# What culture is Culture is a vague word, but can best define the broad things that [identify](identity.md) a [group](groups-large.md). These can include [arts](art.md), [beliefs](understanding-certainty.md), customs (group [habits](habits.md)), [subgroups](groups-small.md), and [thoughts](understanding.md). Despite our differences, people want approximately the [same abstracted things](humanity-universals.md) to find [meaning](meaning.md): - Live [safely](safety.md) from most [risks](safety-riskmgmt.md). - Work a [job](jobs-specialization.md) they can stand. - Come home to their [family](people-family.md) and spend time with them. - [Recreate](purpose.md) after work. - [Connect](people-friends.md) consistently with friends and family. - Generally, within reason, do whatever they [feel](mind-feelings.md) like. While these things are the some, some methods won out the majority of a group's approval to achieve the [purposes](purpose.md) they were striving for, so it became the [standard](standards.md). APPLICATION: *Everything* we do [habitually](habits.md) with others is a cultural thing. The original [purpose](purpose.md) for many things was certainly [sensible](logic.md) when it started, but it often shifts away from [usefulness](results.md) with new [social trends](trends.md) and [technological development](technology.md). These groups span [all sorts of ranges](groups-small.md). Unlike [things universal to humanity](humanity-universals.md), cultural traits are *not* universal to everyone, and the [specific methods](people-boundaries.md) for that group can be contrasted heavily against others. We tend to think something is "normal" if it matches our culture and "odd" if it doesn't. However, if we insist on influencing others against *their* version of "normal" (instead of simply accepting their views), we experience a cultural [conflict](people-conflicts.md). Social status in a culture is always a [biased](mind-bias.md) judgment, but it's *generally* consistent enough to [measure](math.md) across a population. Everyone *likes* to imagine they're open-minded, but are also dogmatic against what they [perceive](image.md) as [immoral](morality.md) things. More often, they're simply enforcing their culture's [rules](people-rules.md) than standing by any particular [principle or value system](values.md). A culture has value because it maintains a people group's [inherent trust](trust.md) of one another, which in turn affects their [overall happiness](goodlife.md). ## Divisions Many cultural standards are established from the [natural environment](reality.md) that surrounds them: - In a frigid, unforgiving tundra, there's no room for compassion or weakness. - Society on a tropical island generally needs more people to do more work together. - Coastal societies require more people to know how to swim, which gives more tolerance for [the unknown](unknown.md). - Societies with more [technology](technology.md) have more order, implemented as [bureaucracy](bureaucracy.md). - People groups with limited access to other people groups will be more self-sufficient and less sociable. - Societies with more [networked *information* technology](networks-computer.md) will trust a [data reputation](image-modern.md) over their [story](stories.md). Many cultures also draw from their surrounding cultures. An isolated tribe will only pull from nature, but a culture spread across many other cultural groups will adopt a plethora of small details from each. Cultures also tend to separate by generation. Younger people don't have as many [habits](habits.md) established, so they're more inclined to adapt to environmental changes, [social trends](trends.md), and [technology](technology.md). APPLICATION: More differences between one generation and the next create a broader cultural divide across generations. The generation raised in the USA's 1950s is *vastly* different from the USA's 2000s, mostly due to [technology](technology.md) and certain [social trends](trends.md) (e.g., Cold War). Cultures aren't that different on an individual basis, and their differences are more based on [personality](personality.md). But, as people groups get larger, the differences create *massive* contrasts. APPLICATION: Depending on your [personality](personality.md), it may make a great deal of sense to move to another culture that fits you in another [career industry](jobs-specialization.md) or geographical region. APPLICATION: Cultures are critical to give us the framing for [meaning](meaning.md) among our social groups. Even when they're [defective](mgmt-badsystems.md), the [familiarity](habits.md) gives us [certainty](understanding-certainty.md) against the [chaos of the unknown](unknown.md). APPLICATION: When you encounter a different culture, you're engaging with someone who has a radically different view of the world. Some of their actions *will* be ineffective for certain situations, but your [friendship](people-friends.md) with them will help you [understand](understanding.md) enough to see its benefits. From there, you can judge which behavior between yours and theirs is ideal for which circumstance. ## Dimensions Each culture broadly classifies across multiple [measured](math.md) spectra, based on the [virtues](morality.md) they prefer to prioritize. There's no defined set of rules to demarcate a culture because there are *many* ways to [analyze](logic.md) how a people group can [decide](people-decisions.md). Conflict style - confront the issues vs. coexist without conflict: - Confrontational values directly addressing issues, which typically means [laws](people-rules.md) will change to reflect [trends](trends.md). - Conflict Avoidance tries to coexist as much as possible, which often means long-standing [rules](people-rules.md) will stay uncontested. - Confrontational requires [courage](mind-feelings-fear.md), but Conflict Avoidance requires patience and [creativity](mind-creativity.md). Context level - directly state vs. heavily imply: - Low Context values explicit and direct [communication](people-conversation.md), often in writing. Negative input is encouraged. - High Context values implied, unstated [ideas](values.md), often in person and with fewer [words](language.md). Negative input is discouraged. - Low Context requires clear-mindedness, but High Context requires consideration. APPLICATION: A culture's [language](awareness.md) and [beliefs](understanding-certainty.md) creates implicit meaning based on their collective [emotional](mind-feelings.md) associations: - Self-referencing words heavily define a nation's [identity](identity.md): "French" means "[idea](values.md)" to the French, "German" means "[order](understanding-certainty.md)" to the Germans, "America" means "[dream](imagination.md)" to Americans, "Mexico" means "[family](people-family.md)" to Mexicans. - Europe - "Luxury" to the British translates as "detachment" because [sophistication](classes.md) implies rigidity and [emotional unavailability](mind-feelings.md). - "Money" becomes "unpleasant fact" in France because they see its scarcity as an impediment to their [purposes](purpose.md). - "Shopping" is, to the French, "[learning](understanding.md) your culture" because they consider the experience to be [educational](education.md). - "Luxury" to the French means "freedom" because it demonstrates the [image](image.md) of wealth. - "[Education](education.md)" in Germany means "social status" because they consider [understanding](understanding.md) to be highly important. - "America" in Europe creates multiple meanings: France sees it as "space travelers", Germany sees it as "John Wayne", England sees it as "unashamedly abundant". - China - Chinese cook food in multiple locations in the home, and mealtime takes priority over [conversation](people-conversation.md), even at [business](business.md) dinners. - India - Life for Indians is considered as a set of stages transitioning from [childhood](people-family.md) into [adult responsibilities](meaning.md), phasing into a self-reflective [philosophical](philosophy.md) stage, and terminating in a [retreat](legacy.md) from the world at large. - Japan - "Perfection" translates to "purity" because the Japanese highly value [order](understanding-certainty.md). - "Food" translates to "perfection". - USA - American culture is preoccupied with "[doers](results.md)" more than [thinkers](philosophy.md). - "[Love](people-love.md)" translates to "false expectation" because they [idolize](addiction.md) their [romantic relationships](gender.md). - "Seduction" translates to "manipulation" because they're *constantly* experiencing the quiet [influence](power-influence.md) of [marketing](marketing.md) and [bad systems](mgmt-badsystems.md) while also valuing their [freedoms](people-boundaries.md). - "[Dinner](cooking.md)" translates to "home" because it's where most of their [traditions](habits.md) take place after they [work](results.md), and the [food](cooking.md) is secondary. Naturally, "food" becomes "fuel". - "[Work](results.md)" translates to "[who you are](identity.md)" because Americans seek immense [meaning](meaning.md) in their [jobs](jobs-1_why.md). "Shopping", then, becomes "reconnecting with life" because it's a naturally social activity compared to work. - "Money" becomes "proof", since it's a measurable (and awful) way of keeping track of [wealth](economics.md) and [family-based social status](classes.md) means very little to Americans. This also means "luxury" becomes "credibility". - "[Quality](values-quality.md)" means "it [works](results.md)" because they're obsessed about [functionality](purpose.md) and convenience. - "Perfection" means "death" because American society *does* value [performance](results.md), but also values the [unknown](unknown.md). Individualism/Collectivism - creating [the good life](goodlife.md) for oneself vs. the group: - Individualism focuses on self-interested gain (and will often take more severe [risks](socialrisk.md)). - Collectivism focuses on the best interests of the group (and often creates unique values that enforce harmony). - Individualism requires [self-ownership](success-1_why.md), but Collectivism requires [love](people-love.md). Masculinity/Femininity - [gender](gender.md)-irrespective focus on [results](results.md) or harmony: - Masculine/Task-Based/Data-Oriented focuses on results, [information](understanding.md), and achievement. - Feminine/Relationship-Based/[Dialogue](people-conversation.md)-Oriented focuses on harmony, context, and coexistence. - Masculine requires [ambition](purpose.md), but Feminine requires [understanding](understanding.md). Power Distance - how much [power](power.md) comes from [status](image.md): - Low Power Distance/Consensual considers everyone as equal as possible. Group [decisions](people-decisions.md) involve everyone. - High Power Distance/Top-Down rigidly honors a [social hierarchy](groups-large.md). Members aren't allowed to question leaders' [decisions](people-decisions.md). - Low Power Distance requires [fair-mindedness](morality-justice.md), while High Power Distance requires [trust](trust.md). Time Flexibility - how important deadlines are: - Linear-Time emphasizes punctuality and fulfilling deadlines (and is often more [productive](results.md) with stronger [economies](economics.md)). - Flexible-Time considers time management unimportant compared to other priorities (and often more minded toward [family](people-family.md), [relationships](people-friends.md), and the [unknown](unknown.md)). - Linear-Time requires discipline, but Flexible-Time requires grace. Time Orientation - how far into the past and future to [predict](imagination.md) things: - Short-Term Orientation/Indulgence/Monochronic focuses on the present and near future. - Long-Term Orientation/Restraint/Polychronic focuses on the far future and past (often with more [changes](people-changes.md)). - Short-Term requires [awareness](awareness.md) of present [feelings](mind-feelings.md) and [impressions](image.md), but Long-Term requires [careful planning](success-3_goals.md) and restraint. Thought Mode - consider things with principles or applications: - Principles-First considers [philosophical ideas](philosophy.md) as the basis of [understanding](understanding.md). - Applications-First considers proven [examples](results.md) and techniques as the basis of [understanding](understanding.md). - Principles-First requires intelligence, but Applications-First requires [experience](understanding.md). Uncertainty Avoidance - the value of finding [certainty](understanding-certainty.md) in things: - Low Uncertainty Avoidance is fine with vagueness. - High Uncertainty Avoidance will tenaciously [seek](purpose.md) answers. - Low Uncertainty Avoidance requires patience, but High Uncertainty Avoidance requires perseverance. Risk Tolerance - capacity to endure [social risks](socialrisk.md): - Low Risk Tolerance calculates decisions based on [past events](hardship-ptsd.md). - High Risk Tolerance calculates decisions based on [influence](influence.md) and [imagination](imagination.md). - Low Risk Tolerance maintains [healthy traditions](habits.md), but High Risk Tolerance adopts [trends](trends.md) well. Clearly, these are not exclusive dimensions. It's difficult to measure something based on a [group's](groups-small.md) [feelings](mind-feelings.md). However, there is a broad range called the [Overton window](politics-conservativeliberal.md) that clarifies the range everyone will accept [changes](people-changes.md). APPLICATION: Each cultural value builds specific life skills: - Confrontational people develop strong [conflict management skills](people-5_conflicts.md), and Conflict Avoidance people become skillful at avoiding and defusing conflicts. - Low Context people keep things simple and High Context people learn to include kind language that hide ugly [realities](reality.md). - Individualistic people become highly effective at calculating a [decision's](people-decisions.md) benefit for themselves, while Collectivist people can closely consider their effect on their [groups](groups-member.md). - Masculine people learn [strength](power.md), while Feminine people learn [grace](morality.md). - Low Power Distance people [understand](understanding.md) [justice](morality-justice.md), while High Power Distance people understand [loyalty](understanding-certainty.md). - Linear-Time people are [productive](success-3_goals.md), while Flexible-Time people [win friends](people-4_friends.md). - Indulgent people understand [happiness](mind-feelings-happiness.md), while Restrained people understand [sacrifice](purpose.md). - Principles-First people [get more things done](results.md), but Applications-First people [understand things better](understanding.md). - Low Uncertainty Avoidance people are [at peace](trust.md) with life, and High Uncertainty Avoidance people [understand](understanding.md) more. - Low Risk Tolerance people maintain a [strong community](groups-small.md), and High Risk Tolerance people withstand [changes](people-changes.md) better. APPLICATION: Cultural differences arise as distinct, obvious [conflicts](people-boundaries.md): - Confrontational people find Conflict Avoidance people evasive. Conflict Avoidance people find Confrontational people rude. - Low Context people find High Context people vague. High Context people find Low Context people destructive. - Individualistic people find Collectivist people terrible at [decision-making](people-decisions.md), but Collectivist people find Individualistic people selfish. - Masculine people find Feminine people [needlessly cautious](safety.md) and unproductive, but Feminine people find Masculine people needlessly reckless and [workaholics](success-4_routine.md). - Low Power Distance people will find High Power Distance people rigidly over-trusting. High Power Distance people find Low Power Distance people rebellious. - Linear-Time people find Flexible-Time people as lazy and distracted, but Flexible-Time people see Linear-Time people as obsessive and change-resistant. - Indulgent people find Restrained people prudish and self-effacing, which Restrained people find Indulgent people reckless and self-effacing. - Principles-First people find Applications-First people unimaginative, but Applications-First people find Principles-First people impractical and [uncaring](mind-feelings.md). - Low Uncertainty Avoidance people find High Uncertainty Avoidance people obsessed with clarifying the unknowable, but High Uncertainty Avoidance people find Low Uncertainty Avoidance people comfortable with adverse [consequences](results.md). - Low Risk Tolerance people believe High Risk Tolerance people are [creating chaos](unknown.md), but High Risk Tolerance people believe Low Risk Tolerance people hate [good changes](people-changes.md). ## Inheritance Our first culture is our [family](people-family.md). They told us what we should [do](results.md), [think](understanding.md), [say](language.md), and [believe](understanding-certainty.md). Later, we make clear [decisions](people-decisions.md) about our groups (usually during [puberty](maturity.md)) where we choose to engage with *other* cultures. After we've been in any group long enough, our [identity](identity.md) has formed into a remix of that culture and what we [prefer](humanity.md). Because of this, it's difficult to pin down the *exact* marks of a specific culture, since each element is subject to [change](people-changes.md) or have individual [adaptations](creations.md). We tend to adopt cultural values without consciously observing what we've conformed to. We're so busy trying to please [higher authorities](groups-small.md) in our group that we ignore how our choice of [language](language.md), specific [knowledge](understanding.md), and [stories](stories.md) we [believe](understanding-certainty.md) are shifting around. Our choice and flow of [language](language.md) show our cultural background: - People from large groups use a clause to draw attention before they speak (e.g., "If I may have your attention, please...") - Their family's career [specializations](jobs-specialization.md) and [educational level](education.md) affect that person's choice of words. - How fast someone speaks shows the population density of where they came from. - Their accent and tone often implies a geographical region. *Everyone* in a group is mostly conforming to what they see as the group's standards. With the possible exception of the [highest leadership](groups-small.md) in a group that's been around for only a few years, each person is trying to honor the values that the group's standards have employed. This doesn't mean we don't possess unique opinions and ideas apart from the group. But, we tend to scale them back to prevent [conflicts with others](people-conflicts.md) in that group. Generally, the desires are expressed via over-[identification](identity.md) with specific [trends](trends.md) that reflect what we want that go against the group standards. Most cultures adopt mindless traditions over time: 1. Someone creates a [ritual or tradition](habits.md) to [remind](mind-memory.md) the group of something. 2. A generation later, people honor the action but never experienced what the tradition served to remind. 3. The next generation after that has only heard of the original experience as a distant [fable](stories.md). 4. Eventually, everyone performs a stale ritual because it's always been done that way, and [creates arguments just to talk about modifying it](politics-conservativeliberal.md). APPLICATION: Nobody really knows why some traditions exist. This doesn't stop them from honoring it, and it often gives [meaning](meaning.md) to that person irrespective of the tradition itself. Except for [immoral](morality.md) traditions, be careful how you condemn them, since some members need those traditions to find [peace](safety.md), and they may honor them for a [reason](purpose.md) you don't know. As traditions become [stories](stories.md), they often develop [superstition and folklore](stories-myths.md) around them. Those stories often have [wisdom](understanding.md) inside them, at least with their messages (e.g., don't go into the woods at night), but are far divorced from [reality](reality.md) and can often spin off into new [religious sects](religion.md). APPLICATION: Every new member of a group must learn the value of their culture's traditions for themselves. The best way to destroy a culture is for the older order to be bad at [teaching](education.md). The easiest way to teach is through a [rite of passage](maturity.md) because the next generation can maintain the older generation's [beliefs](understanding-certainty.md) through [feeling](mind-feelings.md) the experience for themselves. Sometimes, new leadership will destroy those mindless traditions, but it's impossible to purge *all* of them because of how frequently we make these traditions and how much the older order would hate the [changes](people-changes.md): - Holiday celebrations such as Christmas and Easter. - Most [religious](religion.md) observances. - [Rites of passage](maturity.md). Naturally, the newest generation in a group will have to make their own decisions about what to honor and whether they'll stay in the group, irrespective of what they were [raised with](people-family.md). APPLICATION: The timing of our experiences defines how well we receive a cultural [trend](trends.md): - Anything in the world when you're born is simply a natural part of how the world works. - Anything introduced between age 15 and 35 is new and exciting. - Anything introduced after age 35 is against the natural order of things. ## Outsiders If someone leaves a culture, they'll often hold to their old culture out of [habit](habits.md). But, when a familiar action doesn't create the [consequences](results.md) they [expect](imagination.md), they'll experience "culture shock". Some well-established people in a formerly [powerful](power.md) culture will sometimes insist emphatically they stay with their old culture even when the rest of the people have moved on to new [fashions](trends.md). Those people end up staying permanent [outsiders](morality-taboo.md) and [laggards](trends.md) in their new culture, though there's a possibility they'll create a [counter-trend](trends.md) later. Most people, especially [younger people](maturity.md), will naturally adapt to other cultures they come across. As they pick-and-choose the elements they like the most, they'll become less like their old culture and will eventually become a "third culture" that synthesizes their two backgrounds. We can't really help this, since we're always at least somewhat [influenced](influence.md) by the world around us. Across cultures, some cultures are regarded as "lesser" by other cultures, often because they're more informal or have more of a sense of [humor](humor.md) (e.g., Mexicans, Filipinos). Frequently, their [view of reality](image.md) contains many profound [truths](understanding.md) that other cultures' hubris will overlook. Third-culture people are in key positions to frame [brand-new cultures of their own](socialrisk.md). They can only [influence](influence.md) their culture of origin (e.g., their [family](people-family.md)) if they can provoke the members to [change](people-changes.md). More often, the members will cast them out from that group, and they'll *have* to [establish a new one](groups-small.md), often by merely having [children](people-family.md). APPLICATION: If you want to be normal, find a culture that matches you. If you [are](people-family.md) (or [became](maturity.md)) a third-culture person, you'll only find normalcy and acceptance with other third-culture people. ## Deconstruction Anytime someone encounters someone else from a different culture (and sometimes even from a different [family](people-family.md)), their way of life will be partially deconstructed within the scope of a casual [conversation](people-conversation.md). After that interaction, they'll either have a stronger grasp of alternative perspectives from their own or will be more [set in their ways](habits.md) than before. Generally, the older and more experienced someone is, the more likely the other person won't add [new ideas](values.md) to their views. If the younger members of a culture are significantly different enough from the older members (often from them heavily [adopting trends](trends.md), and often through major [technological leaps](technology.md) across generations), there will be dramatic changes within a culture that will permanently shift a culture. The leadership will dictate where the changes go. If the leadership is particularly weak, the younger people will define the *entire* cultural revolution, and the traditions of the past will be lost. If the leadership is strong and [charismatic](influence.md), they will either inspire the younger people to harmonize their values with the older ways. However, a strong and harsh leader will inspire [discord and division](people-conflicts-war.md). In the mix of the deconstruction, a culture can suffer severe "anomie" (normlessness). While the younger people may find unlimited possibility in it, it can easily create a crisis of [meaninglessness](meaning.md) and a general feeling of [instability](unknown.md). The only solution is to institute new [rituals](habits.md) that everyone can agree to, which will likely be a [creative re-imagining](mind-creativity.md) of older rituals. APPLICATION: Global cultures are simply impossible because they would require complete acceptance of dramatically different points of view. The only way they'd set aside those differences would be through a [war](people-conflicts-war.md) against a greater external threat (e.g., space aliens, [God](religion.md)).