Culture, Culture, Culture!
When I think about the word culture I associate it with the term knowledge. Culture is the sea of subjective thoughts, feelings, and beliefsthat unfold to create a unifying way of life. Culture helps us understand whycertain groups of people live a certain way. Culture includes anywhere from howwe dress, the language spoken, types of foods eaten, and even ourreligious beliefs. The bond between beliefs, behavior, and knowledge is thefoundation of what culture is all about. I most identify with Mathew Arnold in "Culture and Anarchy".
"culture...natural and prosper in an intelligent being, appears to be theground of it."
To be cultured today means, to be open minded, and aware ofyour surroundings. By allowing yourself to become cultured, you are acceptingthe unfamiliar. I believe culture and knowledge are directly related;therefore more you expose yourself to different cultures, the more knowledgeyou gain.
So why not put yourself out there and gain a little knowledgeabout culture? Learning about other societies than your own can deeplybenefit you. For instance, expanding your knowledge will allow you togain multiple perspectives on life, which in turn will teach you to value theway others live.
I really like your way of explaining culture as being "aware of your surroundings" and "accepting the unfamiliar." That is what more people in our would should strive for, to be open minded and accepting of others' cultures and ways of living. I also agree with your saying that expanding your knowledge will help you gain more perspectives on life, which will help you value others' lives much more.
ReplyDeleteGreat point when saying culture is "Being aware of surroundings." It has a more progressive feel to it then definitions of the past.
ReplyDeleteI like and agree with you when you say that culture actually helps us study why certain groups of people behave the way they do. This could give us especially good insight when studying history.
ReplyDeleteThis was a refreshing view on culture that I hadn't thought of. I like the idea of if you are more open and willing to accept other's cultures then you will learn to value and respect them as people and society more. It is very insightful and a great way of describing a "cultured" individual.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement that culture is everywhere and everything. There is no concrete way to define culture because it can be so many different aspects of our lives. Your thoughts of being cultured as being open minded and aware of one's surroundings is also a great statement.
ReplyDeleteI loved how you compared culture to "a sea of subjective thoughts..." I think it was a good way to illustrate how big and unattainable the definition of culture truly is.
ReplyDeleteYour meaning of culture was a great idea, "Culture is a sea of subjective thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that unfolds to create a unifying way of life." I never would have thought to put it in a short but understanding way.
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