I've always felt that it would be a deeply enriching experience to
be fluent in another language, to actually step inside a different
way of conceptualizing the world, and to note those differences (and
similarities!). Unfortunately, nonAmericans seem more likely to
have this experience than Americans... I think you're right, though--
it definitely speaks to the issue of "sharedness" versus "unique
construction" in any communicative act.
Robin