As I read Miner's essay on Body Ritual Among the Nacirema, it left me sitting with an open mouth. Their rituals were very eccentric. One ritual that stood out to me, was that they had a mouth-rite and this ritual consisted of inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth, along with certain magical powders, and then moving the bundle in a highly formalized series of gestures. I immediately judged these people and their rituals because this is not normal for me, but after giving it some thought I came to think that I do the same thing. I also brush my teeth with a toothbrush that has bristles and I add toothpaste on it. They just did it in their own way. It got me thinking about what I classify as normal and strange, because what I do in my modern way of living is strange to them and what they do, is their way of modern, and I think that is strange. Through Miner's piece, I learned that I am wrong for assuming that my way of doing things is superior, based on cultural differences. This piece showed me that although my culture and beliefs do influence my perception, that I rather should approach other cultures and other people's beliefs and rituals with an open mind and willingness to learn about their ways and not judge them straight away. Everyone has a different way of making sense of their world, just like I have my own way. Miner’s essay reminds me that assumptions keep stereotypes alive and strengthen the concept of othering.