we can go on and on about each story, but the fact is that there are many, and even if we just focus on one, the way we both interpret it will most likely vary! for example, I was born and raised in Portugal, and currently live in the UK for the last 10 years. The same saying "Jack/Jane of all trades and master of none", is definetely perceived differently between Portuguese and English people. In England there seems to be a negative conotation to it, while in Portugal it seems to refer more to someone's resourcefulness, and seen more positevely.

Even if we were to strip down the stories to their semantic core, we would still have our cultural context, personal experiences, etc, conducting the show of our interpretation. So yes, I agree. No matter how I push torwards critical thinking, it is still based on someone else's thinking (even if it's subconcious stories from cultural context). We need both external and internal locus. Absolutely.

I've received a cowboy hat yesterday! So allow me to use your words with a twist as I tip my hat to you: I am looking forward to watching you becoming the master of lots of things at a time and I truly support you with it (with confettis!) :)