面对人生的选择（10）

insulate隔离
dismay使沮丧 使气馁
quirk怪癖
implicit不言而喻的

One of the most common mistakes is failng to recognize how these value systems will shape you.We all like to think that we can insulate ourselves from our surroundings and remain true to our inner selves.

But in fact,that's very nearly impossible to do.We cannot help but be deeply affected in our outlook and ideas by what we see and do on a daily basis.

Europeans are often dismayed by the American habit of asking politely what a stranger does for a
living.But that quirk in our national personality comes from an implicit recognition that,at some level,we are what we do.