Have you ever broken a social rule in your own culture without knowing about it?

Question

And had people make a HUGE deal out of it. So I learned, and move on... does this happen alot?

Answer 1

it happened to me terrible fuss made not really my culture i was a new member of a church and moved my seat a a church dinner the priest had a fit and carried on at the time and at sunday mass didnt believe i didnt know there was a problem i had no idea i left that church

Answer 2

Social rules are very specific -- what is the rule in one group of people may not be the rule in another. An example is the difference between behavior in the South and the North. What Southerners of a certain class consider polite behavior may simply be baffling for Northerners, or simply not followed by Southerners of a different class. It's a mistake for anyone to think that the way they believe is proper is the rule in the entire country. Young people may have different ideas of proper from old people (I was taught that a woman never accepts an expensive gift from a man unless he's related to her or her fiance -- otherwise it would look bad -- I don't think the younger generation even knows of that social rule).

The only thing that's really wrong is hurting someone's feelings because of the social rule you broke. There's a big difference between niceties and things that really affect people's emotions. It's only people's feelings that should be considered a serious concern. The rest is just a rule book. It's good to learn it, to make life a little easier, but it's not a moral issue.

Answer 3

Oh Yeah, more than I can count with my fingers.

I come from a tradition practicing Mexican family. Since parents pay for college over there, kids usually stay home all through college and really don't leave until they are married.

I moved out of my parent's home at 18 to go to college here, had everything set up and running by myself and for myself and I handle all of my affairs.

This is way too uncommon among traditional mexican family values and I was often told I was insane and out of my mind when I would verbalize my plans with cousins and relatives. I think I'm still viewed and treated as the shrewd black sheep and now I'm not taking crap from anyone because of it.

I managed to have broken every imaginable stereotype you would perceive a mexican to be and for this, I have alienated myself not only from traditional family values in Mexico, but from what the assimilated mexican families have grown to be here in the U.S.

I like it and would not have done it any other way.

Answer 4

I've done this too. I have a cultural background as well. Like you said you just learn and move on. Except I add to that and I make sure I educate others. I work a lot with teenagers so I teach them about these things so they don't make the same mistakes.