A comparison of cultures came up in a recent group discussion. A member was integrating a system of thinking/talking that could begin to create equality for understanding differences and they compared their culture to ours and identified theirs as being harder to work with (in this way of making changes).
This member described the hierarchical nature of their culture and I recognized that my (Western Canadian) culture does not wear its dominant nature on its sleeve. I realized that some cultures have a strong hierarchical ancestral self-image that can be witnessed, identified and easily understood. My culture on the other hand does not outwardly discuss this, nor do we usually have ancestors living in close proximity.
Generally speaking, our family culture may only focus on the current generation, unlike some cultures that go back generations. Never the less our parents and older siblings hold a similar dominant power-over position. It may be too close an experience with our first family and not identified as in these other cultures where the parents are still experiencing the same behavior as their children! Therefore it is a shared and discussed more openly with a developed intellectual understanding and acceptance. For us, it is not as easy to understand intellectually in the moment as we lack the shared experience with our parents therefore we do not have anyone to empathize with us.
I believe that in my Western Canadian Culture it is not unlike a description of Gandhi’s to his grandson on acts of violence. Gandhi explained that physical violence could be seen and witnessed, therefore addressed. It was the hidden forms of violence that are insidious acts and harder to define and understand.
Are we as Canadians ready to openly observe and discuss our natures and be identified with more ease? I am curious, that if we did open up and readily talk about these patterns without the blame, shame and embarrassment (feeling experiences that I don’t see in these other cultures), if it would make it any harder for hierarchical agencies to entrap or beguile us in their insidious planning.
I love what I do! Exploring with curiosity is an open door to learning beyond what I think I know!
Center for Inside Awareness 