What is Culture?

Wrap up

If you started reading this article from the beginning, you've learned what culture is and what components create and shape it. I now want to take this time to hop up on my soap box.

The most important thing for you to keep in mind about culture is that no matter how different one culture may seem to be from another, all cultures are the same on one basic level. All cultures are human*. Because of that, you can say all cultures are the same in at least one way. If you take a little time, and have a little courage to examine the beliefs you have, you will find that people across the world have the same feelings, experience the same joys and pains, and have pretty much the same desires. You'll start to see that even if someone in another country, or someone down the street from you, doesn't have the same beliefs as you do, they are still human. Each of us is a part of a human experience that we all share and co-create.

Do I mean that we should ignore cultural differences?

Of course not. Difference is magnificent. Difference is wonderful. On a strictly natural-selective level difference is necessary. But, if we are to live on this planet together, we must learn to accept, understand, and even embrace those differences for the good of human kind.

* I know there are non-human cultures, but for this article, I'm trying to keep things simple. So, primatologists of the world, please indulge me.