Language is a major part of a person’s identity, usually - it has ties to their ethnicity and culture and because it’s fundamental to expressing yourself it’s fundamental to being yourself. Few people can express themselves as well in a language they didn’t speak in their earliest years, too, though that’s a large exception, and of course it’s not all of the remainder.
So I see it as sad in the same way that anything that disconnects someone from their roots is sad - if you grow up eating certain foods and later don’t have access to them, for example, but more fundamental.
I was always disconnected with my country’s culture. Partly because I grew up somewhere else (with a similar culture) but mostly because I didn’t leave the house much and spent a lot of time on the English-speaking internet.
But I don’t really see it as a bad thing. I try not to tie my identity to where I was born or what piece of paper I was given. I don’t like nationalism. I am a human. That’s what matters most. Humans are the same everywhere. Of course it’s natural for humans to be tribal but I think we should overcome that.
Really my culture is a mix of cultures. I still cook my country’s meals. I kept a lot of habits I’m used to. The language is still there, it’s just weaker. If I ever feel like it I may revive it someday. But to me that’s more boring compared to learning a new and exciting foreign language I’ve had no contact with.
The negative aspect of nationalism and tribalism, as I see it, is when it’s turned negatively towards others, rather than positively towards oneself. Seeing “I’m from X so I’m better than you” is bad, but saying “I’m from X so I enjoy Y” is just culture. Keeping a connection with your culture can give you a valuable comfort - senses of belonging and community that are otherwise hard to replicate.
It does sound like you’re the kind of person who wouldn’t feel what I’m describing though. I don’t mean that negatively either, but just to say that I’m trying to explain what I mean not to say that you ought to feel bad.
Language is a major part of a person’s identity, usually - it has ties to their ethnicity and culture and because it’s fundamental to expressing yourself it’s fundamental to being yourself. Few people can express themselves as well in a language they didn’t speak in their earliest years, too, though that’s a large exception, and of course it’s not all of the remainder.
So I see it as sad in the same way that anything that disconnects someone from their roots is sad - if you grow up eating certain foods and later don’t have access to them, for example, but more fundamental.
I was always disconnected with my country’s culture. Partly because I grew up somewhere else (with a similar culture) but mostly because I didn’t leave the house much and spent a lot of time on the English-speaking internet.
But I don’t really see it as a bad thing. I try not to tie my identity to where I was born or what piece of paper I was given. I don’t like nationalism. I am a human. That’s what matters most. Humans are the same everywhere. Of course it’s natural for humans to be tribal but I think we should overcome that.
Really my culture is a mix of cultures. I still cook my country’s meals. I kept a lot of habits I’m used to. The language is still there, it’s just weaker. If I ever feel like it I may revive it someday. But to me that’s more boring compared to learning a new and exciting foreign language I’ve had no contact with.
The negative aspect of nationalism and tribalism, as I see it, is when it’s turned negatively towards others, rather than positively towards oneself. Seeing “I’m from X so I’m better than you” is bad, but saying “I’m from X so I enjoy Y” is just culture. Keeping a connection with your culture can give you a valuable comfort - senses of belonging and community that are otherwise hard to replicate.
It does sound like you’re the kind of person who wouldn’t feel what I’m describing though. I don’t mean that negatively either, but just to say that I’m trying to explain what I mean not to say that you ought to feel bad.