This is where we disagree. I find it always better to have knowledge, especially on matters where we are about to take action or render a judgment. Much of prejudice and fear is based in ignorance and the assumptions we make in the absence of accurate information. As your example in another post about India illustrates, no culture is perfect. If someone visits India, as you wrote, "looking for calmness and a different perception of time", they may very well be disillusioned by the poverty and other social problems there. Someone who goes there out of some western moral crusade "to improve the lot of folks in the third world" may be taken down a peg or two by those elements of wisdom you reference. Better to visit India - or anywhere else - without any agenda broader than just to understand the place, the culture, and the people better. I find invariably in such situations, alongside the sometimes stark differences I see from what I know, I also see the threads of our common humanity.
Sadly, I do see quite a few claims that cultural exchange is always harmful, and (not the same but related) that we never gain by it. The counterexamples are numerous and obvious. I would label this as regress, except that I cannot rule out that prior apparent efforts to embrace diversity were not mere lip service.
Via Litvyak
Sure, I agree, interacting with other cultures leads to epistemic improvement, at least in a negative sense, i.e. it dispels myth. It's just that I don't accept the premise that gaining knowledge is necessarily beneficial.
Via Coriolis
(1) "...where we disagree. I find it always better to have knowledge, especially on matters where we are about to take action or render a judgment."
The more breadth and depth of our understanding of ourselves, others and the world we live in so much the better. I am a life long learner. To keep one's head in the sand and not be exposed to divergent cultures and beliefs short changes us. We need more knowledge in order to understand and communicate in mutual respect. LightSun
(2) "...prejudice ...fear ...based in ignorance...assumptions we make in the absence of accurate information." and "I find invariably in such situations, alongside the sometimes stark differences I see from what I know, I also see the threads of our common humanity."
Fear of the unknown and different can keep us in a prejudiced sate. With immersion into other cultures and seeing them as human beings foremost one can begin to appreciate their humanity. lightsun
(4) "...to visit India - or anywhere else - without any agenda broader than just to understand the place, the culture, and the people better."
Keeping an open minded ness one can soak up the new experiences without the filter of prejudices, stereotypes and preconceived notions.
Via Litvyak
"....guess you can disprove claims such as "cultural exchange is always harmful" through historical examples...rarely disputed. Fundamentalists usually claim that "cultural exchange is not beneficial for us...this context" etc., and you can not come up with strong inductive historical arguments in response, for obvious reasons."
Via Coriolis
(5) "...see quite a few claims that cultural exchange is always harmful...we never gain by it. The counterexamples are numerous and obvious...as regress, except that I cannot rule out that prior apparent efforts to embrace diversity were not mere lip service."
Corilois can you give examples where cultural exchange was harmful?