Fish don’t know they’re in water

Fish don’t know they’re in water

By Derek Sivers

Fish don’t know they’re in water.

If you tried to explain(ikˈsplān) it, they’d say, “Water? What’s water?”

They’re so surrounded by it, that it’s impossible to see.

They can’t see it until they get outside of it.

This is how I feel about culture(ˈkəlCHər).

We’re so surrounded by people who think like us, that it’s impossible to see that what we think are universal(ˌyo͞onəˈvərsəl) truths(tro͞oTH) are just our local culture.

We can’t see it until we get outside of it.

I was born(bôrn) in California(-nēə,ˌkaləˈfôrnyə) and grew up with what I felt(felt) was a normal upbringing(ˈəpˌbriNGiNG) with normal values.

I was speaking to a business school class here in Singapore(ˈsiNGəˌpôr). I asked, “How many people would like to start their own company some day?” In a room of 50 people, only one hand (reluctantly(riˈləktənt)) went up.

If I would have asked this question to a room of 50 business school students in California, 51 hands would have gone up. (Someone would have run in from the hallway just to raise(rāz) their hand.)

Thinking maybe they were just shy, I asked, “Really!? Why not?” - and asked individuals(ˌindəˈvijəwəl). Their answers:

“Why take the risk(risk)? I just want security(siˈkyo͝oritē).”

“I spent all this money on school, and need to make it back.”

“If I fail, it would be a huge((h)yo͞oj) embarrassment(emˈbarəs) to my family.”

Then I realized my local American culture. The land of entrepreneurs(-ˈnər,ˌäntrəprəˈno͝or) and over-confidence(-fəˌdens,ˈkänfədəns). I had heard this before, but I hadn’t really felt it until I could see it from a distance.

All of my Singaporean friends live with their parents(ˈpar-,ˈpe(ə)rənt). Even pretty successful ones, even married ones, even up to age 35, live with their parents at their parents’ home.

When I told one that I left home at 17, she was horrified(ˈhär-,ˈhôrəˌfī). She said, “Isn’t that horribly insulting(inˈsəltiNG) to your parents? Weren’t they devastated(ˈdevəˌstāt)?”

Then I realized my local American culture again. The emphasis(ˈemfəsis) on individualism(ˌindəˈvijo͞oəˌlizəm), rebellion(riˈbelyən), following your dreams. I had heard this before, but I hadn’t really felt it until I could see it from a distance.

My culture isn’t in the center. It’s off on the edge(ej), like one petal(ˈpetl) in a flower(ˈflou(-ə)r), like they all are. Not right or wrong - just one of many options.

Yes, the rest of the world can enjoy a good laugh at the stereotypical(ˈsterē-ō,ˈsti(ə)r- ˈtipikəl) American - just now realizing he’s not the center of the universe.

I’m just a fish who didn’t know he was in water.

https://sivers.org/fish