When In Rome

... do as the Romans do.

In other words, follow the local culture if you wish to fit in and get along. I.e. get some slaves, engage in Bacchanalia, cheer as popular enslaved warriors called 'gladiators' fight to their deaths on the sands of the Colosseum, etc.

• One does not necessarily have to go that far. One may not be forced to have slaves, watch the shows, etc. Fitting in and accepting everything are not necessarily the same. Thus, I find that statement an exaggeration.

When in Turkey... Gobble, gobble, gobble? Just guessing.

{That's how I gained all this weight on my middle-east vacation.}

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This is an important factor. The closer your thinking style and approach is to the company, the smoother things will be. For example, a perfectionist in at a shoot-from-the-hip company will be likely miserable. I notice that companies headquartered or founded on the east-coast tend to approach things differently than west-coast companies. East-coast is more regimented and likes objective metrics for compensation. West coast is more collaborative in nature and more willing to try cutting edge. These are oversimplifications, of course, but there is a general pattern.

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"When in Rome, do as the Romans do..." is a tricky statement to make, and refers to an outsider or covert agent going unnoticed in the local crowds of the opposition or enemy. People over the years have tweaked its meaning so that it defends their lazy and inexcusable behavior inside corporations. Nowadays, most people use it to suggest that you had better fall in line, or else (a threat). It really only applies to when you have to work for, or fit in, with those you despise.

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I rather like the Godzilla philosophy: "When in Rome...destroy Rome!"

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See WikiSocialNorms, CompaniesHireLikeMinded