When one is about to go to another country – whether for business, pleasure, or study – culture shock is often one of the first things brought up. More so, it is one of the main concerns, especially for people who are planning on living in another country for a while.
Travelers get all sorts of advice about differences in culture and what to expect; what they need to do to; and many other things that lead to one thing: gather information to avoid culture shock.
While that in itself is not a bad thing – in fact, it does help avoid uncomfortable, or even potentially disastrous, situations – there can be culture shock benefits.
Work the World has studied culture shock and how it can actually be good for you.
Sounds counterintuitive? That’s understandable, but here are some good points that support the idea that there are benefits to culture shock.
Culture shock benefits
As the quote at the top of the infographic says:
“There is wisdom in turning as often as possible from the familiar to the unfamiliar: it keeps the mind nimble, it kills prejudice, and it fosters humor.” – George Santayana
You might also want to read: Make Your Trips More Memorable: Practice Mindful Travel
Originally posted on December 15, 2015 @ 8:00 am
