I discussed with a friend of mine, who visited me in BKK his experiences being here the second time. He told me about the different view, he got during his second visit and how he understood more and more the mentality of Thai people. I agreed as i remembered how long it took for me to understand and interpret the hundreds of different smiles, not always to be mistaken for a friendly one. And I told him, that for me, Bangkok taught me one lesson: Always to look twice and never to believe my first impression. Nothing is as it looks in the beginning – and only by getting accustomed to locals, making friends and patiently trying to discover their realities and social behaviour, I got glimpses of their truth in life.
A truth, a reality, which is not always identical with mine – and so it creates the need to talk a lot, listen carefully and to compromise in a way being beneficial and tolerable for both.
For me, this lesson applies also to my faith. Even if it is my truth and gives me meaning in life, I have to explore, understand and work with the truth and reality of another person I do encounter. I have to appreciate what I learn in this way and maybe even understand, that my friend, my neigbour or whoever it is, can complement my views and add new aspects, i might never have thought about.
It makes me more rich to discover the truth of another person – and it is not relativism but complementing me as a person.
Filed under: Reflection, diversity, faith, life philosophy
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