Being American, I am part of a culture that places high value on the virture of honesty. People, each one of us, are going to sometimes make mistakes, going to sometimes disappoint, or are not going to meet all needs and expectations - that is life. But - in the American culture - that is all helped by being honest with one another.
Peru does not share the virture of honesty. Instead, Peruvian culture places more importance on protecting the feelings of others. It is more importnat to not say anything that might upset another or make someone upset with you than to be honest. And so lying becomes the norm. People tell you they will be somewhere knowing they cannot be. People will tell you everything is fine and they agree with you when that could not be farther from the truth. This leads to a few things.
First, when we are not forthcoming about our feelings, we are led to act more passive-aggressively. There is also the assumption that everyone lies and is probably lying about any given thing. I have heard the word "mentirosa" (liar) so frequenty - And from my American perspective, I was shocked! What a strong accusation! Until I realized it is not as harshly offensive to be called a liar in this culture as it is in my own.
As I continue to live in and learn more about another culture, I find it so interesting that our cultures can have different views and practices in how we view so many societal practices, including virtues.
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