When in Rome ...

Well, actually, I am in Saigon speaking at the Alliott Global Alliance Worldwide conference, and the theme for my speech was "A creative global mindset".

After the speech, one of the delegates, Piergiorgio Zettera LL.M. from Italy came up to me to discuss the speech.

We talked about the saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." and how it actually should be changed to "When in Rome, understand why the Romans do what they do."

To be instructed to follow the customs of the people who live in the country you visit is wise, but it is much wiser if you are curious enough to learn WHY they are doing it differently than the way you are doing something. If you learn the reason for the difference, you might gain a new perspective.

To be curious about alternative ways of doing things that are different from the way you do thongs things is an extra valuable kind of curiosity.

ChatGTP suggests we should call that: Alternativity. And here is the definition:

Alternativity (noun)

1. The state or quality of exploring, offering, or considering alternatives to conventional methods, ideas, or practices.

2. A mindset of curiosity and openness to discovering how others approach similar tasks, often to innovate or improve one’s own methods.

Usage:

“His sense of alternativity drove him to investigate how other cultures solved common problems.”

Etymology:

Derived from the Latin alternare (to do by turns) and the suffix -ity, indicating a state or quality.

How is your alternativity?