Skip to main content

Culture made us all

  People are different. These differences represent the vast range of human potential and possibility. Our assumptions, beliefs, values, ideas, ideals – even our abilities – are largely a product of our culture. 

 We can respond to such differences with hate or ignorance, or we can choose to open up to them and ask questions we have never considered before. 

 It is not easy to see our assumptions. Our most basic assumptions are embedded in the basic elements of our everyday lives (our language, our routines and habits, our technologies).

We create our tools and then our tools create us.


Most of what we take as "reality" is a cultural construction ("realized through our unseen, unexamined assumptions of what is right, true, or possible.)

 We fail to examine our assumptions not just because they are hard to see, but also because they are safe and comfortable. 

They allow us to live with the flattering illusion that "I am the center of the universe, and what matters are my immediate needs and desires.

Our failure to move beyond such a view has led to the tragedy of our times: that we are more connected than ever, yet feel and act more disconnected. 

 Memorizing these ideas is easy. Living them takes a lifetime of practice. Fortunately, the heroes of all time have walked before us. They show us the path. They show us that collectively, we make the world. 

Understanding how we make the world – how it could be made or understood differently – is the road toward realizing our full human potential. 

It is the road to true freedom.

We teach more on culture and its influences on our lives at thge Ransford Global College Sociology and Anthropology Class, online.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What is Biri marung?

Biri marung" is a term in Chewa/Nyanja, a language spoken in Zambia, Malawi, and parts of Mozambique. It directly translates to "hyena in the sky" or "flying hyena.  It is often used in folklore and traditional beliefs in African cultures to refer to supernatural beings or mysterious occurrences, particularly those associated with witchcraft or spirits. In music, "Biri Marung" is a popular Amapiano track released in November 2024 by South African artists Mr Pilato, Ego Slimflow, and Tebogo G Mashego, featuring Sje Konka, Focalistic, DJ Maphorisa, Scotts Maphuma, and CowBoii.  The song has gained significant attention, with its official audio available on YouTube.  Additionally, it has been featured on various music platforms, including Apple Music.  The track has also inspired dance challenges and covers on social media platforms like TikTok, contributing to its viral status.  "Biri Marung" has been recognized for its impact in the music industry...

The world needs the Gifts and Skills that only you have

 TAP THE UNTAPPED. RELEASE THE RESERVOIR. Learn more at the Ransford Online School. Your life has the potential to fulfill your purpose. If, however, you imprison that potential, you rob your life of its purpose and fulfillment.  You and every other individual on this planet possess an awesome treasure. Too much of this treasure is buried every day, untapped and untouched, in the cemeteries of our world.  Much talent, skill and creativity have been lost to the world for want of a little courage. Many obscure men and women enter eternity pregnant with potential, with a still-born purpose. Living with ability brings responsibility. Dying with ability reveals irresponsibility. Everything in creation was designed to function on the simple principle of receiving and releasing. Life depends on this principle.  What if the plants refused to release the oxygen they possess or if we human beings refused to release the carbon dioxide we produce?  The result would be chaos...

Worldview Matters

Worldviews are rules, values, beliefs and biases that an individual customer brings to buying situation.  If Jude got completely screwed the last time he bought a car from a used-car salesman, the worldview he has when visiting a dealership four years later is a little different than that of someone who is buying her third car in four years from the same place. If Nkechi sees her job as purchasing agent for a big company as one where she should avoid risks, she’ll view that new salesperson in her office very differently than if her understanding of her job is that she should cut costs by innovating and trying new alternatives. Different people, different worldviews. People can see the same data and make a totally different decision. Worldview Affects What's bought ! People don’t buy what we sell. They buy or want to buy what it will do for them. They want the way it will make them feel. What we sell is a means to an end. They are roads to achieve...