As much as I enjoy reading, I think it is essential to expand our knowledge of the world’s various cultures. Books give us a better understanding of how other people live, people we might have and never will meet in actual life, but worth knowing about.
Respect
Growing up, I traveled to Montreal, and I studied there for a few years. I’ve met people of various nationalities, and I learned one fundamental matter; to respect them all. I knew that no matter where we come from, we must show respect for one another.
That’s what happens through books; reading about a new culture might seem strange, yet we would soon learn to understand how the characters behave in that perspective. As a reader, I could weigh and see things from the characters’ viewpoint and learn to respect them.
Gain a new trend
It’s fascinating to learn from a character, a new technique, or a recipe that the protagonist applies in her daily routine. When I read the Henna Artist by Alka Joshi, I learned a few tricks here and there about the Indian culture I found very useful.
That we are all equal
No matter how many books I read about different nationalities, I would always come to one conclusion, that we are all equal. We are all human beings. And that what matters most.
Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.
Stephen R. Covey