Summary
Highlights
The speaker recounts an experience in Brussels where a stranger spoke to him, an interaction he realized had become unusual after living in Norway. He explains that in Norway, socialization is more framed and organized, contrasting it with his more open French-Canadian background. He notes how his 'mental programming' changed by living in Norway, illustrating how a new cultural environment can rewire one's brain.
When moving to a new country, there are three ways to relate to the culture: confront, complain, or conform. Confronting means believing your behaviors are always right. Complaining leads to isolation in social bubbles. Conforming involves observing, learning, and adapting your behavior to fit the new society, which allows one to truly benefit from diversity.
The speaker shares an anecdote about a Spanish guide who misinterpreted a Scandinavian man's neutral facial expression as disinterest, due to her own 'cultural glasses'. This highlights that everyone sees the world through their own cultural lens, which shapes their reality and perception of others' behaviors. Changing this lens allows for a better understanding of cultural differences.
The speaker describes being denied access to a "Leadership for women" class at a university, highlighting a policy designed to fast-track women into professorships to address underrepresentation. He labels this an 'equality of result' rather than 'equality of opportunity'. He argues that while it restricts individual opportunity, it aims for societal balance and addresses historical imbalances, leading to better-performing, diverse boards.
Studies show that gender-diverse boards perform 15% better, and culturally diverse boards perform 35% better. Cultural diversity enhances problem-solving, creativity, and innovation. The main challenge is enabling effective communication among diverse groups by explaining cultural differences.
The speaker initiated a project to cartoon cultural differences humorously. This project, which has reached over a million people, aims to simplify understanding between people from different cultures, especially in Norway. It illustrates how different upbringings, whether group-oriented or individualistic, affect behaviors and relationships like friendship.
Different cultures have varying expectations of friendship. Group-oriented societies foster stronger, interdependent friendships, while Western cultures often feature more distant friendships, valuing quiet companionship. Misinterpreting these cultural nuances, such as personal space, can lead to misunderstandings, like assuming rejection when someone moves away due to culturally larger personal space. He uses the example of an almost empty Norwegian bus stop, where people still maintain distance.
Politeness is a culturally relative concept, a set of norms ensuring smooth communication. Some societies have strict codes of politeness, affecting language and behavior. Other cultures define politeness as not disturbing others or maintaining personal space. Without understanding these cultural politeness norms, individuals in a foreign country can unknowingly cause offense or feel misunderstood. The key is to see the world through different cultural lenses to truly benefit from diversity.