever you go in the world, humans have much in common. We all feel pain, loneliness, happiness, love, fear…and it is this common bond that allows us to come together to help each other at times of difficulty or crisis. It is that bond that I think allows us to feel empathy.

When it comes to human nature, we are all individuals with our own subjective experiences which form our "reality". Two people living through the same situation will have different experiences. Seeing the same world in different ways can lead to mutual understanding: this is how we grow, imagine, appreciate, improve…if we were all the same, we'd stagnate!

Until we can come to terms with our fear of difference, we will never be able to entertain or take steps to really understand someone else's point of view.

And when it comes to difference in cultures, we tend to conform to type! There has to be some truth in stereotypes! There are memes in society - we see and we are influenced.

meme: an element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered to be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, esp. imitation.

[Karunai]

(Hm... I'll try to make sense :) )

Each culture have its 'collective consciousness' so to say. The first thing I've noticed while learning other languages was that; each language has a particular 'mechanism' of abstraction, that have direct relation with their everyday habits and how they perceive their inner-outer world and to learn that 'new' way to perceive is the most challenging and exciting things of all 'cause the only way to do it, perfectly do it, is to completely drop the 'native blueprint' in order to comprehend fully the other; mental comfort zones and fear are obstacles for this, hence misunderstanding, but once this is overcame... it's great :D . We all share the same 'blank canvas', which -for me- is the portion of our consciousness where empathy resides. Over that 'canvas', are the cultural 'blueprints'... of course they influence the individual and the collective at a some point.

The beauty of all these is that each culture is an Consciousness experiment. Each of us 'specialize' on the one we are... and compare notes and fill gaps with the other 'experiments'. I guess this exchange of information will move even more faster if there weren't prejudices or fear in general.

Fortunately, I've never had that difficulty. I always was extremely curious and soon I've [intuitively] learnt to 'drop' whatever 'taught' to me, and then to easily 'attune' with whomever I get in touch with. Over the time I became 'blueprint-less' lol I don't even identify myself with my birthplace, I guess the 'core' me would be the same just everywhere. With a weird accent lol :D


Are there many non-English conspiracy forums?

Yes, I'm aware of some but I'm more on reading blogs. This is the only forum I'm right now... I won't have the physical time to read all, need to take care of my garden and doggies. :)


Are there some cultures that exaggerate more than others?

Hm... not sure about that. Mix of all everywhere I guess.


Are there some cultures that are more clinical and analytical in their approach?

Again, mix of all everywhere. There are too much mind and too much fluffiness just everywhere, and what's in between... which is the hardest to find.

[Tony]

Another 'possibility' is collective karma types.
We are beings with a certain temperament that choose to be born in a certain place...it attracts us!
We have a karmic connection with others, through previous encounters...!?

[Karunai]

Another 'possibility' is collective karma types.

Yes.

And I was thinking about the morphic fields and morphic resonance (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Sheldrake#Morphic_field) also.

[Tony]

(Hm... I'll try to make sense :) )

Each culture have its 'collective consciousness' so to say. The first thing I've noticed while learning other languages was that; each language has a particular 'mechanism' of abstraction, that have direct relation with their everyday habits and how they perceive their inner-outer world and to learn that 'new' way to perceive is the most challenging and exciting things of all 'cause the only way to do it, perfectly do it, is to completely drop the 'native blueprint' in order to comprehend fully the other; mental comfort zones and fear are obstacles for this, hence misunderstanding, but once this is overcame... it's great :D . We all share the same 'blank canvas', which -for me- is the portion of our consciousness where empathy resides. Over that 'canvas', are the cultural 'blueprints'... of course they influence the individual and the collective at a some point.

The beauty of all these is that each culture is an Consciousness experiment. Each of us 'specialize' on the one we are... and compare notes and fill gaps with the other 'experiments'. I guess this exchange of information will move even more faster if there weren't prejudices or fear in general.

Fortunately, I've never had that difficulty. I always was extremely curious and soon I've [intuitively] learnt to 'drop' whatever 'taught' to me, and then to easily 'attune' with whomever I get in touch with. Over the time I became 'blueprint-less' lol I don't even identify myself with my birthplace, I guess the 'core' me would be the same just everywhere. With a weird accent lol :D


Are there many non-English conspiracy forums?

Yes, I'm aware of some but I'm more on reading blogs. This is the only forum I'm right now... I won't have the physical time to read all, need to take care of my garden and doggies. :)


Are there some cultures that exaggerate more than others?

Hm... not sure about that. Mix of all everywhere I guess.


Are there some cultures that are more clinical and analytical in their approach?

Again, mix of all everywhere. There are too much mind and too much fluffiness just everywhere, and what's in between... which is the hardest to find.




I helped out in a Denver tearoom serving sandwiches and tea. A customer proclaimed that the cheese sandwich I handed him was "Awesome!" "No" I replied, "Mountains maybe awesome, but a cheese sandwich is just a cheese sandwich." "Awesome" he said.

Another American (I'm not having a go!) spoke about the 'World Series', I pointed out that, "Only Americans took part." "The rest of the world?" he said.

[noxon medem]

..
-


I'm not really talking about prejudices, but natural or influenced characteristics.

Though we are all human, I was wondering if different cultures had different influences put into them. Being British and going to the US, I notice a great difference in attitude.
This could be to do with education systems. On a ordinary human level Americans seem to have a greater self belief, and a different use of language.


I suppose I'm talking about our second nature, the one acquired.

Some philosophy ask if life might be
a self-reinforcing "mechanism" , also
on a personal plane ...

( in no mood to go into detail )

- be my guest ....
( your guest is as good as mine ..) .

:)

..
-

[nomadguy]

This reminds be of a discussion at a conference with Bill and Inelia about "fighting with description".
Other cultures might take some of the English word choices in different ways. I feel that Discernment and Kindness and the ability to listen could not be more important than right now.

[crested-duck]

Another 'possibility' is collective karma types.

Yes.

And I was thinking about the morphic fields and morphic resonance (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Sheldrake#Morphic_field) also.

Interesting link and subject, something for me to ponder and investigate further.--Rob

[Flash]

This question may worth a long answer:

I do not think that we do have to be politically correct by saying that "we are all the same throughout the world". Yes in basic ways we are, we all have basic emotions and empathy (except PTB psychopaths lol), we all have basic human needs and we all have dreams.

But, I would very much like, for once, to see postings about the differences. We are full of cultural differences in the ways we search to fulfill basic human needs, in the ways we express the needs, in the dreams we have. And those differences are very often tainted culturally.

It would be so fun to be able to give the awkwardness of our cultures and be able to share the differences without getting upset or judgemental. Just having fun with it and be able to laugh about our own is the beginning of opening up imho.

I come from a bicultural society. When the basics human stuff is worked around, the cultural differences are definitively there.
I have not only travelled, but lived in 3 other countries. When you live somewhere, you start seeing the differences.

For a while they go on your nerves, then you get adapted, then you see the anachronisms of your own culture because you are far away, then you have problems to readapt to you own lol.

In fact the process is : honey moon with the new culture you are in (which most tourist or transient travellers are at), then you see differences you have difficulties with because they ask for a rewriting of beliefs, habits, way of thinking (yes cultures and languages have a very high impact on ways of thinking imho), then you rewrote and start being comfortable, in a day to day way, you are "integrating". Then you see your own with all its own idiosycracies. Very lovely process. I lived it 3 times.

My culture: French Canadian
My counterparts culture: English Canadian

Some funny differences:
Frenh are louder, speak much more and a lot with their hands, and are often smiling (a cultural biais - you have to smile to be polite), do practical jokes. French were traditionnally poorer (for all kind of historical reasons I do not want to get into here).

Our Englishes (LOL, our cause in Toronto they are different) are less loud, more reserved with their hands, smile less, do more intellectual or lightly sarcastic jokes (double sense), .

Perceptions:
French are perceived as more badly educated (loud, moving all the time, taking lots of space), a bit stupid for their practical jokes and sometimes obviously not sincere smile and are just froggies n'est-ce pas?
English are perceived as cold, snobish, French call them square heads because of their way of thinking and joke style.

Believe it or not, these distinctions are enjoyable when not taken seriously. We have fun around it and the differences did change both cultures, this is why I say our Englishes. Even the way of speaking of English Montrealers is much different from those in Ontario for example (faster rythm, more French way of turning things around, a bit more relaxed looking, etc).

In Turkey, I was constantly told not to speak with my hand because I would be perceived as aggressive (they hold their hands thighter to their body). So I am in a big important meeting, trying to hold my hands tight. Finally, I cannot present anylonger... I excused myself telling them I am French and the hand move alone without my control. They all laughed and I could present with my natural behavior. Do Turks exagerate? Within French Canadian views, definitely, but in their views, no. I was told by my Turkish employees to put more icing, more icing, more icing... I thought it was much too much until someone tells me "don't worry, we will automatically cut half of what you say anyhow". I then realised that while they were doing that at the beginning, and me being much more conservative, after i finished presenting, not much was left of my presentation (I was too conservative and cut in half). As soon as I started doing like them, business picked up. And I started to cut by half what I was hearing too. Habit I kept for internet forums LOL.

I have an American friend writing to me and finishing his letter wanting to say hugs. But he knew that French kisses on both cheeks their friends when leaving and that the word kiss is "baiser". So he conjugated the word in his writing saying "je te baise". This was absolutely hilarious. I wrote him that long distance is quite uncomfortable. lol

So yes, languages have a definite impact in the way we perceive the world. In French a table is feminine, a clock is feminine, a knife is masculine while a fork and a spoon are feminine. A car is feminine (guys, you cannot be too macho anymore), while a tree and a tractor are masculine. Can you imagine, English speaking people, how your way of thinking is effected when EVERYTHING has a gender. The moon in English poems is, to me, feminine while the author might not have meant it at all.

The Turkish grammar is very different from Indo European languages. They often give the subject at the end of the sentence. And there is about no genders. I do think that Turks are more patient while listening because they have, within the language, to listen to the context first, the action second and the subject third (or something like this).

When my daughter was 5, I was trying to show her table manners, one of them being not to burp at the table.
We received a Chinese student for 2 weeks and he was obviously eating with us every night, burping like crazy (which is a polite way to tell the host that her food is good, well not sure he really liked it but this was polite for him). The first few burps, my daughter opened her eyes large and looked at me. Then I hear "how come he is aloud and I am not". I did have a cultural differences explanation with her and told her to enjoy burping when she will go in China. Perceptions can be very misleading.

I had a manager from a small town tell me "I have soooo much problems with that employee, I cannot stand her anymore". I asked her what the problems were and she said "I speak to her and she will never look at me, eyes down, say yes and go to her desk". I asked if the work was well executed and on time and the manager says "yes" "but I cannot stand it, she seems hypocritical". I had not tought of other culture because I was in a small town when suddenly it striked me. I asked her if her employee was Canadian and the manager answered "no, she is Chinese". I then said - Oh my Gosh, your employee is not hypocritical, she is very polite and respectful towards you. Chinese won't look at their bosses because it would be perceived as arrogant in their culture. She is showing you full of respect. Luckily, the employee kept her job (she was almost going to be fired prior).

So yes, cultural differences are very large sometimes and have a great impact on our behaviors and on interaction amongst us from different cultures. I have seen it again and again on this actual forum, sometimes being perceived as individual differencence when I see very well that the back and forth discussion is related to cultural differences.

I wish American were aware of this when going abroad trying to change things. When we are not aware, we can be very hurtful to others. A dominant society does not perceive this sometimes. Did you know that for some societies, democracy means nothing to the people. NOTHING, they do not care for it. What they call democracy would be describe as soft paternalism dictatorship in the West. So why try to impose on them concepts that they do not have or want or worst, they do not need. In a collectivist society, freedom has a completely different meaning as well. Those are western values, not worldwide values.

Well, I am finished with my last paragraph rant,

To you guys and Thanks Pin'eal for dearing this thread (this name, culturally means nothing to non English, I always thought it referred to the pineal gland until I was explained about eating and drinking habits of British, here an example).

[Marsila]

Hi Pie'n'eal, i had the expat experience in quite a few countries, from that i concluded, yes all humans are the same, but there definitely are differences on how people who come from different cultures behave.
And realizing and accepting it, makes life easier tbh.



I was wondering...as all cultures are different, so maybe our approaches to situations - and information - differ in some ways. I was wondering how others saw this.

Well think of the stereotypical way Italians behave and compare that to how an English person would behave in the same situation, the first will be more animated while expressing themselves even if they both end up with the same solutions. So yes we all approach situations in different ways.


We could narrow this down to native English speakers or non-English speakers – or any other criteria one wishes.

Even native English speakers differ in their attitudes according to where they are from. But no need, I spent most of my early life in Switzerland and big big difference between the French and the German parts. One of my first 'culture shocks' despite that whole country not being my own, was living in the German parts of the country for a while.


Are all whistleblowers English speaking?

of course not, but English is the 'international' language these days, so more people are likely to hear the message if it's in English.


Do aliens/ETs/EDs talk to or have contact with non-English speakers?

For sure, there is the case of a very famous one in where i come from, but out of the Spanish speaking world, or even the country itself for those not interested, not many have heard of him. Some cultures though do 'downplay' this or are not open minded, so people would not share it as they may not want to 'fight' to be 'accepted.


Are there many non-English conspiracy forums? If so, how do they approach this subject?

For sure, but not with the same amount of traffic that English speaking websites get.
Depending on where they are from, they may have more 'pressing issues' they prefer to discuss, than compared to what is discussed here.
They sometimes quote too much from English languages websites, and then compare it to what they know. the 'vibes' are quite different and match the mentality of where most of the posters are from.



Are there some cultures that exaggerate more than others?
yes but to them they aren't exaggerating....instead they may look at English people as 'taking their time' or not 'putting too much feeling' into a matter. of course a lot of it isn't true, but that is how some may feel, when not exposed to other cultures for a long time.
Most English people i know, aren't 'reactive' types, they keep their emotions to themselves, and value putting a lot of mental power into a response.
Most Americans i know, are the opposite, they are more open to sharing their feelings and emotions with complete strangers without second thoughts about it, unless the difference with the other culture is too obvious, and the rules of the place are so complicated (As in countries that run their laws according to religious rules rather than otherwise)
it is also obvious in the different sense of humor both countries appreciate as evident from the different sitcoms they have.

Are there some cultures that are more clinical and analytical in their approach?

of course, but i think everyone approaches this in a different way anyway, some people put the proof first, and then their analysis, others put their analysis and only show proof when asked to.



Are we all just different? Or are we of certain types?

we're all different types of the same species?? who knows but the individuality and appreciating the differences when we find them as long as they don't hurt anyone, is part of what puts some excitement into this planet...i guess.

[Davidallany]

In Turkey, I was constantly told not to speak with my hand because I would be perceived as aggressive
Consider this. The Buddha also used his hands when he spoke, and the motions are called Mudras. I believe it is all dependent on the energy behind the action.

[Flash]

Agreed, David, yet, Turks partners/employees were telling me not to use my hands during business presentations - have you ever seen French moving their hands while talking, they move a lot... My energy behind the movements was well, energetic and enthousiastic. But the perceptions could have been different from the other side, I had to take this into account and be considerate for the different cultural views.

I may also say that sometimes people from elsewhere look kind of alien to me sometimes (but not the Turks nor Central Americans, they were very much human like, with good and bad sides, lol). So French have lots of mudras :cool:

Other cultural differences that have an impact on understanding another culture are the referrents. Each culture has a different history and different referrents. Often, I read something in English and have no idea what they are writing about because I do not know the basic underlying referrent. I have to wait and see what will come out to make up the topic or understant the inuendos. Luckily, I read a lot in the past and can draw comparisions or similarities with what was read before.

Same for humour. It is often based on cultural referrents. Therefore it is different for most cultures. I was in El Salvador once, when much younger and a French movie was playing in the small town. I went to the movie, which was in French with Spanish subtitles. The whole theater would laugh where I did not find it funny, and I would loudly laugh when nobody else did in the theater. On the other hand, Turkish humour was quite similar to French Canadian humour (not to the French, but to French Canadian), so I always had fun with their humouristic tv programs.

[mosquito]

.... When you live somewhere, you start seeing the differences.

For a while they go on your nerves. then you get adapted, then you see the anachronisms of your own culture because you are far away, then you have problems to readapt to you own ....

I agree with this and everything you say !!

There is an enormous difference between the way you perceive a place whilst on holiday or shore leave and the way you see it when you live there.

I'm in the middle of reading a book which provides subsatntial academic evidence that there is a difference in basic cognition between Westerners (mainly Anglo-American) and East Asians (Japanese, Chinese and Korean) :

http://www.amazon.com/The-Geography-Thought-Westerners-Differently/dp/0743216466

The book has confirmed many things I've noticed since living in China, confirmed many things I've suspected, and opened my mind to things I hadn't even thought of !!

To encapsulate - Westerners (and bear in mind this is a generalisation) tend more toward analytical thought, focussing on the objects around them, believing they are in control of their environment. East Asians tend to be more holistic, see things within their context and do not believe they control their environment, and importantly, they don't feel the need to control it.

I first realized there were major differences while studying Chinese Medicine, not only is it more holistic, it can't really be learned in a linear fashion, all the pieces fit together, and all are important. Coming here, teaching English to Chinese students and learning (less than brilliantly ) the language it is virtually impossible not to conclude that their thinking processes are totally different. (Teaching the future perfect continuous to a Spanish speaker is easy - it's constructed in exactly tha same way as in English. Chinese has NO tenses, only aspects, so they have a hard time grasping the concept of this and other English tenses).

Which is why I'm saddend by the increasing Westernization of the East - not only are they replacing their culture with a suprficial, meaningless set of "values", they're robbing humanity of the diversity we need to ensure a balanced and harmonious future.

[Flash]

Our language is based on alphabet, a to z, which is linear thinking, while Chinese is based on symbols, which is a completely different way of thinking. I am sure that the brain has created different pathways to adapt and use such different languages. Put it generations over generations, and you have two very different set to thinking habits plus different neurons interactions, the Western and the Eastern. imho

[araucaria]

One area in which there is a huge cultural difference is the approach to space exploration between the American can-do display of massive technology and the Slav soul mentality behind the Russian campaign.

According to Victor Shklovsky, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was the pioneering author of the Elementary Course on the Spaceship and its Construction in 1894, and his inspiring teacher was Nikolai Fyodorovich Fyodorov, the author of The Philosophy of the Common Task.


Fyodorov wanted to create an ideal for technology. He had dreams of the resurrection of the dead, physical resurrection, and was already worrying over where this resurrected mankind would be going to settle. This is why he considered it an absolute necessity to colonize the stars. Fyodorov was the learned head librarian at the Rumantsiev Library. A lot of people in Moscow knew him.

Shklovsky quotes Tolstoy on Fyodorov:


He has developed the programme of the common task of all mankind, the purpose of which is the resurrection of all men, in their flesh. Firstly it is not as crazy as it sounds. (Not to worry, I do not share and never will share his views, but I have understood them so well that I feel up to the task of defending these ideas against any other beliefs having a superficial goal.) He is 60 years old, he is poor and gives away everything, he is always gentle and cheerful.

Of course, NASA’s “superficial goal” is just a façade, but for something definitely not “the common task of all mankind”

[Tony]

There is much communication going on which is unspoken, by the use of words,the phrasing, the sound, the intention and the eyes.



Tony

[Tangri]

There is much communication going on which is unspoken, by the use of words,the phrasing, the sound, the intention and the eyes.



Tony

I think, you are not getting enough on your fundamental intent to create this post.

Yes, there are a lot of other languages talking about EBE's experiences .
You should check Russian, Spanish web sides. You can have Google translate them. It is not monopoly for Queen's Boys.