Culture and Identity

All human beings are, at root, identical to one another. Regardless of culture, everyone eats, sleeps, and drinks. We are all capable of thinking, learning, working, hating and loving. In essence, the foundation of every cultural custom can be derived from some shared human quality. I, however, believe that there is a flaw in human nature that causes us to conform to society; thus manipulating our once identical human traits. For example, all humans must eat, but each cultural institution dictates which kinds of food the people consume. Although there are features in every culture that, at origin, are the same (like eating), this flaw causes diversity among cultures and the creation of unique customs. When children are born, they know nothing about life except instinct. It is expected for children to learn much of their remedial skills from their elders, but their unsuspected brains are also being polluted by cultural customs. As this mental piracy occurs, a baby develops and becomes cultured by his or her society. In reality, however, the culture is manipulating his or her basic human attributes. Flooded by this unfair force, the baby looses its individuality to society. I believe that the technique in which every baby is raised has a significant impact on how a baby develops. Does a society with a hard work ethic (like Japan) raise its children by making them constantly perform a heavy list of tasks in the home? Does the lack of attention to children in some cultures cause that culture to be defined by autonomous and rebellious desires? I think it would be interesting to see how different cultures develop just based on their distinctive methods of raising children. Because all humans suffer from conformity, I adamantly believe that a society’s standards shape the customs of its people. Does our cultural conformity cause us to make preemptive judgments, or do our innate abilities always win? Let’s keep searching.