Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Step Outside

We each become so used to the way we see things that it's often difficult to imagine that others don't see things the same way we do. It's one thing when we're talking about insignificant matters of routine life; it's quite another when the discussion switches to the fundamental issues of life, death and beyond.

A lot of the "facts" and "knowledge" we take as a given are, in reality, nothing more than culturally-based information. If we could magically change our gender, race, or where we grew up (and still reside), our worldview might well be altogether different. Instead of being a middle class Lutheran living in Minnesota, we might be a hunter-gather in the Amazon who believes in animistic spirits.

These thoughts are percolating through my mind as I read "Don't Sleep, There are Snakes" by Daniel L. Everett. (The book was mentioned on one of the many blogs I frequent, but I'll be darned if I remember which one.) The book is about the author and his family's 30 year off and on life with tribal people in the Brazilian Amazon.

I'm sure I'll post more entries that reflect on this book as I get deeper into the text.

3 comments:

  1. What impresses me most is how language affects our culture.

    Not to give too much away, but a point in the book was that the Indians did not have relational names for niece, nephew, etc. And therefore marriage to a niece was considered acceptable. Part of our aversion to incest is indoctrinated in the fact we have names for certain relationships.

    Curious.

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  2. I think about that all the time. I find it very easy to put my personal views aside and look at things from another's point of view. I think this helps bring understanding, which I find to be very important in my life, maybe because I'm often misunderstood :)

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  3. Kerri,
    That's a very astute point. Those of us who are habitually misunderstood, by and large, try very hard to understand others simply because we know what it's like to have others look at us in the weirdest of ways.

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