In other parts of the world, such as Asia or Europe, other countries are only a couple hours drive away. Some U.S. states are bigger than some countries! Because the United States is so large, however, and there are only three countries in the North American continent, Americans are not as international as citizens of other countries may be.
Because Americans do not get to explore other countries and regions as much as other nations' citizens may, it provides a very narrow perspective. We do not have as much of an understanding of other cultures and their traditions and customs. It is important we learn about other societies and their peoples because there are over seven billion people on Earth. The U.S. population (while very large) is 300 million, which is only about 4% of the world's population. This means that 95% of the global population has different laws, systems of government, housing, companies, jobs and everything else you could possibly imagine!
Coming to Singapore and speaking with all kinds of people (both Singaporeans and people from other countries) has taught me a lot, and most importantly that people from other countries have very different perspectives. And that's okay! In fact, it's more than okay... it's very good! Because when two people with different perspectives talk to one another, they can have a good and interesting conversation and learn more from it. Here, I have learned all about different countries and how they differ from the United States. While I love a lot of things about the U.S., I also realize and recognize that there are also so many great things that other countries do as well! This is what gaining a more global perspective is all about.
