How can I respect other cultures without compromising my own moral code?

What “culture” are you from, and why do you think it’s superior and without moral failings?

@Blackberry I actually come from the “cultures that force people to bride before anything can be done” and “cultures that think it’s ok to be cruel to animals because they are inherently lesser than humans” although recently the younger generation is showing more kindness to animals. Some people here rationalize the bribery practice as “it’s something everyone does”, and “if you want someone to help you, you have to show them you care for them”.

There are a lot of aspects in my own culture that I’m critical of. But sometimes I feel like I’m just being negative.

This is a great question.
I can tell what I personally did. In a previous life, I traveled quite a bit a stayed in different countries for extended periods. I was exposed to many “culture quirks” as I called them.
I never tried to change the other person. I said something like: “That’s interesting. Very different from how we do it. ” and left it at that. If the other person asked or seemed interested, I would then feel free to tell what I thought about it.
Fortunately I never had to deal with abuse of women, children. pets, etc. I don’t think I could stand by and watch without doing something to stop it.
I likely would have ended up in a foreign prison.

For me, I have to stay emotionally detached and recognize that we all have different values and life experiences. Even then it’s not easy.

What I would not do is support any activity that I find abhorrent, like the Korean youtuber. If there is a demand, there will always be a supplier.

Cultural differences that inflict extreme pain either physically or emotionally to any living thing I would take issue with. I take issue with it in my own country, so I’m not really picking on another culture, although one could argue that even within my own country there are cultural differences among the subcultures in America.

Torturing a living thing is unacceptable. Hazing and dangerous rights of passage rituals are unacceptable. Hitting children is unacceptable. I have a huge list of what happens to girls around the world that I think are unacceptable.

Whether I would say something or take action is questionable. If I was in a foreign country I’d likely keep my mouth shut. In my own country I might try to do something.

If the Korean people don’t usually torture fish like that, then I don’t see it as cultural.

I don’t mind pointing out that fish are basically suffocated to death in most cultures. They are caught and then slowly die often caught in huge nets crowded on a boat deck, it would be like drowning a human being. That bothers me, but I still eat fish.

Other cultural differences that are not blatantly abusive are very interesting and I think we should not be quick to judge, but be curious instead.

I actually like some of the comments in the video linked by @Mimishu1995:

“Here’s a well known fact: animal cruelty is one of the first signs of someone being a psychopath.”

“She should try a blue ring octopus. I hear they’re to die for.” She should also try some box jelly soup for an appetizer.

“Humans are scared of Aliens because they are scared that Aliens will treat us the same way we treat animals.”

@Mimishu1995
You can’t save the world, unfortunately. You can either fight a good fight being an activist, or you can try to find a different corner of the planet where you can try to make your own sanctuary.

I’m sorry you had to be exposed to the real evils of nature.

Mind your own culture, and leave them to theirs.

It seems your question contains the answer. There are cultural norms and there are moral wrongs. They’re different ideas. Where cultural norms cross over into moral wrongs, then those cultural norms can and should be criticized by anyone.

I no longer believe in cultural relativism. Some things are wrong, no matter how one’s culture defines it. Causing anything or anyone needless suffering is one of them.

@tinyfaery “I no longer believe in cultural relativism.”

Exactly. If morals are relative to culture, then nobody can claim moral wrong in Nazi culture for example. Essentially “morality” becomes a meaningless term at that point.

You don’t have to “respect” anything, especially if they’re cruel and barbaric. You just have to know when to speak up.and when to stay silent.

Also, when you say ”...cultures that force people to bride before anything can be done,” are you referring to girl children that are forced to marry dirty old men?

@Dutchess_III I’m pretty sure @Mimishu1995 had a typo and intended “bribe.” Later this word is used.

OIC. Thanks @monkeyhands.

@JLeslie has pretty much described how I feel – if it hurts a living thing, it’s unacceptable.

Some/many(?) Koreans also believe that the more one tortures and painfully kills a dog, the more tender the meat.

Personally, I have no problem not respecting other cultures. I was born into a certain culture and thus ‘inherited’ certain morals. If another culture is vastly different, to the point of offending my morals and ethics by using torture, they don’t deserve respect.

@Mimishu1995 Just curious, did you report that video?

@smudges I didn’t report it. The video is just a man talking about that channel, not the video of the channel itself. I don’t need to go to the channel, the video showed me enough.

I haven’t watched the video. But I’m guessing it’s about eating live octopus?

Personally, I couldn’t and wouldn’t. But if you really think about what we are objecting to. Are we objecting to the pain the octopus is going through while being eaten? If that’s the case, we should all be vegetarian considering how animals are treated in processing plants.

If we are objecting to how this has been commodified on social media, I’d probably agree with you.

@raum live everything, not just octopus. And she took great joy in seeing them die slowly. There are some people in the comments that said she could at least kill them quickly before eating. But yeah, I agree with you that this could open a whole can of worm about the ethics of eating animals.

But the video is just an example of what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the broader idea of things in other cultures that don’t align to morality, or at least our own sense of morality. Things like abuse of women and children, for example.

@Mimishu1995 I understand; I didn’t watch it either. I didn’t know it was just a man talking about it, but wouldn’t have even watched that.

@smudges if you are sensitive to animal abuse, I would suggest you don’t watch that. He showed clips from the channel that can be really graphic.

The guy was angry about the channel though. He made the video to raise awareness about that specific channel.

@Mimishu1995 If she were in America I would think she should be arrested and put into psychiatric treatment.

There are already all sorts of arguments, even legal arguments, regarding humane ways to kill animals for food. Some countries have put in laws for kosher meat. Here’s a fairly recent article: https://m.jpost.com/opinion/the-european-union-has-not-banned-kosher-slaughter-656462/amp

I think I would ask someone that I respect who is actually from that culture what they think. :)

I think it would depend on how intimately you had to deal with those cultures. If you were living in an area where women and children are abused and it bothers you (as it would me), then I would suggest moving OR working with an activist group to correct the situation. Some cultures will not allow this (take the Taliban for instance). If your interaction is just from an outsider viewpoint, then I’d say welcome to the human race. Arrogance, hatred, greed, etc are all traits that are truly human. And it is these traits that cause most of the things you cited.

“This is a dilemma that I still don’t have an answer for. How should I behave around a tradition that doesn’t align to my own moral code? Should I just suppress my feeling because I’m just an outsider looking in?”

Learn about differnt cultures practices and those that are no aligned to your ideals, avoid going to them or about them. Surely after tourists refuse to visit those places perhaps THEY may change?