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Humans unintentionally demand a sense of belonging and a feeling of home, they go through their whole lives trying to find a purpose, something that makes them feel bigger. I think the biggest idea we fall back on to make this bitter feeling go away, is finding others similar to us, people whose culture matches ours. Our culture defines us, it makes us commit to one way of life and it holds so much value in who we are today. Being in an international school, we are constantly surrounded by different cultures and individuals who may not possess the same morals as us, yet we create friendships that will very likely last a lifetime. Sometimes due to the differences in multiple perspectives, we don’t connect with people, however, we can always learn from each other. The similarities in cultures bond us together like glue, no matter where we are in the world. Some traditions never change, like observing Shabbat, dressing up for Diwali and Eid or celebrating Oktoberfest in the city of Munich.
As we grow up, our perspectives are constantly changing, its dynamics shift as our morals grow. Our cultures are embedded into our lives as we wake up, eat and drink. All these social norms that are present in your lives will determine how you function as a member of society as it affects how you will interact with friends, family and strangers. In some societies greetings are very informal with a kiss on the cheek. Contrarily, there are conservative greetings where not even hands are shaken with the opposite gender. Both ends of the spectrum will have very different experiences as they progress through life.
Another example of perspectives being different between cultures is explained through an experiment done in the Pormpuraaw, a community in northern Australia and English speakers. Both were asked to arrange cards, which showed a man aging, a growing crocodile and a person eating a banana , in chronological order. All the participants were seated one south and one north. The Pormpuraaw arranged their cards from East to West (the sun’s direction throughout the day) whereas the English arranged their cards from left to right every single time. The conclusion derived was that they each see time differently as it has been described differently in each of their languages. The English believed time to be divided into chunks and importance whereas the Pormpuraaw described it as a continuous, smooth cycle.
Culture is all around us as it shapes our brain and behavior, it’s the mold we fit into from the time we are born till we die. Our thoughts make us who we are and our culture shapes our thoughts, therefore it is important to collaborate with other individuals in order to always learn something new.
