Gori Girl

When in Rome, Do As the Romans Do… Sometimes

Most of my American friends live in horror of being that American tourist when traveling abroad. We've all heard the horror stories of the rude American traveler who behaved in a completely culturally insensitive way while traveling, working, or living abroad. The person who tromps into a Japanese house wearing his shoes. Or complains loudly about the stupidity of grocery stores being closed in Germany on a Sunday. No one wants to be that person, right? In an effort to not be that person, friends have told me they try their darnedest to follow that age old maxim: when in Rome, do as the Romans do - i.e. follow the customs of the land and culture that you find yourself in, even if they aren't your customs. Nothing wrong with trying to be respectful in all ways possible of other cultures, right? Well, no - there are some things wrong with that old rule about following other culture's customs as much as possible. My main complaint with the "when in Rome" adage is that it simplifies a topic that defies simplification. Tossing the rule out in a conversation as a simple, true fact (as happened recently in the comments section at another blog that inspired this post) strikes me as similar to slapping a bandage on what is, in fact, a thorny issue. Sometimes it's a good idea to follow the customs and traditions of another society while you're visiting (or living in) it. But sometimes it's a really bad idea.