Episode 04— Exceptionalism and Cultural Competence

Americans are particularly fond of promoting a notion of our national exceptionalism. Clearly, America can legitimately claim a lot of achievements and contributions to human society, but Americans can also be stunningly insensitive to and ignorant of the virtues and contributions of other cultures. This episode explores how sometimes a simple shift of perspective can have a radical effect on our perceptions, and examines the value of learning to deliberately step outside our habitual frames of reference to see things anew. Referencing films, personal experiences and the neurological patterns of our expectations, this chapter explores how we tailor data to fit our paradigms, and then project our corresponding expectations onto reality, often to our detriment. It also explores how we can widen the horizons of our perceptions, perhaps even achieving a genuinely human exceptionalism not bound by our specific culture or nationality.