I'm intrigued by Hurst's response to "the greatest lesson living abroad has taught you about yourself and the world."
What's especially interesting is how Hurst frames this as an unconscious assumption. It's not malice or arrogance, but the natural blind spot of any dominant culture. The lesson here isn't just about humility or relativism, it's about the liberation of perspective. Realizing that your worldview is one of many can be both unsettling and freeing. It forces you to ask: What else am I not seeing?
I wish he had addressed this question more deeply, because I think it is not only an important idea to understand globally, but also particularly important for Americans to understand. Imagine if more Americans, especially those in positions of influence, paused to ask: "What if the way I see the world is just one of many valid perspectives?" How might that change conversations about immigration, foreign policy, or even domestic issues like inequality? What if it were taught in American schools?
Currently living abroad and I think the two things that struck me from this, that sort hit and had me nodding my head was this idea that live is easy if we're living abroad or if we've left our hometowns in order to find something else. The general idea that someone we can't struggle during that process because we've gotten out of whatever place we came from is reductive, even it's meant as a way to show growth. And second, the ease with which people can strike up conversations, so spot on. I tend to gravitate toward conversation and I'm ethnically ambiguous enough that it creates some level of icebreaking already. But it's still tough to do outside the US and especially in Europe. That said, some of the best conversations have been here. Once you get through that first level you often get a fascinating experience.
Yes to this being a high point: "Refreshing the Journal Officiel de la République one day in late August, 2022, and seeing that I had officially become a French national. (And then going to pick up my passport)."
THIS moment for me came in the mail (I guess it was before it all went online) but it really does stand out as one of those "I remember exactly where I was" moments. It's not something that most of us will likely experience more than once. It's always interesting to hear other people's versions of that moment.
Hi Maria, yes I very much agree - I think it puts one up against varying possibilities of how a group of people might choose to organize themselves socially and economically and politically, and what values underlie those different choices. What is and ought to be universal; what is not and shouldn’t be?
I'm intrigued by Hurst's response to "the greatest lesson living abroad has taught you about yourself and the world."
What's especially interesting is how Hurst frames this as an unconscious assumption. It's not malice or arrogance, but the natural blind spot of any dominant culture. The lesson here isn't just about humility or relativism, it's about the liberation of perspective. Realizing that your worldview is one of many can be both unsettling and freeing. It forces you to ask: What else am I not seeing?
I wish he had addressed this question more deeply, because I think it is not only an important idea to understand globally, but also particularly important for Americans to understand. Imagine if more Americans, especially those in positions of influence, paused to ask: "What if the way I see the world is just one of many valid perspectives?" How might that change conversations about immigration, foreign policy, or even domestic issues like inequality? What if it were taught in American schools?
Currently living abroad and I think the two things that struck me from this, that sort hit and had me nodding my head was this idea that live is easy if we're living abroad or if we've left our hometowns in order to find something else. The general idea that someone we can't struggle during that process because we've gotten out of whatever place we came from is reductive, even it's meant as a way to show growth. And second, the ease with which people can strike up conversations, so spot on. I tend to gravitate toward conversation and I'm ethnically ambiguous enough that it creates some level of icebreaking already. But it's still tough to do outside the US and especially in Europe. That said, some of the best conversations have been here. Once you get through that first level you often get a fascinating experience.
Yes to this being a high point: "Refreshing the Journal Officiel de la République one day in late August, 2022, and seeing that I had officially become a French national. (And then going to pick up my passport)."
THIS moment for me came in the mail (I guess it was before it all went online) but it really does stand out as one of those "I remember exactly where I was" moments. It's not something that most of us will likely experience more than once. It's always interesting to hear other people's versions of that moment.
Truly a singular feeling! I never had that journal experience but I did get the snail mail you did; similar high :)
Hi Maria, yes I very much agree - I think it puts one up against varying possibilities of how a group of people might choose to organize themselves socially and economically and politically, and what values underlie those different choices. What is and ought to be universal; what is not and shouldn’t be?