The National Culture

Dictionary.com defines culture as “a particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period”. I’d agree with the definition to certain extent. I do believe culture is an all-encompassing medium of a particular time period in a nation’s existence, particularly the present. But I also think culture is the single culmination of a nation’s history. Culture is like the skin that covers us; it begins as a fresh slate, and wrinkles with age. But through it all, it’s the same all-encompassing cover. We blemish with illness, age, hardship, and experience. Nation’s do too.

            And while the U.S. prides itself in “being young”, it has the same overly optimistic, bold attitude of a young teenager. We underestimate the power of our countries youthfulness and its effect on its people. Besides the various mistakes we have made, and are making, during this almost imperialistic time in our nation’s history, the personal consequences in the mental health of the American people is directly affected.

            Americans are known for being ambitious. We judge based on money, occupation, and value. Our schooling systems pride themselves on rankings, numbers, competitiveness etc. The education systems of other nations, European countries, are much more lax. While competitiveness exists, the need to hold things to your name and accomplish, accomplish, accomplish isn’t emphasized. Our current economic growth and population growth is also a by-product of this youthfulness. In other countries, people do not make a conscious effort to have fewer children or strive as hard. They just don’t, because it isn’t “natural” to them.

            I am generalizing of course, but in general, I believe this is because of a culture, a culture based on a history of mistakes. The French, for example, who work an average of twenty hours a week, probably don’t know enough about their own history to consciously be content with what is considered a “lackadaisical life”. Culture is an amazing instrument for passing on an inherent feeling, a feeling of historical proportions, from generation to generation. As such, the imperialistic experiences of Napoleon, the wars in Africa, the invasion by the Germans, etc. are immediately embodied in every new citizen. Not as facts, but as a subconscious understanding. Leading to the current state of things.

            My point is, we may look to the past mistakes of other nations to try not to make the same mistakes they did, but from a point of culture – it is not possible. We are building our culture (hence the stereotype that Americans have no culture), and if we chose to look at the past of other countries, it is very clear that we are in the same position as they once were. And we are almost pre-determined to make the same mistakes, because if we don’t we don’t make a culture, an aspect of human society that is arguably, an inevitable product. 

            I wouldn’t be surprised if five hundred years down the road, the American people develop a cultural context more similar to the Italian wine country than the big business mentality of today. It is just a matter of time, a matter of listening to your elders but never following their advice. President George W. Bush may have read “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu, but he never listened. And now we are learning the same lessons of Genghis Khan, Darius II, Alexander the Great, and the British Empire.