There’s an old American Indian adage that says, “Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.” How relevant for those of us living in cross-cultural and multicultural settings! No two cultures see things in the same way, and as we rub shoulders with those who differ in their beliefs, attitudes and values, disputes are bound to arise. Before we criticize, let’s try to see it from the other person’s standpoint. As Atticus Finch said in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
Take our feelings about something as common as animals, for example. How differently animals are perceived around the world! In my last blog I noted how highly treasured dogs are in many cultures for their intelligence and loyalty. What would we do without sheep dogs, police dogs, and rescue dogs? Therapy dogs are not only being used in nursing homes and children’s hospitals nowadays but in university libraries to help students de-stress during exams as well. Dogs have a special place in heaven, a Canadian friend of ours insists. Not so in cultures where dogs are served up for dinner! Nor are they revered in strict Muslim societies where being licked by a dog requires ritual cleansing.
Before we dog lovers sneer at the way others treat man’s best friend, though, let’s put the shoe on the other foot. How is our own treatment of animals viewed by people wearing a totally different set of cultural lenses? Travel to India and you will quickly see how greatly our perceptions differ. To Hindus, all living creatures are sacred. Cows are especially venerated because they are gentle animals who give more than they take.
Walking down the road in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh some years ago, I came across these Hindus paying homage to a bull :
Take our feelings about something as common as animals, for example. How differently animals are perceived around the world! In my last blog I noted how highly treasured dogs are in many cultures for their intelligence and loyalty. What would we do without sheep dogs, police dogs, and rescue dogs? Therapy dogs are not only being used in nursing homes and children’s hospitals nowadays but in university libraries to help students de-stress during exams as well. Dogs have a special place in heaven, a Canadian friend of ours insists. Not so in cultures where dogs are served up for dinner! Nor are they revered in strict Muslim societies where being licked by a dog requires ritual cleansing.
Before we dog lovers sneer at the way others treat man’s best friend, though, let’s put the shoe on the other foot. How is our own treatment of animals viewed by people wearing a totally different set of cultural lenses? Travel to India and you will quickly see how greatly our perceptions differ. To Hindus, all living creatures are sacred. Cows are especially venerated because they are gentle animals who give more than they take.
Walking down the road in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh some years ago, I came across these Hindus paying homage to a bull :
Imagine for a moment how these people would feeI if they saw us downing hamburgers!
When our family was living in Australia, we saw firsthand how upsetting the sight of beef can be to a Hindu. A young Indian woman working as a cashier at our local supermarket was appalled when my purchases included sirloin steaks. She picked up the package by one corner, held it up in disdain, and tossed it with disgust to the person bagging our groceries. I wonder. Would a young American not have done the same if it were dog meat?
Perhaps we would be more understanding and tolerant of each other if we walked in each other’s shoes more often!
When our family was living in Australia, we saw firsthand how upsetting the sight of beef can be to a Hindu. A young Indian woman working as a cashier at our local supermarket was appalled when my purchases included sirloin steaks. She picked up the package by one corner, held it up in disdain, and tossed it with disgust to the person bagging our groceries. I wonder. Would a young American not have done the same if it were dog meat?
Perhaps we would be more understanding and tolerant of each other if we walked in each other’s shoes more often!