ARMENIAN INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE EFFECTIVE INTELLECTUAL COMMUNICATION

Armenians can be said to have been thought from day one how to achieve cultural competence, also known as intercultural competence. Intercultural or cross-cultural education are terms used for the training to achieve cultural competence. The task requires a range of cognitive, psychologically effective behavior (facial, vocal, or gestural behavior) that serves as an indicator of affect and behavioral skills that lead to effective and appropriate communication with people of other cultures.

Effective intellectual communication relates to behaviors that culminate with the accomplishment of the desired goals of the interaction and all parties involved in the situation. Appropriate intercultural communication includes behaviors that suit the expectations of a specific culture, the characteristics of the situation, and the level of the relationship between the parties involved in the situation.

Syncretism is the practice of combining of different languages, beliefs and schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, to ones own, historically, mostly in the theology and mythology of religion. This is achieved by the understanding of the underlying unity and allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths and cultures but primarily to language. Syncretism expresses itself in art as well as culture, politics, known as syncretic politics.

Eclecticism which is synonymous in meaning is the word applied to the arts and not to religion or politics. It is the practice of deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources. For example in art it can be said that the eclecticism of his work consciously reflects his upbringing. In philosophy the theories or methods of the ancient Eclectic philosophers, who did not belong to or found any recognized school of thought but selected doctrines from various schools of thought. It is again seen as a duality, a double movement in the mind appears to be going on with Eclecticism on the one side, and Scepticism on the other side.

The English word is first attested in the early 17th century, from Modern Latin syncretismus, drawing on Greek, Ancient Greek: συγκρητισμός, romanized: synkretismos, supposedly meaning "Cretan federation", this etymology of Plutarch's 1st-century AD cites the example of the Cretans, who compromised and reconciled their differences and came together in alliance when faced with external dangers. 

Syncretism [Union of Cretans]". This example best demonstrates the experience of the Armenians over and over again from the day of the formation of the original clan that established itself on the location known historically as the Highlands of Ayrarat. 

Overt syncretism in folk belief may show cultural acceptance of an alien or previous tradition, but the "other" cult may survive or infiltrate without authorized syncresis. For example,The Kushite kings who ruled the whole of Egypt for approximately 57 years, from 721 to 664 BCE, developed a syncretic worship identifying their own god Dedun with the Egyptian Osiris. Syncretism was common during the Hellenistic period, with rulers regularly identifying local deities in various parts of their domains with the relevant god or goddess of the Greek Pantheon as a means of increasing the cohesion of their kingdom. This practice was accepted in most locations but vehemently rejected by the Jews, who considered the identification of Yahweh with the Greek Zeus as the worst of blasphemy. The Roman Empire continued the practice, first by the identification of traditional Roman deities with Greek ones, producing a single Greco-Roman pantheon, and then identifying members of that pantheon with the local deities of various Roman provinces. Similar identifications were made by missionaries whenever they encountered a local belief in a Supreme God or Supreme Spirit of some kind. 

Syncretism tends to facilitate coexistence and unity between otherwise different cultures and world views (intercultural competence), a factor that has recommended it to rulers of multiethnic realms. Conversely, the rejection of syncretism, usually in the name of "piety" and "orthodoxy", may help to generate, bolster or authenticate a sense of uncompromised cultural unity in a well-defined minority or majority.

Eclecticism as a conceptual approach does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases. However, because this is often without conventions or rules dictating how or which theories were combined. It can sometimes seem inelegant or lacking in simplicity, and eclectics are sometimes criticized for lack of consistency in their thinking. It is, however, common in many fields of study. It is fair to say that even though Psychologists accept constructive aspects of behaviorism they do not attempt to use the theory to explain all aspects of human behavior. Eclecticism is recognized in approaches to psychology that see many factors influencing behavior and cognition or psyche. In the 1970s, psychologists started using whichever approaches and techniques that they deemed appropriate for their client.[12] They take multiple perspectives into consideration while identifying, explaining, and changing the behavior of the client.
The meaning of the term comes from the Greek ἐκλεκτικός (eklektikos), which literally explains the human motive "choosing the best", and that from ἐκλεκτός (eklektos), is the one who "picked out, select" the best from the basket of goods. Obviously some Greeks in authority and some historians of Greek thought, gave it a negative connotation associating it with the description for impure and unoriginal thinking.
However Scholars such as Clement of Alexandria, who could have had an Armenian mother for all we know, maintained that eclecticism had a long history in philosophy and that eclectics is underpinned by a deeper metaphysical and theological conviction concerning the absolute/God as the source of all noble thoughts and that all parts of the truth can be found among the various philosophical systems.
I believe it would be true to say that since the mid-19th century, both eclecticism and syncretism, have been more accepted due to the fact that there is less a priori bias to ideas regarding 'life' as connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, but especially language.