

It's becoming easier/more difficult to experience being an outsider - ebun
http://www.economist.com/world/international/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15108690

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proemeth
Did Descartes really die of _cold_?
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/14/rene-
descartes-p...](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/14/rene-descartes-
poisoned-catholic-priest)

~~~
berntb
Sad, there disappeared my native Sweden's single major contribution to
philosophy... :-)

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thadk
So they mentioned artists and philosophers as foreigners, what about
entrepreneurs? I wonder...

As someone who has just completed a contract with the Peace Corps in East
Africa, its points ring strongly. How did I miss the article? Thanks for
sharing.

~~~
kaib
> How did I miss the article? Thanks for sharing.

Ditto. Thanks for posting!

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andrewcooke
hmmm. it completely misses the possibility that there's a point when "ooo
different" stops becoming fun / interesting and starts being a drag.

living in a foreign country means you never feel completely _right_. if you're
on vacation, that's a pleasant change. for a lifetime it's not quite as much
fun.

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gommm
That really depends of people, I've spent almost one third of my life living
in foreign countries and I don't really feel that it's a drag... And on the
contrary to the article, I do feel that I belonged in the different cities
I've lived... I do however tend to want to move after 3-4 years in one place,
get the rush again from discovering a new place...

~~~
andrewcooke
i'm sure it does depend on the person, and the circumstances, but i am a
little sceptical of the idea that you can consistently, every 3 - 4 years,
learn a new language + culture to the point where you're, say, able to discuss
politics in an informed way without offending people, or make a joke (that
people laugh at!) at a party...

~~~
gommm
It depends, if you are in europe and learned foreign languages as a kid, it's
entirely possible...

Where I am now, in China and before Japan, indeed the language barrier is much
higher and while I feel that I can speak well enough to both discuss politics
and make jokes at a party (working in a company with no foreign speakers and
talking in japanese all the time at home with my girlfriend helps). I'm still
an illiterate and often feel the barrier of the language...

But, that didn't stop me from having a sense of belonging there or, now that I
don't live there, to be also sometimes a bit homesick toward Japan...

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gms
I'm a foreigner living in America for now. The article writer is probably too
old to realise this, but Facebook is a huge factor in blunting the
transformation from foreigner to 'exile'.

