Finishing off my third week abroad, I think it’s time I allowed myself a self-reflective post. Here goes nothing:
One of my favorite TV show quotes goes something like this: “It’s our hobby. Some people do arts and crafts, we judge.” -Stanford, Sex & the City
And it’s true. Though I consider myself a very open-minded person, I (along with most of my friends) am fairly quick to evaluate and assess the situations and people I find myself with. And I trust my judgments, and most of the time, they’re pretty accurate.
But as I dive into such a new experience, I’m realizing how limiting this trait is. Whether it’s talking to people who at first don’t necessarily seem like someone I would click with, or attempting to understand a cultural practice before writing it off as “weird,” this is a mental habit I’ve been striving to break. It’s forcing me to think about how and when I make value judgments, and at what point they’re really necessary.
Here’s what I’ve decided so far: Judging is the easy way out. It creates a simplified mental schema based on my past experiences and associations, and does not force me to re-think anything or grow. And isn’t that one of the major “cliche but true” reasons to study abroad?
Absolutely.
