Why Languages, Literature, and Culture still Matter (Part III)
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In my previous post, I highlighted the educational value of deliberately placing yourself in situations alien to your existing way of life. All of us live our lives according to the cultural norms and values we grew up with. These social structures are largely hidden and rarely written down, except in cases where an explicit definition of “etiquette” is warranted. Cinema, art, music, fashion, poetry, and literature all contribute to the way we frame experience. The largest contributor, though, is language. Language is key because it lies at the foundation of culture, subtly influencing what one does and does not attend to. Learning a foreign language is therefore one of the best ways to acquire a new blade, a new reference frame in the Swiss army knife that is the human mind.
Why Languages, Literature, and Culture still Matter (Part III)
Why Languages, Literature, and Culture still…
Why Languages, Literature, and Culture still Matter (Part III)
In my previous post, I highlighted the educational value of deliberately placing yourself in situations alien to your existing way of life. All of us live our lives according to the cultural norms and values we grew up with. These social structures are largely hidden and rarely written down, except in cases where an explicit definition of “etiquette” is warranted. Cinema, art, music, fashion, poetry, and literature all contribute to the way we frame experience. The largest contributor, though, is language. Language is key because it lies at the foundation of culture, subtly influencing what one does and does not attend to. Learning a foreign language is therefore one of the best ways to acquire a new blade, a new reference frame in the Swiss army knife that is the human mind.