Automatic culture
July 1st, 2023
Define yourself. Now. Preferably in one word. In which fictional game of being are you immersed so deeply that you are unable to transcend its definition and will use it as the first thing that comes to your mind when asked for a classification of who you are?
Of course, the answer will depend on who is asking and the particular situation of the moment when asked. But every one of us has a main definition to describe oneself. One that fills our being to the core and is a reference point by which we judge and value others. And ourselves.
Once you have this definition, please ask yourself how much of a free choice you had in the creation of what makes you a singular and individual person. Or was there even a choice at all? Or is it all based on a deep tradition where we have no audacity to even question its correctness?
Our so-called individual selves use a predefined compass to point to others who are like us in a temporal and infinite world. Our wishes and desires and enjoyments are passive and limited to imitating what we already know and expect with reference to others in a group that shares our definition.
Do we recognize ourselves only by what is common on the outside and form bonds and relations based on external and familiar stimuli? To truly recognize one's self requires a journey that, by definition, can be undertaken alone. And there is no handy guide on how to do it.
Our behavior, our thinking, and our culture are things that are given to us automatically. We are confined by an imaginary identity and slavish reactions that are expected and habitual. Social conditioning is a defining element of our lives and I myself see it in me as a major obstacle to my freedom and independence. I feel lucky that I can define myself by two sets of cultural values and habits I gained throughout my life. That lets me slide between them and balance one against the other for a short respite from the weight of expected behavior. But that is still not enough — the borders between both of my internal entities are becoming intertwined and blurred and I want sharp clarity when thinking about who I am.
