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What cults tell us about ourselves


Rocky
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  • 5 weeks later...

We all belong somewhere.  We all get imbued from childhood with various social norms.  If we shift to a different community, we discover and may incorporate within ourselves different norms.  Like when we change the place we study, or the type of work we undertake - or, as she points out, change the country in which we live.

I found it hard to understand some American perspectives when I was in rez.  And I know Americans found a non-US perspective very strange, at times.  Even now, when I talk with American friends, they have a world view that sees my world view as incomprehensible (and vice versa).  Neither is right, neither is wrong; open conversation opens doors of understanding.

It's often said that learning another language helps deepen understanding.  It's how people really get into the other language and perceive its different structure and the way it expresses ideas.  It's not merely a word-learning exercise, but a mind-broadening one.  I wonder if there are people here who are fluent in English, and Spanish or Italian or Hindi, etc,  born of immigrant families, who could say something about who they are when they interact in the "other" language?

On a related note, I lived overseas in yet another different country (English speaking) for many years.  When I got laid off from my job in the UK, I couldn't find any work, despite oh-so-diligent efforts.  After a few years of this, I thought, "What would I do if I were in that other country?"  A change of mindset got me started into self-employment, and now after 7 or 8 years I truly have no desire to go back to my old employed way of life.

 

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9 hours ago, Twinky said:

It's often said that learning another language helps deepen understanding.

A vital part of learning another language is learning about the culture in which it is spoken. Japanese and Korean, for example, are steeped in a system of honorifics. Without understanding  the intricacies of honorific culture, it's almost impossible to really learn these languages in a conversational sense. So, yes, learning another language and the accompanying culture will help to deepen understanding.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 11/23/2019 at 6:31 AM, Twinky said:

(snip)

It's often said that learning another language helps deepen understanding.  It's how people really get into the other language and perceive its different structure and the way it expresses ideas.  It's not merely a word-learning exercise, but a mind-broadening one.  I wonder if there are people here who are fluent in English, and Spanish or Italian or Hindi, etc,  born of immigrant families, who could say something about who they are when they interact in the "other" language?

(ship)

 

 

On 11/23/2019 at 4:23 PM, waysider said:

A vital part of learning another language is learning about the culture in which it is spoken. Japanese and Korean, for example, are steeped in a system of honorifics. Without understanding  the intricacies of honorific culture, it's almost impossible to really learn these languages in a conversational sense. So, yes, learning another language and the accompanying culture will help to deepen understanding.

On the flip side of learning another language – what Twinky and Waysider have said made me think of the opposite and bewildering effect that cult jargon may have on one’s understanding of the situation they’re in. Cult jargon can be a uniquely obfuscating language indeed. In my case I did not realize I was in a cult.

 

I also like what Amber said in the video - - along the lines of when someone comes along and presents a new or different way of seeing something we thought we knew all about. That resonates with my Grease Spot experience – GS is a great asset that has always helped me cut through the cult jargon and group-think of TWI.

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4 hours ago, T-Bone said:

 

On the flip side of learning another language – what Twinky and Waysider have said made me think of the opposite and bewildering effect that cult jargon may have on one’s understanding of the situation they’re in. Cult jargon can be a uniquely obfuscating language indeed. In my case I did not realize I was in a cult.

 

I also like what Amber said in the video - - along the lines of when someone comes along and presents a new or different way of seeing something we thought we knew all about. That resonates with my Grease Spot experience – GS is a great asset that has always helped me cut through the cult jargon and group-think of TWI.

Indeed, the chains cults put their members in are invisible and largely enforced by way of the meaning/understanding of the language/terminology they use.

Wonderful insight T-Bone. Thanks.

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