i’ve been reading some pretty 18th century dramas lately. and there’s a lot of talk about french dresses and style, about german musicians like händel (although he lived in london for most of his life) and italian terms like ‘conversazione’ or ‘caro’. people travel abroad, get to know different countries, different lifestyles and labelled everything according to its origin.
today we live in so-called multicultural societies. it’s supposed to be a life of mixing and sharing but this - or so it seems to me - doesn’t bring us any closer to each other. it doesn’t seem people are as curious about other countries, lifestyles, phrases, habits or people anymore.
and i’m wondering: were people in the 18th century somehow more ”open” than they are today, in this all-knowing age?
