Why do I keep getting obsessed with other cultures?

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I used to be obsessed with Norway and, later, Japanese culture, each to the point where I know a little of both languages.

Norway seems to be the Nordic country I'm the least obsessed with. I've been the most obsessed with Iceland and Finland.

Why not, there are more useless interests to take up your time. I am enraptured by ancient civilizations, I find them more interesting than most of our vacantly meandering globe's hinges and fixtures!

Because learning how different people think and feel fascinates me, I find other cultures interesting. This especially includes cultures in historical or science fiction, because the authors tell stories that allow us to get into their characters' heads. Textbooks that describe other cultures aren't necessarily interesting though. I find it more exciting to read stories, or engage people about how they think and feel, than to read a textbook.

How about you? How do you like to learn about other cultures? I know some people here have mentioned traveling, which makes sense.

I, too think obsession with other cultures is a positive. What irks me is when people insist on "truths" that only their culture, sometimes only their micro-culture, holds "self-evident."

In my obsession with ethics, I, personally, go beyond other "human" cultures to ask about animal cultures.

Okay, and I extrapolate space alien cultures, too.

But animal cultures are mainstream even now, especially for species like elephants and kea parrots. What will happen when we cognitively "enhance" other species with gene-engineering?

To come back to today, who but people obsessed with other cultures can translate between them? What is more important to human survival in an interconnected world than such translations?

Go, you.

Well said, I agree. The differences that I honestly haven't given all that much thought to animal cultures, except for perhaps dolphins or primates or those that have some level of reasoning I've heard about. How did you get interested in them? Was there something you watched or read, or a person you talk to? I bet there's a lot that many people could learn from animal cultures, although we would have to be careful not to project our human feelings on them.

I obsess about different cultures too. I've had a native obsession, a Japanese obsession, and currently I'm having a Deaf Culture obsession.

Of course I can say that I don't know but I can say how that applies to me:
Put simply I want to fit, and to do well. I see my strengths and think that if I did not have some of the difficulties that come from interacting with people I could do well and have friends and be much happier (I think we all want to be happy, I'm really quite sure we don't want to be terrified and/or miserable).

Then I think that I could accomplish this in another culture, perhaps even be quite successful.

I know this is mostly not the case, as the problem is not in dealing with my culture in particular but in dealing with people. All about being 'suited to your environment' and in this day and age mostly that environment is other people.

If I tried to solve my difficulties by moving to a new culture I think I would probably end up doing that over and over till I leaned it was not the answer.

again this is just my applying your question to myself and then answering it
(but to be clear, I really do -wish- this would be the answer lol more than I could say;
that 'longing' for me would be simply that I am lonely and that 'feeling connected' connecting would be just like when I can develop an emotional attachment/security/(dead and non-dynamic and unchallenging but safe and comfortable) companionship from reading a book with characters, or watching a TV series that it long. I mean by this that my own internal wired coping and behavioral mechanisms can get misprogrammed (such as I feel comfortable when I watch my series of whatever show AGAIN, but I develop no skills to help me improve and over time become more and more isolated (and less socially capable as my inadequate social skills atrophy though I'd probably not realize that and so even more sensitive and avoidant of social stuff).

I think I would probably try to find a balance between my cultural connectness (or fantasy/sci-fy book characters) and interacting with others.
In interacting with others I would remind myself of two things:
1.) First I must NOT put my sense of security and comfort and safety of security into these other humans as freely as I do with my story book characters (it's dangerous in that it really creates the opportunity to be taken advantage of; and some people find it uncomfortable I think)
2.) I would also take it slow, don't try to make friends too fast or to expect too much.

sounds kind of negative and I could probably adjust the wording to be more precise and to also sound less negative as well but I have a lot to learn and having a bit of a rough time atm.
and this could all be total nonsense or have glaring blind spots in it (anyone can chime in and and better stuff as well : )

At various times, I've been obsessed with Jewish culture, San Francisco gay culture, Central Asia and India. I find the history of obscure parts of the world fascinating, while local history leaves me cold. I love any science fiction and fantasy that involves well-thought-out fictional civilisations.
Unfortunately, I found out the hard way I'm not cut out for anthropological fieldwork. I find it hard enough to communicate with the first-language English speakers I live amongst, and I deal poorly with unfamiliar environments. I'm sometimes nervous around foreigners, even though I feel positively inclined towards them.
I suspect part of the appeal is knowing there are other "normal" ways of life out there. The specific stuff I struggle with here in Britian really isn't the whole world. There is a much greater variety of people out there, and our depressingly familar cultural stupidities aren't shared by everyone. Plus, lots or really interesting new knowledge to get my head around.....

I, myself am obsessed with different cultures and my obsession with cultures can change depending on the country that I'm obsessed with, I am really obsessed with Japanese culture at the moment, because of YouTubers that live in Japan and make daily vlogs or YouTubers that go to Japan and make daily vlogs, Japan just seems so cool and so ahead of technology at the moment, I have been also listening to music from international artists (Tiziano Ferro, BABYMETAL, M. Pokora, Shakira, Baby K etc.) I have spent over £250 on Tiziano's music and some merchandise (Calendar and Phone case). People think I'm a weirdo and a creep for listening to music in a language that I don't understand.

I do the same thing! I took a lot of anthropology classes in college, mostly on Native American culture. Even took Cherokee as my foreign language requirement. I really should have just gone ahead and gotten my degree in it.

I really like to get into different cultures' myths and religions.

Now I have an issue with connecting more with the smaller parts of my ancestry. Most of my ancestry is Spanish, but I don't really feel connected to it. I feel more connected to my other heritage. My other heritage would include Native American, Basque and German/Russian. I feel fine claiming I'm part Basque because I have a Basque last name. I have a bit more trouble claiming the German/Russian heritage because it's more distant. Interestingly enough my dad's side of the family does act pretty German(geeky and stubborn.) Even though I have more Native American heritage than Basque or German heritage I feel like it's more sacred. Like you have to have recent family that was a tribe member. I know I'm overthinking this. I'm mainly doing this to avoid overthinking other parts of my identity.