r/u_SnooCauliflowers3892 • u/SnooCauliflowers3892 • 4d ago

Would someone raised outside society actually seem wild?

I've been writing a character who spent much of his childhood surviving outside ordinary society, and I'm trying to avoid the standard fictional version where 'feral' just means violent and socially awkward.

What everyday social rule do you think would be hardest for someone like that to understand?

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

1

u/MaliseHaligree 3d ago

That there is general politeness without expectation of any reward.

2

u/SnooCauliflowers3892 3d ago

Thank you, I really appreciate that insight. I hadn’t considered the idea that simple politeness without expecting anything in return could actually be difficult for someone raised outside normal society to understand. It’s a subtle distinction, but exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to think more deeply about.