Cross Cultural Understanding Quotes

“WONDERLAND

It is a person's unquenchable thirst for wonder
That sets them on their initial quest for truth.
The more doors you open, the smaller you become.
The more places you see and the more people you meet,
The greater your curiosity grows.
The greater your curiosity, the more you will wander.
The more you wander, the greater the wonder.
The more you quench your thirst for wonder,
The more you drink from the cup of life.
The more you see and experience, the closer to truth you become.
The more languages you learn, the more truths you can unravel.
And the more countries you travel, the greater your understanding.
And the greater your understanding, the less you see differences.
And the more knowledge you gain, the wider your perspective,
And the wider your perspective, the lesser your ignorance.
Hence, the more wisdom you gain, the smaller you feel.
And the smaller you feel, the greater you become.
The more you see, the more you love --
The more you love, the less walls you see.
The more doors you are willing to open,
The less close-minded you will be.
The more open-minded you are,
The more open your heart.
And the more open your heart,
The more you will be able to
Send and receive --
Truth and TRUE
Unconditional
LOVE.”
― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

“The closer they come to transcending technique and the memorization of lines--the closer to really beginning to act, in short--the more Chinese they begin to seem. Happy now approaches Miss Forsythe to pick her up in the restaurant with a wonderful formality, his back straight, head high, his hand-gestures even more precise and formal, but with a comic undertone that ironically comes closer to conveying the original American idea of the scene than when he was trying to be physically sloppy and "relaxed"--that is, imitating an American. I think that by some unplanned magic we may end up creating something not quite American or Chinese but a pure style springing from the heart of the play itself--the play as a nonnational event, that is, a human circumstance.”
― Arthur Miller, Salesman in Beijing

“Tabini was at least canny enough in the differences between atevi and human to know that, gut level, he might think he understood - but chances were very good that he wouldn't, couldn't, and never would, unaided by the paidhi, come up with the right forecast of human behavior because he didn't come with the right hardwiring. Average people didn't analyze what they thought: they thought they thought, and half of it was gut reaction.”
― C.J. Cherryh, Invader

“I am amazed all over again by how magnified this project's importance has become, far beyond its being a play or an artwork. It is now a test of some kind; but of what, precisely? The incommunicability of the Chinese? If I can't claim to know my actors, I know them as well or as little as I would an American cast. I can no longer call up the notion of Chinese mysteriousness.”
― Arthur Miller, Salesman in Beijing

“If we are going to live with our deepest differences then we must learn about one another.”
― Deborah J. Levine, Matrix Model Management System: Guide to Cross Cultural Wisdom

“Try seeing, feeling, and tasting the water you swim in the way a land animal might perceive it. You may find the experience fascinating -- and mind-expanding.”
― Erin Meyer, The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business

“He glanced helplessly at Ruby, hoping for some help. She was a scribe and had more experience with dwarves than the six hours that Durham had acquired. He's assumed that, as a fellow human, she would make an effort to be some sort of cultural ambassador to help him survive past lunch. Ruby's current interpretation of being helpful seemed to be a silent smirk.”
― Jeffery Russell, The Dungeoneers

“Cheese, where you takes liquid from a cow lady's business parts, mix it with a bit o' juices from a baby cow's fourth stomach and then let it grow all fuzzy-moldy for a few years, eh?”
― Jeffery Russell, The Dungeoneers

“The middle-class standard of the independent self has increasingly become the default American standard for how to think, feel and act in the world…this middle class self is not just a matter of individual attitudes or beliefs; it is an understanding of what it means to be a person that is built into and promoted by the social machinery – law, politics, education, employment, media, and health care of mainstream American society. Although the independent self is widely accepted as the cultural standard, it is not the natural, normal, neutral or even the most effective way of being a person. Instead, it is a privileged and culture-specific understanding of what it means to be a person that flows seamlessly from the resources, opportunities, and experiences linked with middle-class American standing in society.”
― Susan T. Fiske, Facing Social Class: How Societal Rank Influences Interaction

“Where cross-cultural engagement is concerned, token adjustments are no longer an option. To advance a credible message of God’s love for all people in an increasingly diverse society, we must move ourselves entirely as well as the churches we lead. We must adjust to a new reality.”
― DeYmaz, Mark

“It was an effort formulating this summary, explaining myself. I preferred the distant past, centuries that were over and done with, ghosts that posed no direct threat. History could be milked for this cause or that. We observed it always with hindsight, projecting onto it our modern convictions and anxieties.”
― Leila Aboulela, The Kindness of Enemies

“In international affairs, true strength is found in the pursuit of peace, not power."

"Diplomacy is the art of finding common ground in the vast diversity of our global landscape."

"Global progress depends on leaders who see beyond borders and build bridges of understanding."

"The world’s greatest challenges are solved not by isolation, but by the unity of nations working together."

"International affairs demand a balance of vision and pragmatism, of ideals and realities."

"In the global arena, dialogue is the most powerful weapon for resolving conflicts and fostering peace."

"True global leadership embraces the diversity of voices, recognizing that every culture adds value to our shared future."

"The key to a stable world lies in our ability to collaborate across borders and find solutions that benefit all."

"To navigate international affairs is to dance in the delicate balance between national interests and global responsibility."

"Sustainable development is a collective commitment that transcends borders, cultures, and politics.”
― Vorng Panha

“Every border I crossed blurred another line inside me — between who I was, and who I was becoming.”
― Yoon Jeong Kim, The South Korean Diplomat's Wife: Stories of Silk Dresses, Scandals, and Secrets