One of the most important keys to assimilation is understanding a people’s culture in context. When trying to localize you can not simple know how and what people do, but you also, and most importantly, must know why people do. To foreigners, certain customs and traditions are extremely illogical and without place, but to the locals this is obviously not true. One must bridge this gap between cultures to create true bonds. The most effective way I have learned to understand a foreign people’s culture is to understand their history, learn about their cultural philosophy, and ask copious amounts of questions. Many people find the most difficult ideas in other’s cultures are moral issues. On average most people around the world hold up the idea of moral absolutism as the TRUTH. If one thinks there is no other way but their way then they are already lost. But I can imagine if you are reading this and you enjoy traveling and experiencing new cultures than this is not an issue for you. The idea that there is only one truth and you or your people have found that truth is more than absurd, it is arrogant as well. So, the idea that there are many truths and those truths can be molded and folded depending on where you live or where you are from is a revolution idea. Moral relativism is an absolute must for true understanding and appreciate of other’s cultures.
More often than not, I tend to put myself in morally ambiguous situations. There sheer excitement of participating in a socially taboo situation is outright exhilarating. I would say that the majority of my more-taboo adventures revolve around food and its consumption. I have ate a wild range of delicacies and nasty bits like horse sashimi in Japan, Rattle snake soup in Florida, fried roaches in Thailand, and live octopus in South Korea, but the one that is most strange to me was eating raw whale sashimi. Now, I must preface by saying that the consumption of whale is legal in South Korea but the capturing is not. This puts whale vendors in an interesting predicament. Most whale is “accidentally” caught and harvested accordingly. Strangely enough, I am a very strong animal rights supporter. As a matter of fact, I believe animals have just as much right to live as humans, but when in Rome, do as the Romans. While I was waiting of the vendor to prepare the raw whale meat for me, I couldn’t help but notice the posters on the walls that portrayed my soon-to-be meal. The posters judge the size of the animals to other whales and had comparing and contrasting features about it. I also found out that this specific restaurant also served dolphin as well. Once served, I had this burly, older Korean male standing over me as to investigate my curious interesting in this very foreign food to me. I ate it. I washed it down with beer. And I ate some more. The meat was not particularly tasty and was quite foul but I was determined not to disgrace and be rude to this man serving me this dish. After the meal, I “pocheoned” (Korean for take-out) the dish and went home. I do feel guilty for the brutal killings of the great majestic animals, they are not killed humanely and swiftly, but the animal was dead already and I will bear my guilt.
Being able to confront what seems so foreign to you and accept it as your own is a task and accomplishment far away for all of us, but to appreciate what others have to offer without judgement is reasonable and admirable. Now as we all pass through our journeys on this planet we many not be confronted with eating an exotic and strange food such as whale, but we may encounter a foreign religion, a unique custom, a strange behavior, or an odd tradition that we must be tolerant of because there are no absolutes in culture and in life.
Secrets of localization: Moral relativism is a post from: EARTH EXCURSION