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Debra Smith

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What have you learned as a result of your place (location) on this planet? Do we learn different lessons from different place?

It seems to me that people might learn different lessons from where they are - if our environment shapes us. I just wondered if that is true. For example a place with harsh winters may teach different lessons than one with eternal spring or one with monsoons might teach different lessons than ones with deserts. Please share whatever is relevant to you in this regared.

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Topics: community values geography openness political leanings sharing weather patterns
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  • Scott Koenraadt

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    Aug 1 2012: To the original question I just have to say is that for the first part it depends on your relationship to the natural climate of the location. If you don't go outdoors you don't learn much from your location, if you do you learn a lot more about life and nature than you do reading books.

    To the second, of course! Lessons are perceptions based on your past experiences and upbringing. So it is completely individualistic. You could give a lecture to a thousand people and I would think there would be 500 different interpretations.

    To provide an example:
    A group of 5 approach an waterfall in the Amazon
    One sees all the biodiversity
    the second sees the aesthetic beauty of the whole scene
    the third only sees the flowers
    the fourth looks into the water
    the fifth sees the cash value of the area

    each one sees the same thing with different focuses and different priorities, thus they all learn different lessons from the same space. It would be the same of basically every location on earth
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      Debra Smith 200+

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      Aug 1 2012: Scott, lovely analysis and sensible assertions. This explains perhaps, why there are all personality types everywhere. If you consider an American from New York or one from Arizona or one from California, do you see commonalities in their behaviour or attitudes that could be contributed to by their place of origins? Please consider the sorts of stereotypes we all seem to have. If, scientifically we have stereotypes to reduce cognitive load= is something accuate in it - or is it simply one of those sterotypical thought processes that need to be guarded against?
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        Tatjana Jevdjic 100+

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        Aug 1 2012: I would mention a true story about a plane that crashed in the Argentine Andes in1972. Those who survived, learned about themselves in a hard way something that they did not know.
        In a more peaceful environment, I could say, that environment influences us in every way, there is reciprocity. Humans are like flowers. They do need sunlight, attention, communication, caring, nice word and some material things.

      • Scott Koenraadt

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        Aug 1 2012: I have not met many people from the states, so I don't want to make generalizing comments.

        But the outside climate is an important aspect, as is how much exposure a person gets to other people. There will always be commonalities between people from the same area, stereotypes can be both good and bad, the problem is that the assumption colours our view in much the same way as my previous example. I do not think this can be avoided, but it can be reduced by increasing the amount of interaction between populations or by decreasing the amount of media coverage of different populations (they tend to be the negative aspects being shown).

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