but a means to a meaning we haven't yet discovered. ~ Camille Rankine
A meaning about ourselves. A meaning that would make us authentic as persons.
We see culturally different people - how we respond to them tells us something about ourselves, hitherto unknown. We meet people who live by different values - how we respond, gives us clarity on our values, hitherto hidden. We find ourselves in different environments where we come in contact with people who probably never even knew that the country we come from exists - how we respond tells us something about what being so different means, hitherto never thought of.
All these meetings with other people help us to discover something more about ourselves, and goes into making us more authentic people. Linda Hogan, CHICKSAW, says there is a lot of power in being authentic.