Many times I have asked myself something:

Why on TV and in movies are people so open, friendly, sociable, talkative, easily inviting you to their groups, inviting you to have fun and introducing you to others? They act warm, passionate, full of life and feeling, and are easy to get involved with. And in the romantic/drama movies of yore (except now) people were so passionate and soulful in their eyes and expression, as if they were fully aware.

But in real life, people are usually uptight, closed off, exclusive, paranoid, anti-social outside of their clique, hard to get to know, won’t talk to you unless it’s business, and basically ignore you and expect you to mind your own business. affairs. while they take care of their own. People are in a bubble, and there is an “ice barrier” between strangers. They seem like zombies/automata totally unaware and oblivious to those around them, as if they are not fully conscious. They are always in a hurry to get through their daily routine. They seem totally uninterested and unconcerned with human connection. And if you’re not like that too, you stick out like a sore thumb, like you’re in some sort of Twilight Zone, in a different reality than everyone else!

Why is there such a HUGE difference that no one ever talks about? It’s so weird, like Twilight Zone!

My friend and cultural adviser, a former American immigrant, made the same observation on my forum:

“I think that, in general, the biggest culture shock that people experience in the US is not between their country and the US, but between what they thought the US would be and what it really is. The books and the movies about America make the place seem very free and exciting and happening and the people are very interesting and emotional there is sex and fun and romance going on when they arrive the place seems very conservative and the people seem robotic and easy going .Sex is moderate and hard to come by.People are not open at all, they look closed and suspicious.Everyone is working and seems tired and listless.Talking to strangers is taboo.There are thousands of little rules,laws and social customs that seem as dogmatic and strict as those of a Muslim society. And every time you risk breaking another law and facing very serious consequences. That’s the biggest culture shock of all.”

This is very obvious, but no one talks about it. Doing so would make you look like a loser, so no one dares. It’s like the “Emperor’s New Clothes” syndrome. Either that or people don’t see it due to the cognitive dissonance of its programming.

There is also an unspoken social law that wherever you go, you MUST say the people are really friendly and wonderful, or you don’t say anything at all. Or you can blame yourself. But you are NOT allowed to say that people are antisocial. That is a big taboo and No-No.

But the truth is that in Anglo-Saxon countries (eg USA, Canada) and Eastern Asian cultures (eg Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea etc) only people middle-aged and young children are open and talk casually with anyone who is friendly. . But the people in between are of a different breed (especially the women). They are closed, uptight, outgoing, paranoid and mind their own business and expect others to do the same. You have to play tricky and tricky mind games to try and get into their cliques, and then MAYBE you can get in.

This difference between the elderly, children, and young adults (especially women) is as obvious as 2+2=4 in Anglo and Eastern cultures, and is the norm and easily demonstrable. However, NO ONE talks about it except me for some reason. Because?! It’s like he’s “hiding in plain sight” from everyone, or the truth is forbidden!

In reality, the Anglo and Eastern cultures are workaholic, robotic, exclusivist, asocial, slave, built purely for business and productivity. They are devoid of passion, soul and romance. Everything in these cultures is geared toward business, not passion, human connection, or expression. (although America has fake versions of these in its Hollywood culture) People are treated and groomed as economic resources and defined by their economic roles (eg workers, taxpayers, consumers, etc.). They live a highly materialistic and segregated lifestyle with no human connection.

As a result, they become machines, rigid and repressed, devoid of romance and passion. The regimented socializing that takes place in such cultures is often fake, contrived, uptight, pretentious, and clichéd rather than a truly seamless interactive experience.

But you wouldn’t notice all of this if you had only spent time in Anglo/Eastern cultures because you would have nothing to compare them to. You would have to live in cultures that are opposite to really know the difference.

On the other hand, in countries that are poorer with large peasant classes or have more open and passionate cultures (for example, Latin America, Russia, Ukraine, Spain, the Netherlands, the Philippines, etc.), meeting people is as easy as blowing on wind. ! Literally! The difference is staggering, like a BILLION PERCENT, but one has to experience it first hand to really see it. Why is there such a big difference?

In social settings, there is an unspoken social law that says you are allowed to make statements like the following:

1) All or most people are so friendly and wonderful! (what most travel sites and travel shows say about people everywhere)

2) I am very busy with work and I don’t have time to meet people.

3) I lack social skills and am not very outgoing.

Or you don’t say anything at all. Therefore, you are only allowed to praise the majority or blame yourself. These are the “rules” and limits of what you can and cannot say, and as you grow older, you gradually learn them. Truth is not the highest value in society, and the saying “Honesty is the best policy” is not followed. Therefore, saying something like the following would be a great taboo:

“I have trouble meeting people here. I’m very open and friendly, but people here are very closed, stuck up, anti-social, clichéd, non-inclusive and don’t want to meet me. They won’t talk to me.” strangers unless business related. They just mind their own business and expect me to do the same. So it’s hard for me to meet people here.”

No matter how TRUE and justified it is, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED to say that! It is as if the truth itself has become a taboo, which is the sign of a sick society.

In fact, in any culture, it is taboo to say that people are antisocial, even if it is true. Therefore, you will not find such statements in any book in the largest public library or in any news publication. It is totally prohibited, no matter how true or justified.

In fact, if you say the above unacceptable statement, it is not only taboo and politically incorrect, but it is weird and disturbing to people because it VIOLATES their paradigm of reality, which holds the false assumption and fallacy that:

1) Most people are straight, normal, sane, friendly and sociable.

2) Misfits and people who don’t follow the pack are crazy, insane and weird. They are the problem and the culprits of any incompatibility with the others.

However, many great thinkers and intellectuals with deep insight, from long ago to recent times, have discovered this fallacy and realized that the opposite was true. (for example, Mark Twain, George Bernard Shaw, Eric Fromm, Frederich Nietzsche, HL Mencken, RD Lang, Marcus Aurelius, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Ayn Rand, Oscar Wilde, etc.)

What this all means is that if you are aware of the social realities described above, you will find it more difficult to get into cliques in Anglo/Eastern countries, because cliques and groups in rich cultures are full of falsehood and conformity, and one has to be on a similar vibe with the social clique to even get a chance to get in (plus play the complicated social games too). This means that if you are in a “truth vibration” and see things as they are, you will not be compatible with most cliques, therefore if you acknowledge the reality above, you are already a misfit. This is the sad reality. Also, people who always tell the truth tend to have few friends and don’t fit in with large groups.

So the question we must ask ourselves is: What is the value and price of truth, freedom and the liberation of the mind? And is the price worth it?

However, most people prefer the practical benefits of conformity, rather than the truth or value of owning oneself.

For more of my freethought and truth articles: http://www.happieraproad.com/articles.php

By Winston Wu (Founder of HappierAbroad.com)