Most people grow up surrounded by familiar norms—spoken and unspoken rules about how to behave, what to eat, how to speak, and even what counts as polite. These norms can feel so natural that it’s easy to assume they’re universal. But once someone steps outside of their cultural comfort zone, that certainty often begins to shift. Living in a new environment with different customs forces a person to re-evaluate what they’ve always accepted as normal.
Don’t be impatient. This shift unfolds gradually, often beginning with confusion, followed by frustration, and eventually—if the person stays open—understanding. Something as simple as greeting a stranger or eating a meal can take on entirely different meanings in a different country.
In Japan, for instance, silence during a conversation can be a sign of respect. In the U.S., silence often makes people uncomfortable. “Realizing that neither behavior is inherently “correct” is a small but powerful perspective change,” says Ryan McCorvie, whose writing and career reflect a deep engagement with global experiences..
That process of rethinking assumptions is one of the most lasting effects of learning a new culture. It can make someone more empathetic, more curious, and more willing to question their own worldview. More than just intellectual, these changes truly affect how people interpret daily life activities, such as reading the news or interacting with neighbors.
“Gaining this perspective doesn’t require years abroad or fluency in multiple languages,” notes McCorvie. “What matters is the depth of engagement.” When people immerse themselves in another way of living—through shared meals, conversation, or rituals—they begin to see the world less in terms of “us” and “them,” and more as a collection of equally valid human experiences.
Immersive Travel as a Catalyst for Perspective Shift
Travel, when done with intention, can serve as a direct route to cultural understanding.
“It’s one thing to visit a place as a tourist, moving quickly from one landmark to the next,” says McCorvie. “It’s something entirely different to live with a host family, work alongside locals, or spend several weeks in one neighborhood.”
These kinds of experiences allow for meaningful exposure to different routines, values, and perspectives. In fact, a 2018 Harris Poll of 1,300 business travelers found that 87% said work trips made them more empathetic, suggesting that even structured travel can lead to lasting emotional growth.
Programs that offer immersive experiences, such as teaching English abroad, volunteering with community projects, or participating in cultural exchange homestays, tend to foster deeper connections. Participants don’t just observe cultural differences; they live with them. They experience what it’s like to follow another country’s daily rhythm, whether that means eating dinner at 10 p.m. in Spain or pausing for afternoon tea in Kenya. These differences challenge assumptions and make room for alternative ways of thinking.
Language barriers, unfamiliar customs, and even moments of loneliness often become points of growth. Travelers find themselves relying on body language, improvising with limited vocabulary, and picking up on nonverbal cues. These interactions teach patience and humility. The act of being the outsider—of not understanding everything—can build empathy for others who navigate life this way every day.
Over time, the lessons learned through immersive travel stay with people long after they return home. Many find themselves more adaptable, more attentive to cultural nuances, and more likely to seek out diverse perspectives in their everyday lives. They no longer see their own culture as the default, but as one version among many.
Cooking as Cultural Literacy
Learning to cook traditional dishes from another country is a great way to build a direct connection to a community’s history, environment, and values. For example, preparing tamales in Mexico or sourdough bread in Italy often means joining multi‑generational kitchens, absorbing techniques and storytelling passed down over time. Cooking like this highlights the importance of local ingredients, shared effort, and cultural continuity.
Food-focused travel influences both budgets and understanding. The World Food Travel Association reports that 93% of travelers participated in food or drink experiences during their trips in the past two years, and 82% spent more on food while traveling than at home. These numbers show that eating—and cooking—locally can be a central part of how many connect with a place.
Culinary tourism supports cultural preservation by drawing attention and resources to local producers, markets, and cooking traditions. Each cooking class or market visit becomes a living classroom. This type of immersion fosters respect for seasonal cycles, sustainable practices, and the human labor behind every meal.
When someone sits down to cook and eat traditional dishes, they often end up in conversations they wouldn’t otherwise have—about family, history, or social norms. That kind of exchange helps dismantle stereotypes and replaces them with nuanced understanding.
“Learning to cook, in this sense, becomes a path to appreciating how food reflects identity, community, and memory,” says Ryan McCorvie, who runs a Japanese cooking show on YouTube.
Language: Learning to Think Differently
Language learning is often approached as a technical challenge—memorizing vocabulary, conjugating verbs, or perfecting pronunciation. But its deeper effect is cognitive. Language shapes the way people think, categorize experiences, and even feel emotions. Learning a new language exposes someone to a structure of thought that may differ significantly from their own.
For example, in Korean, the language changes depending on the age and status of the person you’re speaking to. This isn’t just grammar—it’s a reflection of how relationships are structured and prioritized. Similarly, in many Indigenous languages, the natural world is described with far more specificity than in English, which often has a single word—like “snow”—for things other cultures differentiate in great detail.
Even basic conversations in a second language require mental flexibility. People learning a new language must think ahead, simplify their ideas, and accept that they won’t always be understood. These small adjustments can lead to a broader shift in how someone sees communication in general. They begin to recognize how much meaning is lost in translation—and how much patience and creativity go into every multilingual exchange.
Many learners also report changes in emotional expression. Some say they feel more polite or reserved in one language, or more direct in another. This isn’t just about vocabulary; it’s about how language gives shape to personality and social interaction. Engaging with a different language helps people understand that communication is not one-size-fits-all—and that their own patterns of speech are learned, not natural.
Spiritual Practices and Worldview Expansion
Religious and spiritual traditions often reflect a community’s deepest values. Participating in or respectfully observing those practices while abroad can lead to lasting perspective shifts. These experiences are not about converting or adopting a new faith—they’re about understanding how others find meaning, build connection, and interpret existence.
For instance, someone attending a call to prayer in a predominantly Muslim country may be struck by how the day is structured around devotion. Or they might witness a Hindu puja ceremony and see how worship is woven into daily family life. These rituals often involve elements that don’t have direct parallels in secular or Western traditions—like offerings, chants, or ancestral reverence—and that unfamiliarity forces the observer to reconsider what spirituality can look like.
Learning about spiritual customs also reveals what a culture celebrates or mourns. Funeral traditions, for example, vary widely. In parts of Indonesia, funerals can last days and involve hundreds of guests. In Japan, silence and simplicity are key. Each practice speaks to different beliefs about the afterlife, family, and community. These differences challenge assumptions and invite people to rethink their own definitions of respect or grief.
Experiencing religious or spiritual life in another culture also tends to foster humility. People come face to face with traditions that are older, more complex, or more communal than what they’re used to. Even without full understanding, the act of showing up—of listening, observing, and asking thoughtful questions—can create mutual respect and open up valuable conversations.
For many, these moments can influence future decisions, from how they raise children to how they view purpose or morality. Learning about how others organize their spiritual lives can expand a person’s sense of what it means to live with intention.
From Observation to Empathy: The Lasting Impact
After exploring cultures through food, language, immersive travel, and spiritual practices, the most enduring change is often an internal one. People who engage deeply with another culture tend to become more empathetic, adaptable, and thoughtful in daily life. That’s because immersion forces a person to notice and navigate differences—and to value them rather than dismiss them.
Cross-cultural experiences can make you stronger. When someone finds themselves navigating a foreign bus system, learning unfamiliar etiquette, or preparing meals with local families, they work through confusion and discomfort. That process sharpens patience and resourcefulness—traits that prove invaluable back home when facing workplace challenges, new communities, or unexpected life shifts.
Another long-term effect involves perspective. Living within a different culture often leads to questioning assumptions about education, social systems, or consumer habits. That firsthand experience grounds broader critiques in reality. It’s not theory anymore; it’s lived. Someone who’s studied Danish benefits or Brazilian social inequality returns home with real-world insight, not just headlines.
The strongest impact might be on relationships. People who’ve stepped outside their cultural bubble tend to initiate richer conversations, listen more actively, and build bridges between different groups. This change doesn’t require degrees or extensive travel—just open-minded curiosity and respectful participation.
