TheAncientGeek comments on Open thread, 16-22 June 2014 - Less Wrong

2 Post author: David_Gerard 16 June 2014 01:12PM

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Comment author: Emile 18 June 2014 02:55:32AM 2 points [-]

It also depends on how do you perceive your identity and whether you can let go of old-culture values including, for example, your religion.

It mostly depends on how the culture you want to join perceives identity; it's easier to become American than to become Jewish.

Comment author: Lumifer 18 June 2014 03:29:00PM *  1 point [-]

It mostly depends on how the culture you want to join perceives identity

I disagree -- humans, in particular, adults, are not that malleable. Discarding your old identity is hard.

Of course, some cultures are more accepting of newcomers (e.g. US) and some less (e.g. Japan).

it's easier to become American than to become Jewish.

I think of "Jewish" as mostly ethnicity (if you prefer, a particular gene pool) and somewhat culture. In that sense you cannot "become" Jewish. You probably mean "convert to Judaism", though, and that's not that hard to do. Judaism does not proselytize for historical reasons, but if you want to convert you can do so.

Comment author: [deleted] 20 June 2014 04:25:05PM 0 points [-]

I think of "Jewish" as mostly ethnicity (if you prefer, a particular gene pool) and somewhat culture.

That also applies to some extent to most European nationalities.

Comment author: Lumifer 20 June 2014 04:36:01PM 0 points [-]

Yes, but "Jewish" is part of two different sets: one is "French, German, Italian, Jewish, ..." and the other one is "Christian, Moslem, Jewish, ..." and that gives rise to a lot of confusion.

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