--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As we gain an understanding of what's…" description: "\"“As we gain an understanding of what's going on internally, we need to apply that same kind of awareness and understanding to others and to the environ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/david-livermore-12357_developing-countries_as-we-gain-an-understanding-of-what-s-go_336643.jpg" --- # As we gain an understanding of what's going on internally… ![“As we gain an understanding of what's going on internally, we need to apply that same kind of awareness and understanding to others and to the environment around us. I've done ongoing research on the experiences of North Americans who volunteer overseas for one or two weeks. Most of these…” quote by David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/david-livermore-12357_developing-countries_as-we-gain-an-understanding-of-what-s-go_336643.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/david-livermore-12357_developing-countries_as-we-gain-an-understanding-of-what-s-go_336643.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/david-livermore-12357_developing-countries_as-we-gain-an-understanding-of-what-s-go_336643.jpg) > ““As we gain an understanding of what's going on internally, we need to apply that same kind of awareness and understanding to others and to the environment around us. I've done ongoing research on the experiences of North Americans who volunteer overseas for one or two weeks. Most of these volunteers travel to developing countries where they help with disaster relief, build medical clinics, teach English, or engage in religious mission work. Of all the comments made by these North American travelers, the most common statement made upon their return is something like, “Even though those people have so little, they're so happy!” There's something endearing about hearing a group of relatively wealthy North Americans talk about their amazement that people with so little could be so happy. My question is, are the people they observed really happy? I've asked several hundred of these volunteers, “What makes you think they're happy?” They most often respond, “Because they were always smiling and laughing. And they were so generous to us. They fed us better than they eat themselves.” Part of becoming more aware of others requires we slow down to ask what familiar behaviors might mean in a different culture. The observation made by these American travelers is usually accurate—the locals they're meeting are in fact smiling and generous. But the question is whether the North Americans are accurately interpreting what those behaviors mean. First, if you don't speak the language and you're just meeting someone for the first time, what do you do? After some feeble attempts at saying things like “Hola!” “Gross Got!” or “Nee how!” there's often some nervous laughter that ensues. It's really awkward. So the locals might be expressing happiness or their smiles might just be a nervous response. Then add that in places like Thailand, where there are twenty-three different smiles, each smile communicates something different. And in one small, extremely polite community in New Zealand, smiling reactions are a way of expressing that they feel deeply offended.4 As I've consistently said, the point isn't to learn every nuanced meaning. But with heightened awareness of others, an individual will realize that while smiles might reflect genuine happiness, they just as well might be a nervous cross-cultural response that indicates little about one's level of contentment.”” [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding others’ emotions requires cultural context; smiles may not always signal happiness. **In simple terms:** Smiles can mean many things across cultures. Key Takeaway Seek deeper cultural insight before judging happiness. Themes cross‑cultural understanding interpretation empathy Mood curious reflective Type observational analytical When to use this quote - volunteer work - travel experiences - community outreach Key Concepts cultural relativism nonverbal communication ethnography Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify emotional states across cultures? - What cues indicate genuine happiness? A Different Perspective Assuming happiness from outward expressions can be misleading. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Developing countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developing-countries/) [Disaster relief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster-relief/) [Genuine happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genuine-happiness/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) ## Related quotes > [Everyone has their own way of expressing happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahrukh-khan/everyone-has-their-own-way-of-expressing-happiness/) [Shahrukh Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahrukh-khan/) > [“Ah, they said. Qué bueno. And after and for a long time to come he'd have reason to evoke the recollection of those smiles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ah-they-said-qu-bueno-and-after-and-for-a-long-time-to-come-he-d-have/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [ “And after and for a long time to come he'd have reason to evoke the recollection of \[the strangers'\] smiles and to reflect upon… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/and-after-and-for-a-long-time-to-come-he-d-have-reason-to-evoke-the/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [It is inappropriate to portray the central contribution to the Disaster Relief Fund as help for COVID-19 prevention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pinarayi-vijayan/it-is-inappropriate-to-portray-the-central-contribution-to-the/) [Pinarayi Vijayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pinarayi-vijayan/) > [Providing clean, efficient solar/electric generators to industries such as oil companies, spanning from film and event production, construction, disaster relief, agriculture, forestry, and nonprofit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/providing-clean-efficient-solar-electric-generators-to-industries/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [Like everyone else in the world, I've been devastated by the loss and suffering of so many in South Asia…As a mother, I cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/like-everyone-else-in-the-world-i-ve-been-devastated-by-the-loss-and/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [What we ought not do is play politics with those who've been afflicted by disasters. 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There are various…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/the-desire-to-treat-other-people-with-honor-and-respect-doesn-t/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [I'm obsessed with efficiency. And there are some tasks I need to just leave alone. And there are others - like an evening with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/i-m-obsessed-with-efficiency-and-there-are-some-tasks-i-need-to-just/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [The distraction, particularly of technology, impedes the innovative process. And when you add to that the distraction of working with colleagues who are in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/the-distraction-particularly-of-technology-impedes-the-innovative/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [Clashing expectations are what most consistently derail any team, and especially a culturally diverse team. So if you take the time to "define" the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/clashing-expectations-are-what-most-consistently-derail-any-team-and/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [“In most cultures, eating together has far more symbolic value than simply “grabbing a bite to eat.” Sharing a meal together can often be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/in-most-cultures-eating-together-has-far-more-symbolic-value-than/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [There are people who are out to take advantage of others and some who are merely putting in their time. But most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/there-are-people-who-are-out-to-take-advantage-of-others-and-some-who/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [Perspective taking is taking on the perspective of others. It's what we do anytime we buy a gift for someone else ("What would they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/perspective-taking-is-taking-on-the-perspective-of-others-it-s-what/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [The better you work to find the pain point and problem facing a diversity of users, the more clearly you can DEFINE the goal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/the-better-you-work-to-find-the-pain-point-and-problem-facing-a/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [I never expected my graduate degrees to give me all the practical how-to's that can perhaps only be learned through the school of hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/i-never-expected-my-graduate-degrees-to-give-me-all-the-practical-how/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [Many Westerners see follow-through and reliability as the most critical factor in how they calculate the trustworthiness of another individual. In some other cultures,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/many-westerners-see-follow-through-and-reliability-as-the-most/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [What really makes the difference in innovation is whether the corporate culture is paying attention to innovation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/what-really-makes-the-difference-in-innovation-is-whether-the/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [Natural light consistently fosters innovation, as does the avoidance of disturbances from noise and extreme temperatures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/natural-light-consistently-fosters-innovation-as-does-the-avoidance/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) [Explore all 55 David Livermore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) ## More Developing countries quotes > [I am sympathetic to developing countries’ concerns: because of our emissions it’s their crops that will disappear; because of our inaction, it’s their fields…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-am-sympathetic-to-developing-countries-concerns-because-of-our/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Jobs in the public sector are increasingly dependent on technology, and more and more government services are available online in developed and developing countries.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tae-yoo/jobs-in-the-public-sector-are-increasingly-dependent-on-technology/) [Tae Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tae-yoo/) > [UN and rich countries must make financial support to the recipient poor and developing countries conditional that they must ensure 100 percent education, protection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irfan-aligi/un-and-rich-countries-must-make-financial-support-to-the-recipient/) Irfan Aligi > [For some members of the radical Left, particularly in the West, people in developing countries are an ideological abstraction, on whom fantasies of liberation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amitava-kumar/for-some-members-of-the-radical-left-particularly-in-the-west-people/) [Amitava Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amitava-kumar/) > [A small child from a developing country has the advantage, from a very early age, of having access to toys which structure his mind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdoulaye-wade/a-small-child-from-a-developing-country-has-the-advantage-from-a-very/) [Abdoulaye Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdoulaye-wade/) > [Today, being the biggest developing countries in the world, China and India are both committed to developing their economy and raising their people's living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-peng/today-being-the-biggest-developing-countries-in-the-world-china-and/) [Li Peng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-peng/) > [As developing countries became bigger traders, it was clear that the old way of doing business wouldn't fly. To get them back to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-altman/as-developing-countries-became-bigger-traders-it-was-clear-that-the/) [Daniel Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-altman/) > [The massive corruption common in so many developing countries would be quite impossible if Western countries did not provide convenient opportunities to ship ill-gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/the-massive-corruption-common-in-so-many-developing-countries-would/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [A multi-polar world can not exist without recognising the status and participation of developing countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-peng/a-multi-polar-world-can-not-exist-without-recognising-the-status-and/) [Li Peng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-peng/) > [I don't think that developing countries gained from a two-stage process. A single phase summit (which is, after all, a two year process, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-souter/i-don-t-think-that-developing-countries-gained-from-a-two-stage/) [David Souter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-souter/) > [Accepting Turkey as a member of the European club means that the club is open to outsiders, to Muslims, to poorer people, to developing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mango/accepting-turkey-as-a-member-of-the-european-club-means-that-the-club/) [Andrew Mango](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mango/) > [Building on our strong track record of supporting developing countries, including in areas like climate justice, human rights, gender and education, Ireland recognises that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/building-on-our-strong-track-record-of-supporting-developing/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [You can get an ice-cold Coke for around fifty cents in most developing countries, not just in the major population centers, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/you-can-get-an-ice-cold-coke-for-around-fifty-cents-in-most/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [Also, it is interesting that developing countries, with China and India perhaps in the lead, where the future of the global environment will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/also-it-is-interesting-that-developing-countries-with-china-and-india/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [Making loans and fighting poverty are normally two of the least glamorous pursuits around, but put the two together and you have an economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/making-loans-and-fighting-poverty-are-normally-two-of-the-least/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) [Browse all 215 Developing countries quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developing-countries/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As we gain an understanding of what's going on internally, we need to apply that same kind of awareness and understanding to others and to the environment around us. I've done ongoing research on the experiences of North Americans who volunteer overseas for one or two weeks. Most of these volunteers travel to developing countries where they help with disaster relief, build medical clinics, teach English, or engage in religious mission work. Of all the comments made by these North American travelers, the most common statement made upon their return is something like, “Even though those people have so little, they're so happy!” There's something endearing about hearing a group of relatively wealthy North Americans talk about their amazement that people with so little could be so happy. My question is, are the people they observed really happy? I've asked several hundred of these volunteers, “What makes you think they're happy?” They most often respond, “Because they were always smiling and laughing. And they were so generous to us. They fed us better than they eat themselves.” Part of becoming more aware of others requires we slow down to ask what familiar behaviors might mean in a different culture. The observation made by these American travelers is usually accurate—the locals they're meeting are in fact smiling and generous. But the question is whether the North Americans are accurately interpreting what those behaviors mean. First, if you don't speak the language and you're just meeting someone for the first time, what do you do? After some feeble attempts at saying things like “Hola!” “Gross Got!” or “Nee how!” there's often some nervous laughter that ensues. It's really awkward. So the locals might be expressing happiness or their smiles might just be a nervous response. Then add that in places like Thailand, where there are twenty-three different smiles, each smile communicates something different. And in one small, extremely polite community in New Zealand, smiling reactions are a way of expressing that they feel deeply offended.4 As I've consistently said, the point isn't to learn every nuanced meaning. 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