challenge 3

What tools can we use to become open minded?

How to be more open-minded?

You see, from the moment we are born, our precious little minds are being filled with the thoughts and ideas of those around us. Our mannerisms, our dialect, and even our beliefs are directly and indirectly affected by our environment. Unfortunately, all of these influences often give us a false sense of understanding about the world around us!

Now the easy questions often have easy answers. Your favorite baseball team is probably directly related to where you are from or who your friends and family cheered for. That is an easy on. But what if someone asked you why you are a Christian or Jewish or Buddhist or any of the other dozens of religions out there. The answer might seem obvious to you, but is it really as obvious as you think?

Centuries ago, the greatest minds of their time believed the world was flat. Most believed this to be true, but the only reason they believed it was because someone else was telling them to. It wasn't until a few open-minded individuals were willing question that which others blindly took as fact, that the truth was brought to light!

If you could bring yourself to be more open-minded, you might find out some interesting things about this giant ball we live on. It isn't until we experience things for ourselves , that we can finally form our own ideas instead of harboring those of our influencers! So give it a try if you dare! The world as you know it may be turned upside down, but at least it will finally be right side up!

Listen to everyone, but believe no one!
It is important to listen to everything people have to say, but be sure to research things for yourself. This will not only save you from the embarassment of repeating false information, it will also expand your mind with factual information.

Don't be afraid to think upstream.
Just because everyone believes in the same thing or tells you the same stories, it does'nt hurt question it. Old wives tales are perfect examples. Going outside with wet hair does NOT make you sick, but because poeple have been told by those around them that it does, they go on believing it without any evidence to back it up.

The oldie but goodie: Put yourself in someone else's shoes.
It is easy to judge people for what they might do or what they might believe, but go ahead and try slipping their shoes on (figuritively). You might get a little insight on why they are the way they are, and that might open your mind to new ways of seeing things.

Do not take old wisdom for the truth just because it has been around for ages.
Everyday, people are discovering new things about the world. Often times, these discoveries disprove what we once thought was fact.

Try everything twice.
Don't be afraid to take risks. Try new foods, listen to new ideas, make new friends. Give everything the benefit of the doubt and try it twice, just to make sure. The more diverse your experiences, the more well-rounded you become.

What is culture shock?

It is felt when we have to adapt to a new environment usually being a foreign country. Our own values and behaviors that we usually take for granted may no longer serve us in our new environment, so we should always try to adapt to the foreign culture and within time we effectively manage culture shock

Culture shock is a normal response to immersion in an unfamiliar culture. You can overcome culture shock by taking a few positive steps and being patient with yourself as you acclimate to your changed environment

Be open minded and don't judge everything as to being wrong or negative. Hold back your judgment and try to observe and understand everything new around you.

Don't filter a behavior or a reaction to your own understanding or to your own culture. Try to understand why a comment has been used or said, it might be their way of greeting. Try to explore and give it time, you might realize after a while why something was said or done.

It's very important to get to know people from the place. The best way to overcome this culture shock is by meeting the locals. Getting to know their habits and behaviors which we might learn to live better than our own cultural ways.

It's always important to be happy and to maintain a sense of humor. Laughing and being happy will allow you to adjust quick quickly and it will certainly help you make friends faster

Learn to identify the symptoms of culture shock: difficulty sleeping; sleeping for extended periods; headaches; nausea or diarrhea; anger; apathy, irritability; feeling highly critical towards everything in a new locality.

Recognize that your feelings are a normal response to the disorientation and discomfort that comes from living in an unfamiliar environment and culture.

Create or locate a comfortable haven for yourself where you can enjoy some of the aspects of your own culture that you miss. Use this space when you need to reduce the stress of culture shock.

Learn a few phrases spoken in the local dialect and use these as frequently as possible to interact and connect with locals. Try to cultivate relationships with locals rather than isolating yourself with people from your home country.

Observe the behaviors of locals when you find yourself in a situation that feels confusing or uncomfortable. Try to figure out why an entire culture of people may have learned this way of doing things, and the possible values and assumptions behind their behaviors.

Try to imagine bringing a local into a similar situation in your own country, and showing the person how to behave in your own culturally appropriate ways. How would you explain the reasons people in your own culture behave this way? Are there both positive and negative ramifications for this behavior? What underlying values or assumptions govern these behaviors?

Write down things that seem odd or confusing to you in the new culture. Look back at your observations every few days or few weeks and see what the you-of-the-past was surprised by that the you-of-today is already acclimated to.

Remember that you'll return home with a wealth of new perspectives and understandings because you've been exposed to another culture. Think about how you might share what you have experienced with friends and family in ways that may help people understand both cultures better

When you move to, or visit, a foreign country, you will undoubtedly encounter many linguistic and cultural differences. Even when you are in another English-speaking country, there are phrases and words used in a different context that can make everyday life a challenge. While it takes time to settle into a new place, there are some things you can do to learn the local customs, shorten the learning curve and enable yourself to acclimate to your new environment.