This article, like many other science articles, follows this template:
People have long suspected that <extremely general conclusion involving vaguely-defined terms with complex meanings, like 'intelligence', 'love', 'creativity', 'belief'>. But now scientists have proved it. <Description of experiment, in which some simple test is used as a substitute for the trait in question - either a psych test, or an MRI, or something - and middle class North Americans are used as a substitute for humanity>.
I haven't lived abroad, but simply from travel and reading, it becomes clear that many social practices are arbitrary, and the range of workable possibilities is much larger than simple intuition-from-limited-experience might suggest.
After a while, surprise that things could be done so differently becomes surprise that each region thinks their ways are so natural.
That sort of insight certainly helps in negotiation scenarios like the one tested, and possibly other problem-solving as well.
Comments
This article, like many other science articles, follows this template:
People have long suspected that <extremely general conclusion involving vaguely-defined terms with complex meanings, like 'intelligence', 'love', 'creativity', 'belief'>. But now scientists have proved it. <Description of experiment, in which some simple test is used as a substitute for the trait in question - either a psych test, or an MRI, or something - and middle class North Americans are used as a substitute for humanity>.
I find these articles really tiresome.
There's a creative edge of a person who decides to live abroad in the first place. There may be correlation, but what is the causation?
Living abroad? Going outside your comfort zone, experiencing new places, languages, cultures?
I haven't lived abroad, but simply from travel and reading, it becomes clear that many social practices are arbitrary, and the range of workable possibilities is much larger than simple intuition-from-limited-experience might suggest.
After a while, surprise that things could be done so differently becomes surprise that each region thinks their ways are so natural.
That sort of insight certainly helps in negotiation scenarios like the one tested, and possibly other problem-solving as well.