What I Learned: My “Normal” Is Not Everyone Else’s Normal🌸🌸

I lived in the Philippines and Australia, and I have traveled to around 30 countries.

The biggest lesson I learned from those experiences is that what feels “normal” to one person may not be normal to someone else.

When I was surrounded by people from different countries, I often realized that what I considered common sense in Japan was actually a minority opinion. There were many times when I was the only person in the group who saw things differently.

Before living abroad, I think I often judged situations based on my own values and assumptions. But after experiencing different cultures, I started reacting differently. When someone said or did something that I didn’t understand, instead of immediately feeling upset or offended, I became curious.

I found myself asking, “Why do they think that way?” or “What kind of environment did they grow up in?”

What seems strange to me may be completely normal to them. To understand whether someone’s actions come from misunderstanding, cultural differences, or genuine bad intentions, I first need to understand their background.

And I realized that this lesson doesn’t apply only to foreigners.

Even among Japanese people, everyone grows up in different environments and develops different values. We all have different versions of what is “normal.”

Living among people with different cultures taught me that my own common sense is not universal.

That lesson has stayed with me long after my travels ended, and it may be one of the most valuable things I learned from living overseas.