creating your own culture

Tuesdays With Morrie (i know i know, the whole world has read and i've just started) -- Mitch Albom

"...so many of the people who come to visit me are unhappy. Well, for one thing, the culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. We're teaching the wrong things. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it. Create your own. Most people can't do it."

the ever-wise and lovely `Untitle/Noname' in my comment box: (THANK YOU, UNTITLE)

"The purpose of living life is happiness. It's evident, in EVERYTHING that human beings do. We play, we make friends, we work hard, we make more money, we get hobbies, we watch tv, we go yamcha, we break rules, etc. All in all, everything it takes to feel good.

On pleasure & happiness:

"The difference is, in my opinion at least - pleasure is derived externally. Buying a new house, car, TV, smoking a cigarette, watching a movie, making a lot of money, etc. It lasts for as long as that period of time that you enjoy it. And then it's gone, and you feel like you need more again.

Happiness comes from within. It's about accepting the good things in your life and appreciating it. You don't necessarily need more of it, but it's fulfilling nevertheless.

A man who works hard everyday and makes a lot of money to buy materials for his family is offering them more pleasure than happiness. Happiness is working and earning less but spending more time with the kids and growing with them."

Back to Tuesday w Morrie, Mitch talked about creating your own culture. We all in our own ways create our own culture, the thing is, is your culture giving you satisfaction?

Morrie:"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They see, half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."

I'm sure a great many of us realised that culture we have now is full of BS. We spend many hours chatting and gossiping about news we read from tabloids, as if those people we discuss are our neighbours. We are addicted to someone else's drama. We discuss the outcome of TV soaps and sitcoms, reality TV shows....these things don't make our lived any fuller or happier, why are we so into it?

I decided that I will start to create my own culture now, I will assess all my values and decide whether it should stay or be chucked out. I have always been able to justify my actions: buying a new dress is an investment, sending back my food in a restaurant is respecting my customer right, being outspoken is being true to myself, etc. I will re-consider these things I do and think in a more...human way.

Human way? What the fuck?

We may think that since we are humans, so it shouldn't be hard to act and think like one. Wrong, many things we do everyday are far from `human activities'. Watching sports on TV, gambling, trying to make more money than you need, working more hours than you need, trying to get into the `Tattler' magazine, are not human activities.

Human activities are, I learned, conversations, discussion groups, walks with friends, dancing, eating slowly, look at nature, reading, helping others, write letters to friends...you get the drift.

Next project: create my own culture (come join me in this one, create our own cultures based on our newly-acquired `human values')

Focus: on being more human.