In the earliest societies, people lived pretty much by their own wits. Later, they turned to their immediate neighbors for help with hunting, harvesting, and mutual protection. Strangers, however, were to be feared and driven away. Only in recent times have people realized that strangers have something to offer. Let us review what has been learned about dealing with strangers, in the hope that we won't repeat past mistakes.
Strangers are different.
They look different and sound different. They also produce different goods and services. They have different skills, different natural resources, and grow their crops in different climates and soils. If we want to share in the many things the world has to offer, we will have to deal with strangers. It's harder to go it alone.