This world would be rather a boring place if we did not have all the differences that we can observe. Perhaps, the most fascinating are differences between people. Variations between traditions, languages, values and customs are the things that can either make an interesting conversations between two strangers or a bloody war between two nations.
Conversations as well as conflicts are based on understanding of one another, or in the event of the latter, the lack of understanding. I think that, people are afraid of the things they do not understand therefore, one of the reasons it is important to study other cultures is to prevent conflicts. This is especially important for everyone who aspires to run international organisations and corporations or engage in politics. I am not saying that we should downplay our own culture to suit someone else's culture, but we need some understanding of others to compromise. Chances are, they need us as much as we need them. Therefore, exploring each other's culture and walking in someone else's shoes will give a person a new point of view that they would probably ignore otherwise.
This is particularly important in the era of globalisation. The improvement of infrastructure and technology means, for instance, that you can probably take a flight to any place on this planet as well as you can access information about every topic through the Internet. We cannot deny contact with another culture, which might be problematic sometimes. Therefore, the best way to ensure peace around the world is to try to explore each other's background, possibly through the study of culture. I think, it is fair enough to not like someone else's practices, however, it is not good enough to disrespect or abuse someone only because they are different. Therefore, studying other cultures gives a person an advantage to widen their horizons and stay open minded. This is important because only in this scenario we can let go of stereotyping and judging other people which can be very harmful. For example, in a big city such as London where multiculturalism is a normal state of affairs, unfortunately, we can still experience discrimination. I think that, if people were more willing to learn about one another, this would stop.
Moreover, misunderstandings can be painful because they could be associated with lost potential. I believe that, if humanity is to progress, we should share and help develop each other's knowledge. In my opinion, we can find more similarities than differences between people that include basic needs and wants. Shelter, food, clean water and stability are probably what all people around the world aspire to. The best way to ensure all of the above is to cooperate because there is no person in the whole world who can be wholly self-sufficient. However, this scenario would require a huge amount of tolerance and respect towards fellow human beings. This is another reason why studying cultures is so important. By doing this, we learn that other humans are, above all, humans, too.
Studying other cultures also gives a person a new perspective on their own culture. If we think that many aspects of how we live our life are socially constructed then learning about other cultures can really open our eyes. We might get new ideas about self-development, physical health or mental health. One of the good examples is the trend of doing yoga, which comes from India and is a part of Hindu philosophy. I think, it is very easy to get stuck with a particular mind set or habit and miss out on many wonders that this world offers (especially, when someone comes from a small town, like myself). For that reason, exploring different cultures might bring a little bit of fresh air to
the way we carry on our daily tasks. Therefore, by studying other cultures we learn to better understand ourselves.
Moreover, studying other cultures might also be fun. It does not always have to be academic understanding of culture, but simple things can be adventurous. For instance, tasting new food or trying a traditional dance from other region. I think our life becomes richer when we open ourselves for experience that we would not get when only living in the frameworks of what we already know.
To conclude, I do think that study of other cultures is very important. Everyone sees the world in a slightly different way. People from different parts of the world have had different life experiences that made them who they are today. I think being ignorant to all of these things, especially when knowledge is so widely accessible through smartphones or laptop screen, is the worst possible harm a person can do to oneself.
