Today I discovered the meaning of the phrase culture shock. It's amazing that you can live somewhere for two years and yet never really figure it out. Certain things that are taken for granted in one (the rest? Maybe New England, too... somehow, I can't see the Californians caring much, but then, what do they care about? And if any Californians get pissed, I lived there for eight years. So shut up.) part of the country is greeted with shock in another.

It can be discussed endlessly, and eventually, a consensus can be reached, but the root of the matter is that different cultures have different customs. The Europeans have no problem with full nudity (or to go even further, the Japanese show porn on mainstream TV) in media, yet shrink when violence is displayed. The U.S. is the complete opposite. Different cultures, different morals.

The colloquialism "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" would seem a perfect fit to this, but then, what of personal morals? I'm reading a most excellent book currently, Point Counter Point, by Aldous Huxley. Chapter I, Page 16 contains this thought:

"One should be loyal to one's tastes and instincts." But one's tastes and instincts were accidents. There were eternal principles. But if the axiomatic principles didn't happen to be your personal major premiss...?

When in Rome indeed. It certainly makes things easier. And it's the polite thing to do, no doubt. But if you firmly believe something, should you allow it to pass idly by for the sake of avoiding confrontation? This is equally applicable to the Romans and the visitors.

Life... at once complex and simplistic.