5 closest persons define us — and how about the cultural environment?
When I can tell I’m settled somewhere? I’ve been traveling a lot over the past months to different countries. I’ve been confronted with many cultures. I’m pretty sensitive and attentive to a foreign environment and I’m open-minded enough, trying to understand it as much as I can. Over the past weeks, I spent my days in Georgia. I’ve got a flat here since November, so it’s not an unknown place for me.
Local people are very welcoming and kind to everyone, which I appreciate. There’s especially impressive respect for other people, especially for the elders and women. I feel welcomed here as nowhere else. It’s like if people here were waiting for you to come. (Yes, I’m serious. And yes, this hospitality is honest.) It doesn’t mean that I get help when I ask for it. No. It’s much more.
If you fall on the street, people all around rush to you to make sure you’re alright. You have to confirm three times you don’t need them to call an ambulance. When a penny falls from your wallet and you don’t notice, someone will definitely bring it back to you. When you’re in the shop and you seem confused about which wine to buy, someone will come and help you without you asking them. People automatically offer their help, because it’s their nature.
If you’re a woman and you enter the room where men are sitting on the chair, they will get up to offer their place to you. If you take your bags (despite they don’t seem to be heavy) and a stranger talks to you, he will ask if he can help you with it. If you say no, he will most likely insist on it anyway and take it from you because he wouldn’t feel comfortable watching you holding the bags.
Welcome. This is a Georgian country and its nature and mentality. Based on hospitality, kindness, and deep respect.
I’ve just had a call with my Russian classmate. She moved to the Czech Republic to study. She loves it, she’s been definitely in more cities than I’ve ever been despite it’s the place where I was born and raised. We were covering the topic of respect.
She told me that she took a heavy suitcase up the hill at one of the longest stairs in Prague (Nuselske schody, 182 stairs). She was surprised that despite meeting several men no one even hasn’t asked her if she needs help.
I didn’t have any understanding of it despite it’s the mentality of the country, where I spent most of my life. I don’t mean it to generalize and to tell that everyone there is bad. I know some gentlemen and I have many intelligent friends there. I think it’s just one of the west-converted countries with a strong individualistic mentality. Who am I to judge it? I was similar despite I’ve tried to build my heroism and help others. Personally, I’ve experienced the worst individualistic extreme in London where I was asking for help and people pretended they don’t see me despite I was facing them. It’s not meant to blame the country, but the individualistic cultural environment.
It’s been years since I’ve heard that popular phrase ‘You’re who your five closest people are.’ It led to the termination of many relationships in my life over the years. The influence is real and true. Despite when you try hard, you can notice you behave similarly as your closest people do. You know what I mean now. I am grateful for the ones around me. Yet, I know I want to have more connections with productive, self-aware, and inspiring people. Not to feel like I’m talking to a mirror, but to be understood. It also works vice-versa. You’ll more likely attract like-minded people.
I’d say I’ve been always kind. However, I’ve noticed that I’ve become even kinder here than before. I’ve created a group for CZ/SK people considering moving to Georgia to answer their questions. I also wanted to create a like-minded community of these people having a business there. Every day, I help dozens of people either by finding an answer for them or providing them with relevant helpful contact. I report invalid SSL certificates or bugs on the websites to help to create better and more secured online services. I applied to some volunteering activities since I’m here. I know such kind acts make me feel good.
Time to stop for a while.
Have I always been like that? I mean that kind?
No.
Yes, I was always watering the burning trash on the street. I helped confused tourists in the center starring to the map. I was always ready to help. However, no, I was not proactive to run that extra mile like the way I do now.
I could name all the fears I got from my previous cultural environment. However, it’s not the point of this article to take away.
If there’s something I wish, it is you to rethink people around and the environment you live in. I want you to rethink if the work you do makes you happy, fulfilled, satisfied, if it helps someone, and mainly YOU to become a better person.
A little self-awareness question: Are you the one you want to be?
You can support my writing and “buy me a book” here for as little as 5 EUR (one-time).
