Campfire: What is the biggest problem, other than language, communicating with someone from another country?

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Permalink Reply by Grendel on March 25, 2008 at 2:17pm

I agree. Preconceptions and prejudices generate stereotypes. It's a sad state of man when the world "terrorist" immediately generates images of Persian people in turbans. I've spoken with people who refuse to be around Persians because of this, let alone communicate. I found it really offensive they couldn't get past the stereotype, a truly racist stereotype.

There are huge cultural boundaries that prevent communication.

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Permalink Reply by Flamekebab on March 25, 2008 at 11:05pm

I don't refuse to be around Americans, I have many good friends who hail from the US. That said, I find many aspects of American culture towards others to be both highly offensive, naive and immature.

That isn't to say the UK is without attitudes that I find ridiculously stupid, but we seem to avoid being quite so loud and obnoxious about it!

Hopefully in time rationality will return to the US and it can become the great nation it aspires to be, rather than the confused bully that it currently paints itself to be. Also I really hope they give up this arrogant bigotry of "spreading democracy" as it just illustrates the lack of understanding of other cultures.

It is important to understand or at least keep somewhat of an open mind to other ways of doing things. You don't have to agree, but "they're different" is not an excuse to start a fight. A friend told me a few weeks ago that a wise man, when confronted with another culture says "Wow, things are so different, tell me about your culture" whilst an ignorant man says "Wow, things are so different, that's bad".

He phrased it more eloquently though!

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Permalink Reply by KTHarHar on March 26, 2008 at 12:30am

I completely agree with you. We (the US) have to stop this manifest destiny crap. Democracy is good and all, I love it, but there are other forms of government that work just as well, if not better. The government should fit the people, not the other way around.

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Permalink Reply by Grendel on March 26, 2008 at 7:46am

"The government should fit the people, not the other way around."

I think this is a little inaccurate, not wrong, but it needs to be worded a little differently.

The Social Contract, is: a person will agree to follow certain rules and regulations as long as the whole of the society agrees to them as well. So governments are in place to create and enforce those "rules and regulations."

Governments can only work by permission from the governed. If the majority feels government is bad, the people will put in a new government, by force if needed. "The People should not be afraid of their government. Their government should be afraid of it's people."

So, to say that a "government should fit the people" is somewhat inaccurate. The people should create the government that fits them, the way they want to be governed.

The U.S. chooses democracy, China prefers communism, Russia had socialism until it went sour.

Half a cent worth of nuts: Democracy may not be the answer. Democracy only works until it doesn't. Who knows when it stops.

I reread this and realized it's completely off topic. Sorry.

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Permalink Reply by Cyberviking on March 25, 2008 at 6:24pm

the main problem is ignorance. then, it's lack of willingness to accept other people's values. Finally, all you need is love.

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Permalink Reply by Aleaska on March 25, 2008 at 9:45pm

i think the next big communication problem next to language is probably interpretation of things by how they are raised up or by religion. but how we interpret things could be a great divide between people.

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Permalink Reply by LVS on March 25, 2008 at 11:05pm

I had an interesting experience recently discussing this topic with a man from Ireland. We got along brilliantly as any person from Australian and Ireland would in a Pub yet there was some really strikingly different point of view that we had trouble navigating.

An example from the our discussions - he could not understand why Australia had formally said Sorry to the Aborigines. "Why apologise for something that you did not do?". As an Australian I dream of my country healing the wounds from our racist history and I cannot do that without acknowledging my family's part in taking the Aborigines land. He was completely amazed that I was prepared to apologise for something my family had done 7 generations ago.

In this instance language was not a barrier at all (unless he spoke fast), we had some very different and passionate views of the world. I dont necessarily believe that this is a bad thing however. We both enjoyed the same beer :o)

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Permalink Reply by bon vivant on March 25, 2008 at 11:32pm

I believe the problem is years of programmed responses. We all start off as true individuals, and then, somewhere down the line things change through conformity and repetition. Most likely originating from our peers; their preconceptions, our views of them, and what we take for cultivation. I studied German for 4 years before traveling to Berlin, and communicating was still a bit tricky. I noticed how I would structure my german sentences as I would in english, and in german its' reverse or the opposite -- as far as Predicates and Modifiers go. Nonetheless, my poor german was greeted with amiable responses (many of which being young school girls =]) from a large amount of people.. Some spoke english, some only a little, and others didn't.. I also noticed, that response times diminished when I focused on the person. [And] Soon, chats turned into long discussions or even shared inclusive moments.

But to the question being posed here, I say: Lets take into considertaion the fundemental issue -- Lets look at the most terrible disease in the world today. Indifference.. Lets acknowledge and discard.

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Permalink Reply by KTHarHar on March 25, 2008 at 11:32pm

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Permalink Reply by Flamekebab on March 25, 2008 at 11:49pm

Say "view point" again! Hehehe
(I'm not sure if it's the tiredness or the low blood sugar, but my brain isn't responding as well as I'd like it to.)

I've a serious question for you though, well, for everyone responding to the topic - how many of you have experienced "culture shock" ?

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Permalink Reply by KTHarHar on March 26, 2008 at 12:26am

haha I did say viewpoint a lot. Ooops Oh well, sorry about that :D

I've experienced culture shock though friends who have very traditional parents and keep the "old ways" going at home. I sometime feel uncomfortable when I go over to their houses because it is different to me. This is really far from being in a completely different country (I have only been to Canada, woop-de-do.) But I have been friends with people who were foreign exchange students and I can see the culture shock in them when they are thrown into different American customs. But at any rate, culture shock is something that I haven't truly experienced.
In my video though I was talking more general than just people in other countries, but anyone you talk to. Everyone has a right to their own opinion and to truly understand someone, you have to be willing to listen. That was the point that I was trying to make. People in general seem to have a listening problem.

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Permalink Reply by Flamekebab on March 26, 2008 at 12:32am

It was just a separate question, initially directed at you because you're online right now.

The sun is probably rising now, or it's up. Bloody clouds are in the way..
*mutters*

I was very glad to get back to the UK (not my favourite country, incidentally) after the time I spent in Mongolia. Off the top of my head I don't recall experiencing culture shock though, to be honest.

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