I moved to the Netherlands two years ago. I don’t plan to stay more than five years and have been wavering about whether I should commit to learning the language. The problem is that Dutch is a difficult language, and virtually everyone here speaks great English. On the other hand, I feel there’s some obligation to assimilate when living in a foreign country. What’s my obligation as a foreigner?
—ANONYMOUS

Assimilation is not an ethical responsibility. You retain the right to what language you speak and what culture you identify with. That said, any problem you encounter with the language barrier is on your shoulders; certainly, no Dutch-speaking resident of the Netherlands has to assimilate to your unwillingness to understand the nuances of a country to which you willingly relocated.
—Adapted from “The Ethicist” in The New York Times Magazine