31573 01 i-xxiv 1-176 r13rm 8/18/05 2:56 PM Page 4

4 WHEN CULTURES COLLIDE

Concepts and Notions

Part of the superficial public behavior cited here is cultural in origin, and yet we
can adopt these manners without prejudice to our own core beliefs. Actions are
not difficult to emulate, and even different varieties of speech can be imitated to
some extent. Thought is a different matter. We cannot see it; we cannot hear it; it
may be revealed to us with reluctance, simulation or cunning. Cross-cultural
problems arise not so much on account of our unfamiliarity with a bow, a Gallic
shrug or chopsticks. Neither do they crop up because of certain concepts, be-
cause many of these concepts are shared by other cultures. We can teach a
Spaniard nothing about honor; the Japanese are masters of courtesy. Swedes,
Brits and Germans are all convinced of their own honesty; honor, duty, love, jus-
tice, gratitude and revenge are basic tenets of the German, Chinese, Arab and
Polynesian alike. A Tasmanian knows his or her duty as clearly as a Greenlander
does. Given the size of the world, its long history and immeasurable variety, it is
remarkable how many common concepts are rooted so firmly in a similar man-
ner in very different societies. What we often overlook is the fact that everyone
has different notions of these concepts that appeal to so many cultures. Romantic
love is seen differently in France and Finland, and the English notion of revenge
bears little similarity to the Sicilian.
We readily accept that cultural diversity is vast and formidable. If we take an
extreme example, the barriers against communication or mutual comprehension
between an Inuit hunter and a Nigerian herdsman might prove insurmountable.
Given their different backgrounds, what could they talk about? They probably
would be completely unaware of the structure or politics of each other’s society;
it is hardly likely that they could imagine the opposite extremity of climate; their
religions, taboos, values, aspirations, disappointments and lifestyle would be in
stark contrast. Available subjects of conversation (if they had some mode of com-
munication) would be minimal, approaching zero.
The wildly differing notions of time, space, life after death, nature and reality
held by isolated societies will have little impact on international business
(although they may contribute usefully to our morals or philosophy). The Nava-
hos with their nuclear concept of speech, the Zulus with their 39 colors of green,
the aborigines with their dreamtime, the Inuit with their 42 types of snow and
the Lapps with their eight seasons provide us with striking insights and unique
thought and speech processes that intrigue and fascinate those of us who have
time to study them. We can observe, learn about and sometimes understand some
of these groups’ worldviews, but deceived we are not. We know, more or less,
where we stand with these people. They live in their worlds and we live in ours.