It’s hard to notice oddities in your culture — they just feel “normal.” But there’s nothing universal about what you consider common sense. It’s all shaped by the world you grew up in. The book American Ways by Gary Althen taught me this clearly. The intended audience is non-Americans who need to interact with Americans, so the book is full of tidbits that make me feel like an alien specimen undergoing examination. Like this: When they first encounter another person, Americans engage in a kind of conversation they call small talk. The most common topic of small talk is the…
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