![]() They are given the opportunity to recognize that maybe Chile isn’t the best country in the world at everything. They see that rags to riches stories are valued in other parts of the world and not looked down on as they are in Chile. That some people find dark skinned people more attractive than lighter skinned people. ![]() They see that (shockingly!) white people do manual labor in some developed countries. (Many times, you see a similar effect from sheltered suburban kids in the US). Leaving the bubble forces them to recognize their privileged lifestyle and gain a degree of self awareness that many elite Chileans are sorely lacking. ![]() Upper class Chileans generally don’t interact with non upper class Chileans, expect in service situations, so really getting to know people from different backgrounds, who think differently and don’t come from the bubble builds empathy and understanding for others that they likely wouldn’t run across if they stayed in Chile. Leaving the Chilean bubble where life is easy, people live at home until they’re in your mid 20-30s, have a maid and don’t have to worry about much, is a wakeup call that shows that the rest of the world really doesn’t have it like you do. Many, if not most, don’t mean it maliciously, but do it subconsciously. Many (if not most) upper class Chileans are overtly classist and nearly all are unintentionally classist. Upper class Chileans should leave Chile to break down many of the attitudes they’ve grown up with. And many of the ones that do, have a different view on what’s possible. After being abroad for awhile, many non-elite Chileans don’t come back for a long time, unless they have to. They have the chance to see that if they work hard they might actually be able to better their lot in life. Their prospects for success go up the moment they step off the plane. They find lots of people who actually prefer darker hair and features and find them more attractive than traditional northern European features. When I talk with non-elite Chilean friends who go abroad, they tell me that smart, educated, motivated non-elite Chileans find both their platonic and romantic prospects much improved and I would imagine self esteem has to go up. Non-elite Chileans quickly realize that lighter skin and blonde hair isn’t always aspirational in every part of the world. ![]() They instantly have more opportunity, are more likely to get evaluated for who they are, how smart they are and not their skin color, where they went to school or their last name. ![]() For non-elite Chileans, their lives get instantly better getting out of Chile’s classist system. It’s easy to see the difference in attitude in a Chilean who’s been abroad and one who hasn’t.īoth upper class Chileans and non upper class Chileans should leave Chile, but for different reasons. Working in another Latin American country is ok, but to get the full benefit, a Chilean should try to live and work in the US, Europe, China, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand or another well developed country with a completely different culture and set of values. Traveling is ok, but to get the full benefit, a Chilean should live and work abroad, ideally for at least a year. The Best Thing a Chilean Can Do is to Leave ChileĬategory: Chile Posted on Novemby Nathan LustigĪfter five years in Chile, I firmly believe that the best thing a Chilean can do to better his or her life is to leave Chile. ![]()
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