Ariel, I doubt that any reasonable person could disagree with what you have written, but what you have written does not really address my questions.
My guess is that the desire to collect anything can arise from a multitude of sources, taking myself as an example, my knife and keris orientation probably began with visits to the home of my mother's aunt, whose son chose to live in a village in Malaya after he was released from Changi at the end of WWII:- its a long story and doesn't need repeating here. Then there was the uncle who broke all the rules and gave me an enormous handmade bowie knife when I was about 5 years old.
These were beginnings, but there were a lot of forces came into play after that, so yes, agreed, one interest can stimulate another, and to identify which came first might need a little thought.
With your second response, again I agree, and again you have given an irrefutable response to a question other than the one I asked.
Agreed that nobody needs to become a chicken to know what an egg looks like, however, in respect of the knowledge of a society and culture other than the one into which one has been born, I submit that the degree of knowledge sought will dictate the degree of involvement in that society and culture.
A quick read of a National Geographic Magazine article in one's lawyer's waiting room might be sufficient for some people, whilst a life altering obsession may not be sufficient for others. It all depends upon what one desires to know.
I hope you are enjoying your journey.
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