Quote Originally Posted by marct View Post
As far as "mindset" is concerned, the trick, IMO, is in the methodology not the product since the product will change along with the reality.
I am not comfortable useing the term Arab, but this is how the question was couched.

My experience of "Arabs" is that they are a vastly diverse of folks but generally a significant number are hamstrung and crippled by popular sets of beliefs. From my own experience, but also from two friends of mine who speak Arabic but are not Arabists (VERY rare in my experience), they tend to adopt "Stories/ Narratives" as absolute fact. For example holocaust denial is very widespread in the Arab/Muslim world, as are conspiracy theories that most educated people would dismiss out of hand. These ideas are just as prevalent amongst doctors and teachers are they are taxi drivers. Education does not change the story.

I have never understood the reason for this, but it is definitely cultural. Now some say "oh but we are the same," and I have to point out, "Oh no we are not," and I see exactly the same problems in a lot of Asian cultures. Telling you what you want to hear is almost an absolute given. Straight talking is considered very rude, and unnecessary. - and just to put this in context, the Royal Thai Army could defeat the insurgency in the south, overnight, but they never will. The reason is nothing to do with training or money. They just choose not to do stuff known to work.