11.05.2011

The Culture of Relaxation, etc.

Greetings from Derek

I hope everyone is doing great. Today has been a monumental day for mankind. My sweet Amanda is learning how to relax. We haven't had a down day for a long long time. So today we decided to do nothing. Amanda woke up at 9:52 this morning! Holy cow dude! We watched a couple episodes of Superhumans, A Life in a Day (highly recommended), The Office, and a documentary on the Rainman. It has been great.


Recently I have been fascinated with the concept of culture. How it affects everything we do. How it makes so many things that we do feel natural. Are these things really natural or is it merely an illusion that culture casts upon us?

Here are some quotes for you all to ponder. They inspire me greatly.

Whenever you find you are on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
- Mark Twain

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
- Confucius

To go against the dominant thinking of your friends,
of most of the people you see every day,
is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can perform.
- Theodore H. White


And all these quotes lead to this one. The moral of the story is...

This above all, to thine own self be true.
- William Shakespeare

I encourage everyone (if you want) to ponder who you truly are. Do you think how you do because that's REALLY who you are? Or do you think like that because that's how culture tells you to? Same with your actions. Of course our culture can shape who we are, but it doesn't have to shape ALL of who we are. I don't know about you, but I like thinking about these things. You may not notice much at first, but keep thinking about it, you'll learn some things about yourself... and your culture.

Love
Derek

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