Six! Nine! Intercultural Communication

  • The older I get, the more I think that people don’t understand each other.
    • Do you think that miscommunication happens between people from different countries visiting different cultures?
    • Have you any experpeinces?
  • What are you going to do when you go to the U.S.?
    • Have you prepared?

Children of Italian fathers and Irish mothers.

I suppose we should send a collective hug to the children of Irish fathers and Italian mothers.

How rude!

No one is intentionally rude.  Gift giving.
– Koreans put gifts to the side, won’t open it, and then only open gifts after the gift giver has gone.
– Westerners, or at least Americans, will accept the gift, open the gift in front of the gift giver, and then thanks the person in person, face to face.
-Russians give with the right hand and receive with left, completing a circle
-Famously, don’t touch Thais’, even Thai children’s, heads.
–seen as kind gesture among westerners
–offensive to Thais

Two People can view the same objective situation and come to opposite conclusions.  I’m no longer convinced that when we communicate with each other that we understand each other.

  • We likely disagree which sentiment, “just because you’re right doesn’t mean that I’m wrong” or objective measure, is right.
  • Can we create a rule for understanding whether subjective perspective is acceptable or only objective measure can be accepted?
    • Hubble telescope and imperial vs kms units
    • across all times
    • relationship more important
    • low context v high context

Math problem

Even people within the same culture can disagree on the most basic and objective of interpretations:

I’ve found the breakdown can occur between generations and majors or occupational specialties. 

4+8/2(3+1)-2 = ?

Now Google it.

American soldiers and British women found each other “fast”

“Communications theorist Paul Watzlawick used this situation, where “both American soldiers and British girls accused one another of being sexually brash”, as an example of differences in “punctuation” in interpersonal communications. He wrote that courtship in both cultures used approximately 30 steps from “first eye contact to the ultimate consummation”, but that the sequence of the steps was different. For example, kissing might be an early step in the American pattern but a relatively intimate act in the English pattern.”

Eros-thanatos 

How well do you know your spouse?

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

How do you say “I love you”?

This is one of the most important books I’ve ever read, but I didn’t like the book itrself. It’s a 5 minute lesson.

Have you ever thought about how people say “I love you”?

  • 5 Languages of Love
    1. Service
    2. Gifts
    3. Quality Time
    4. Physical touch
    5. Words of affirmation

I clearly know mine, and I see another’s in a past failed relationship.

Who(m) do you see?

What do you hear?

Laurel or Yanni?

Blue dress or Gold dress (2014) taking the internet by storm

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