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I wonder if countries where English is not a native language have a built-in advantage - media they consume in English runs in a virtual machine of sorts. I ha

I wonder if countries where English is not a native language have a built-in advantage - media they consume in English runs in a virtual machine of sorts. I have noticed, for example, that anglosphere seems to adopt US Hollywood/cultural tropes much easier and faster than other countries. Down to, for example, people using the word 'like' every other word or speaking in a certain tone of voice being quite pervasive in England but to my understanding relatively rarely seen in, say, the Netherlands.

selfhoster11 6y ago
That's been my experience too. Insults directed towards me in English just wash over me like water off a duck's back. Insults directed towards me in my own native language are like a gut punch, in that they feel more real and cutting. I've been long hypothesizing that my English "self" is running in a sort of a "virtual machine" where I can step back, examine and pick apart the input for the parts that are relevant or beneficial, then continue processing.