“We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.” – Anais Nin

Cultural frame of reference can be described as our (usually subconscious) cultural characteristics. These characteristics are determined by the social environment which we live in (e.g. family, school, age, nation etc.). We often make judgments according to our cultural frame of reference. We make assumptions, and when something fails to satisfy these assumptions we form a negative impression.

However, it is possible to step out of our own cultural frame of reference by following these simple tips:

• Listen to and try to understand others
• Place yourself in someone else’s shoes
• Accept that nobody knows everything
• Do not assume everything is either right or wrong

Watch John’s TEDx talk on this subject.