Insecure Foreigner's Syndrome

Art on display in downtown Nagoya's Central Park, by
@kumatani and @watanabe_haruna. I bought this in postcard
format!

When in foreign countries, I have noticed I begin to develop a very strange habit. It usually happens in the workplace, or somewhere with some sort of social risk involved — i.e. of losing your job or losing the respect of your colleagues. This habit, as I have realized, is to view all the natives around me as hateful or "out to get me." It's not something I can help, but the problem seems to go hand in hand with culture shock. Is that really what culture shock is?

This assumption of negative intent is absolute twaddle, as a good friend of mine loves to say. It's ridiculous to assume people have a negative impression or attitude toward me, and neither their words nor their actions confirm that they do. However, the feeling of being an outsider in another culture messes with my American brain. It's as though my brain knows there are social indicators of politeness in tone, behavior and implication, but since I'm not native to this new culture, my brain can't recognize those social indicators. It sends the message, "No politeness or sympathy detected. These people are being rude to you."And this, of course, is rarely true, if at all.

I couldn't begin to explain the ways in which Japan differ
from the U.S...

I've been thinking about this and how to get myself reacting differently. So far, in Japan, it seems to me that people are generally kind, with a strong moral compass, facilitated by social norms and administration. There's almost no litter on the sidewalks, there's little crime compared to other places, and the professional world is one where conflict comes only in the form of knitted brows and tactful silence. True, that silence can have a negative meaning, but the intention is to avoid the other person feeling attacked, which is the exact feeling I have somehow been feeling myself, for no reason!

This phenomenon must have a name — if you know it, please tell me! — this feeling of all-eyes-on-you and we-don't-like-you-if-you-make-a-single-mistake when in new and unfamiliar territory. Could it be insecure foreigner's syndrome? Or is it just culture shock? So far my only remedy is to just be myself, and perhaps I need to remind myself to take a page from the book of Japanese culture: that is, be polite by default, and avoid creating conflict or negativity. Perhaps this is the way to ensure I'm not on the receiving end of conflict myself!