The Grass is Always Greener When You're Only Looking at a Well Kept Yard

[IceJad]

Recently I just watch a video about a guy comparing the quality of supermarkets in my country Malaysia to his own in Australia. I find it funny that he placed us far ahead of his own. To me where he was visiting is what regular Malaysians call high end places. Places where the prices are above the average. With premium comes aesthetically pleasing designs, variety and good shopping atmosphere. There are many supermarkets that are absolutely dreary in Malaysia as there will be some in Australia that will blow Malaysia's out of the water. I can't blame him for his comparison because as a tourist one would hardly venture beyond the recommended spots.

So this got me thinking how people form perceptions. We see the best and usually conclude that the whole is the same. I think some of these praises come from a place of disappointment as well. Disappointment of what they are generally accustomed to. People are generally dissatisfied with their current status and surroundings. Therefore when they are exposed to a different and often selectively better environment they tend to draw a more positive comparison. However what little exposure they have of the new environment is not always the indicator of the whole. I believe that given time to adjust into the new environment people will start to notice the very thing that made them unhappy with their prior environment.

Just my thought.

 

[Laodicean60]

I was in Cabos Mexico and went into one of their super Walmarts and was very impressed at the beauty and products offered, maybe because it's a tourist town. I've also been to supermarkets in Juarez Mexico and they look like ours in the US so I agree with the perception.

 

[IceJad]

I mean not just with places of interest but the perception of how society itself works also has this bias. I see a lot of foreigners especially western ones taunting Malaysia's diversity and inclusiveness. The openness of the society. You know all the buzzwords. Yet so little people know of the deeper societal issues that are just as damning as back in their respective countries. Because as a tourist or even a short term expat one rarely get to understand full context of a society.

To them the grass is greener because what they are seeing are the antithesis of what they know of their own home. Yet that cannot be further than the truth. The phenomenon is nothing new people do tend to see something new as better than the old. Funny how the human mind works.