Reed and the real world

I forget sometimes how much Reed differs from the real world. The main case that gets me into trouble is that at Reed people love to argue/debate and don't take the matter personally while doing so. In the real world, people will go to great lengths to avoid talking politics or to interrupt a conversation about politics if the conversants disagree. This has happened to me now with two different sets of English speakers in Korea. I don't ever bring up politics, but if someone else does I am (overly) happy to talk about it, and even though I have been way way less extreme or confrontational and way more concessionary about politics than I ever was at Reed, people seemed terrified that an actual fight will break out or something. Talking about politics is a taboo I never learned. The taboo is too bad, because politics is interesting and one can have good conversations even (especially) with people one disagrees with. I have been wise enough to not even touch the subjects of philosophy (which would bore people and make me seem pretentious) and religion (where my views are very offensive to most people). I miss the idle, tensionless, yet intellectually engaging debates of the Reed community.

Another difference is that in the real world people listen to popular music and not recognizing it (or other elements of popular culture) is weird, rather than a point of honor like it is at Reed and other hipstery communities.

The matter is accentuated by the fact that I differ from the Reed communities on some of their commonalities with the real world, such as drinking and going to clubs/dancing in general. These things have never appealed to me, yet it is what many people my age do for fun and look forward to doing. I had a fine time at a club last night (I would probably find clubs in the states almost as weird as clubs in Korea), but it wouldn't be my first choice for a social activity. I guess I am just weird, but I'm fine with that.