Economies of culture

We are, by nature, specialists. We are programmed from birth to learn from our parents and peers in order to adapt to our environment.  We accept social moors and ethos unquestioningly; even when challenged, we dismiss other people's actions rather than recognize our own expectations. This is normal and natural and allows us to excel in that environment.  It only becomes an issue when you change environments.

No matter how long I live in Britain, I'll never be British.  I may eat with my fork in the left hand (and upside-down), and I may spell aluminium differently, but it's always a conscious effort, not the effortlessness of even a 4 year old native.  That's not necessarily a bad thing -- in many ways, I consider myself superior to a 4-year-old -- but it is a limitation.  I am specialized as an American, and more than that, as an Angeleno.

100 years ago, specialism extended not to the country, but to the county, and often to the borough, as Pygmalion/My Fair Lady pointed out.  Until the 14th century, Italian cities spoke different languages; the same is true for India before 1950. But language is just one aspect (albeit obvious) of culture.  Today, thanks to modern communications, this is no longer true.  Americans all speak English, although regional dialect still exist.  England has (primarily) conformed to what is colloquially known as 'BBC English' -- although interestingly, listening to a Scot butcher it is often entertaining, while listening to an Essex lad do the same is heart-rending.

My point is this: You may not realize it, but you've developed a lifetime of specializations which give you an edge in everything you do, from getting across town to buying peanut butter.  You don't have to lose these talents to appreciate them.  In fact, once you recognize them, I think you can even improve them.  So the next time you're doing something you've done a million times, challenge yourself, acknowledge what you're doing well, and figure out how to do it even better.

Then let me know, as I could use a lot of help here.