Benefits Of Having Friends From Different Cultures

In the globalised world, where countries are interconnected, so are the people; it becomes imperative to make new friends from different cultures. 

Exchanging cultural values, learning languages, and having a special bond with multicultural friends promote unity. However, it can be done within one’s country, but having an international friend has a different feel.

Friends come into our lives, become an integral part of them, teach us things, accept us, and help us grow. Having friends from different cultural backgrounds can be fun since we’d have a lot of things to learn and teach each other.

Additionally, there are many benefits to having friends from different cultures, so let us learn some of them.

You Learn Multiculturalism

When you make friends from different cultures, it doesn’t matter if they are from your own country or from a foreign country, you have first-hand experience with another culture. At first, it may feel like a culture shock experiencing a whole new way of doing things but in due course of time, you accept it. 

You get to know a lot of things about your friends’ culture and also help your friends to understand your culture and traditional values. As time passes by, you develop a unique bond, hence, you learn and get to understand multiculturalism.

However, if you wish to learn more about this topic, read: What is multiculturalism?

You Learn New Languages

Your interactions with friends from different cultures provide you an opportunity to learn their languages and vice-versa.

When you interact with persons from different cultural backgrounds, you get a chance to learn their language. It can’t be done in a day or two, therefore you need to have a special bond with such persons to interact with them and have a conversation; Friendship is the best option you have. 

Make new friends from different cultures and interact with them to learn their languages. Also, teach them yours if they’re curious and willing to learn. 

Helps You In Personality growth

Your regular interaction with your friends from different cultural backgrounds helps you in your personality development. You become more liberal when you learn things about your friends’ family background, village, society and life.

Also, your multicultural friendship promotes empathy in you; you understand your friend and can feel and relate to his problems. 

You Gain Knowledge

Your friends from different cultures have the potential to impart knowledge related to geography, history, culture, religion, life and society to you.

When you meet your friends, you discuss a lot of things. Discussing things like place of origin and family background is quite common when you are in the initial phase of your friendship. You come to know about the geographical details of your friends’ native place and learn about their history, culture, life and society. In the long run, it helps you to gain knowledge about all such thing things.

You can apply that knowledge in your academic life or it can give you an advantage in a debate. Also, if you have a kid, you can impart that knowledge to him. 

You Get To Travel

When you have friends from different cultures, you get opportunities to visit their native places. By visiting them, you experience a whole new world that you can’t experience in your own hometown. 

Furthermore, when you travel, you learn a lot of things and gain experience. Also, your interaction with people broadens your outlook and helps you in becoming a better man.

If you love travelling and you’re not shy about making new friends, then you should definitely make friends from different cultures.

You Discover Foods

What can be a better idea than trying some food which you never had! To do so, you need to make new friends from different cultures; it is the easiest and more pocket-friendly way!

When you visit your friends’ homes who are from different cultures, you get a chance to feast on some delicious foods. You can’t have a better experience than eating a dish prepared at home and that too by a native.

Conclusion

Friends from different cultures bring a lot of advantages and opportunities for you. They also learn a lot of things from you as your own culture would be quite different from their own.

From broadening your outlook to developing your personality, having multicultural friends has a lot of benefits.

However, to make friends from different cultures, you should be accepting and curious to explore things. Also, accept your multicultural friends the way they are, don’t force your own customs, traditions and moral values on them.

Suggested reading- How To Make Online Friends?