What is Culture Shock?

 I suppose one could have culture shock right here in the U.S. just by having a conversation with someone from a different political point of view. If you listened carefully to what they were saying without yelling or shutting them out you would find you somewhat agree with them on some issues.

But, this isn't what usually happens. Most people only associate with people who believe pretty much exactly as they do (whether they are right or wrong). And in almost every case many of the assumptions of each and every belief system are wrong to begin with. But, in order to get along with the people they grew up around people generally overlook all these things.

However, then let's say you are brave enough to go to another country where people don't believe ANYTHING like the people you were raised with. If you confront these people and tell them they are wrong you might be killed there because most countries aren't as tolerant as Americans are. We are tolerant mostly because we are all immigrants pretty much here in the U.S. because it only depends upon WHEN our ancestors came here. Only the native Americans have always been here and even they might not have been here longer that 15,000 to 30,000 years if they walked over the land bridge from Asia or something like that.

So, whenever you are exposed to radically different beliefs than your own (like in another country or area) Culture shock often will happen to you when you least expect it.

In other words often in order to survive in this new situation you have to change how you are going to act and think in various ways and then this makes how you see your own culture or where you grew up completely different than before.

There is a saying that: "You can never go home again!"

This is in regard to someone who goes to another country and then returns and realizes that nothing is what they thought it was where they grew up. So, literally (after traveling) "You can never go home again!"

Because after traveling you have changed. These are some of the aspects of Culture shock.

But, if you are younger and travel it is less of a problem (as a child or teenager) because you begin to cope with all this in a different way than adults often do.