Month, Year

X Is for Xenophobe

Well, here I am, down to those tricky letters of the alphabet. I am so grateful that one of my loyal readers suggested “Xenophobe” for X, just as I was scratching my head over it!

As usual, I’ll start with the definition. Xenophobe is not a very common word and you may not have even heard it before. It means, “A person unduly fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign, especially of strangers or foreign peoples.”

I chuckle as I am reminded of something Michael Caine’s character said in the movie “Goldmember,” the latest in the Austin Powers series. He said, “There are two things I can’t stand: people who are intolerant of other cultures…and the Dutch.”

Of course, the point was to poke fun at hypocrisy, but it made me think, “Hey, he’s a xenophobe!”

In our modern-day world, we encounter xenophobia with some regularity. The most startling example I can think of is what happened on September 11, 2001 , when our nation was the target of attacks by xenophobes. Like so many Americans, I was left to wonder, “Why do they hate us so much?”

Americans are also culprits in the xenophobe arena: We have a long history of prejudice and racism, do we not? As a nation, we also tend to have a sense of superiority to other cultures.

Now, you may be one of the most open-minded people in the world, but have you ever turned up your nose at a new kind of food? Have you ever looked at someone who dresses differently from you and thought, “That’s weird.”? Have you ever heard someone speaking a foreign language and thought—or even said—that he should learn English?

I made up my mind long ago to try to welcome new and different things into my life. I’ve learned to speak Japanese (sukoshi - a little bit). I hold a black belt in Karate. I joined a new partner in creating a new business less than a year ago.

It isn’t always easy. Sometimes I still find myself feeling superior to others or afraid to try something new. When a friend suggested a new restaurant the other day, I hesitated, because I wanted to go to a familiar restaurant. As it turned out, the new place was great, and I recommended it to several other friends!

This is a small example of what refusing to be a xenophobe can do for you.

You probably know that you can’t change anyone but yourself, right? Well, I won’t try to tell you what to do about your racist neighbor or your stick-in-the-mud friend, but I can give you some suggestions to keep yourself from being a xenophobe:

• Every so often, once a month or once a year, try a new restaurant with a foreign cuisine, such as Thai or Argentinean. (I am assuming everyone has tried Mexican and Italian, but if not, have at it!) While you’re there, look at the other patrons and the staff. Are any of them from the country of the cuisine? Why not strike up a conversation and find out about that culture?

• Check out the Travel Channel, the Discovery Channel and the History Channel. You’ll find things you never knew you never knew!

• If there is someone in your office or network or business circle who seems different, who has “turned you off” with that different-ness, who makes you curious… why not approach him/her and say hello? You’ll never know what makes that person different — or how much you have in common — until you do!

These exercises are the kind that will keep you open to new experiences and new knowledge. Try one or all of them and nobody can call you a xenophobe! Until next time…

Wishing you health, wealth, and happiness,

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Steven works with entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals who want to clarify their communications and concepts so that they can dramatically increase their business profitability.

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