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RE: Anthropology and how we think
Exactly! I mean I am only a first year anthropology student but my brain is opening to all these possibilities and I feel so weird now thinking that people who thought differently were just weird.... but now I actually want to think like them and join them, I feel an urge to go on a field study and enjoy, learn and expand my knowledge to more than just me and what I know!
I've always been an informal anthropologist, since I was a kid. I just watched people and tried to get into their heads and above everything for a birds eye view to figure out why they acted the way they did. One of my earliest realizations was that, in general, anyone is capable of anything. That kind of realization burdens you with a lot of responsibility, most people are put off by it and it doesn't make for loyal consumers either.
Another huge realization was when I was travelling and ran out of money and ended up staying with some really interesting new friends. One of them said one day "I want to introduce you to one of my friends, come with me". He took me under a bridge nearby and there was a homeless village down there and I was still naive and utterly confused at what was going on. He introduced me to two of the guys who lived there and we spent the day chatting, even cooked dinner together. I was actually scared to talk to them at first. I thought homeless people were crazy, lazy, or on drugs. Well yeah, many are...but is it not the same in an office? How many people really imagine what it's like living exposed to the elements, being treated like garbage and probably having some sort of tragic reasons as to why you have to live that way? Most people do not bother. They leave that work to "freaks and weirdos" like us :-D
I'm going to rewrite this as a full post later.