well written and heartfelt intro, Kips! 😃

it's good to know you and see that you're such a multi-facets (as in gems cuts that is) like person - not some narrowly focused or framed / conditioned 👍

this perhaps is the main trait:

However I am the eternal student, wantng to understand, wanting to learn more about different cultures and societies. I want to know why people believe what they believe in. I want to hear their reasoning for what they believe -- even... no, especially if it's not what I believe

👏
to me, as long as one is wanting, able and willing to learn, not thinking that already knows everything - that person is moving forward! :)
(in personal improvement / development / growth)

keep sharing your Content with community. it would certainly help to make some difference to tip the balance with all that flow of useless junk posted in disguise of a genuine "Content", which is auto-upvoted by bots...