Why is understanding Culture so Important?

"We are living in a world of bullshit! It's high time to say "NO!" to bullshit!" Pardon my French, but this is a serious problem we are all facing. If I'm kind, the alternative word for bullshit is stupidity. I think it's very clear there's far too much of it in the world... but we have to identify the cause, not just rattle on about the effects.

Let's start with the definition of the word "Culture" because, the modern definition doesn't match the one found in the 1828 Webster dictionary.

Wikipedia: Culture is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups. Culture is often originated from or attributed to a specific region or location.

Webster's 1828: Culture: The act of tilling and preparing the earth for crops; cultivation; the application of labor or other means of improvement.

What I'm interested in discussing is the modern definition. The common beliefs, behaviors, and values of a community. But I'm suggesting what has happen to our modern culture is really a reference to the old definition. Our culture has been cultured... tilled and prepped with bullshit / stupidity for far too long! 

At this point, do we even have a functioning community? Or has it already be destroyed and replaced by a substitute? Well...

Quoting from a blog from 2016 entitled, "The Rise of the Anti-Culture": "For to engage a culture there must first be a culture to engage. And, as the ever-incisive Anthony Esolen has pointed out on numerous occasions we no longer have a culture. What we really have is an anti-culture."

I've been reflecting on the horrors and tragedies as well as the knowledge and wisdom I've found over the past decade or so going down this rabbit hole... and I'm coming to the conclusion that indeed modern Western society and the development of it over the past few hundred years, is a anti-culture. And, in modern times that has only accelerated. Western "culture" has demonstrated over and over the destruction and decimation of indigenous cultures, the destruction of religious traditions, family values, accepted and effective social norms, and in doing so has left an empty spot in people's persona and psyche to be filled by modern artificial versions of culture, programming and conditioning.

Why are people so susceptible to mass formation? Why are people so easily caught in false dichotomies? How is it that nearly everyone demonstrates examples of cognitive dissonance on obvious topics?  Why are the younger generations on anti-psychotic medications in ever increasing numbers? Why are people parroting narratives mindlessly from the movies, the media, or the news without even the slightest skepticism?

For most, it's the absence of healthy culture and it's replacement, the gross over-abundance of the anti-culture's programming and conditioning of people's minds without them even noticing. Chögyam Trungpa identified this in a number of speeches and in his book "Cutting through Spiritual Materialism" published in the 1970's and since, it's only gotten worse.

As I've mention in previous blogs, people's behavior is almost entirely beyond their conscious mind. Experts differ but the general belief is 95% of people's behavior is of a subconscious or unconscious nature. The subconscious mind doesn't have a filter and is easily influenced by repetitive messaging. It can't tell a real experience from an illusion. A work of non-fiction from fiction. It just sucks it all in... and for those unaware... they are easily led to false beliefs, misperceptions of value, and worse... doing harmful and stupid things for fiat money.

Check out this diagram

On the left is a couple visual representations of the Blackfoot Tribe's "Breathe of Life" concept of humanity and it's purpose. Above it is the top view of the tepee (not a hierarchy) designating the four areas that comprise a self-actualized individual, their community, and their culture. This just happens to be where Maslow spent two years divising his version (A heep of bullshit imho) called "the hierarchy of needs" that everyone in the Western world is so familiar with thanks to modern schooling.

When one substitutes Maslow's version into their reasoning, not only do they lose the community and cultural ties to their reality and the understanding of it's effect on that 95% of their behavior, they rarely ever even get to self-actualization. As we see today, much of the world simply can't even get their basic needs met.

Removing the influences of community, family and culture on the subconscious and collective unconscious is what then gets filled in modern culture with "pop culture" conditioning and programming via the various forms of media and the corrupted institutions. Hence, most people are not even aware of what they value or believe. Their subconscious and the collective unconscious / culture has been removed and/or rewired to benefit those with the power to provide the incessant repetitious messaging the emptiness.

Not to mention, their understanding of their senses, those sense's capabilities, and what sense they have left are constantly being dulled. Through the restriction and absence of nature, the introduction of substitutes for everything that provided them with any sort of autonomy or independence... substitute food, substitute knowledge, corrupted institutions, substitute parents, and on and on... 

The technocracy isn't coming in the future, it's here today... and most have no idea that they have already been transformed into robots and automatons. Or have significant parts of themselves that run on autopilot and in many cases sabotage any efforts to break from this insane control system. Sadly, it's only going to get worse the longer people remain tied to the system's methods of control. But, there's another problem... they're addicted to it!

How do we get back to a healthy culture?

One is to use the Blackfoot's model! Become self-actualized... build communities of self-actualized... that then actualize as communities, and those who demonstrate the most honorable and courageous acts... become the cultural icons that everyone else emulates via families, small resilient communities and organizations. Thus, naturally programming their subconscious and maintaining the healthy collective unconscious into perpetuity.

Another opportunity is to look to places and people who still have remnants of culture remaining. Mexico is a great example. For the most part, their federal government is a failed state. Most of it's people recognize their government agnecies as puppets of the US government and the multi-national corporations. Consequently, many of the people still practice family rituals and see it as the primary authority in their lives... not the government, not the media or the fiat money behind it. There are still small communities who still speak their native languages... and they are not alone... there are many cultures around the world as well as ancient cultures that have preserved that wisdom... and it can still be tapped into.

Alfred Korzybski explains it in a different way. The nature of humans as "time binders." Learning from the past, inputting that knowledge into the present actions to affect their outcomes in the future. If we continue to allow stupidity in the present we will continue to get stupidity in the future... we know better, in his belief, because it is our nature.

Respirar Acapulco is a blog that is also an effort to meet and collaborate with like-minded people. Knowledgeable, trustworthy, inspired people coming together with the willing and friendly communities of Acapulco. Which is strategically located, fertile ground for entrepreneurs, has a low cost of living, a high quality of life, a healthy culture, and much more. Here, we can demonstrate and breathe life into the tremendous possibilities for truth, freedom, and prosperity for all who desire it, together. If this sound interesting...You are invited to participate! Join us!