I do agree with anthropologist Ruth Benedict
that we are “creatures of our culture” and our habits, beliefs, and impossibilities
are shaped by our culture. I got a chance to live through such experience. One
of advantages to be immigrant is that you can observe pro and cons in your own
culture and also in a culture you have moved in. Some time ago I mentioned how
difficult for Slavic Christians was to accept American missionaries who would sit
at church by putting heel on his knee. Another example would be an attitude to
wearing heat inside building. In Russia it is not acceptable for men to wear
heat inside building, when here it is completely fine.
I don’t really think that we should break through the limits of our cultures. However, if we come to the point where it is necessary to break through the limits, we have to identify how curtail feature is. There are some values that cannot be betrayed even though those can be cultural things.
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