Become culturally competent by learning about other people

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This means becoming more knowledgeable about and skillful with people who belong to a group that’s different from your own. As a white, male, cisgender, heterosexual, American, middle-class, able-bodied, professional person, I have found it extremely useful (and, I think, moral) to learn more about people who are not like me. It’s made me more aware of my own unconscious assumptions and biases, and more respectful of others’ priorities and ways of acting. Cultural competence gives us insight into how we interpret what others say or do, and insight into how others could interpret our own words and actions. A greater understanding of different types of people helps us have more empathy for our effects on them.