RE CULTURES

As we know, people in numerous parts of our world have developed, over the years, a variety of cultures; and, frequently, within many of these, a quantity of what might be called sub-cultures.  Much of this can be traced back to the isolation within which groups of humans lived, during years gone by.  They often arose out of geographic, topographic, climate-related, or other natural circumstances facing a people over centuries.  At the same time, they constituted a means of explaining and/or coping with such circumstances.  Sometimes the prevalent or exclusive religion in a place became the basis for traditional beliefs, practices, avoidances, prohibitions, and taboos.

Cultures are often unique and quaint.  They characterize the people who possess and exhibit them--sometimes to such an extent that the people and the cultural traits become synonymous with one another in the eyes of many beholders.  As modern civilization spreads farther and wider over the globe, it usually does so while adapting to the prevalent underlying cultures and traditions of the peoples and places it touches.  And, at the same time, these pre-existing cultures themselves adapt to the forces of modern civilization that continue to arrive at their doorsteps.

As groups of people naturally joined together over the many years of mankind's history, cultures and traditions have usually likewise combined, forming mixtures consisting of elements of all or most of the components thereof.  The results have usually been interesting blends, whose ingredients have frequently become individually indistinguishable over time.  There is also the probability that many of these elements from different cultures have actually combined together to produce end results that are somewhat different from, and perhaps superior to, the sums of their parts.

A fact that is coming to be more and more recognized is that people are fundamentally alike to a much greater extent than they are different.  In addition, this process of each of us becoming more and more like our fellow humans is increasing, probably geometrically, as the years go by.  This is why historian J. M. Roberts affirms, in his History of the World,  that "men in different countries are much more alike than their ancestors of, say, the tenth century, and show it in hundreds of ways...[and this is] still going on." 

Differences do continue to exist.  But they seem to be exhibited mainly in superficialities, such as costume, haircuts, and other such irrelevant externals.  In addition, some kinds of differences--regarding things such as music, cuisines, and celebrations of holidays--ought to be valued, cherished, and preserved; for they are interesting, often beautifrul, and usually do no harm whatsoever to anyone.  Moreover, to my knowledge, and as I've said in a previous post, no one ever went to war over a disagreement concerning the tempo of a waltz, the recipe for a sauce, or the decoration of a home.

True, there have been "holdouts"--groups who have stubbornly clung to their ancient original customs.  But these are usually regarded with curiosity, good-natured amusement, and occasional pity, by the rest of the world; who generally perceive such insistence upon adherence to ancient ways as a rejection by such groups of one or more of the advantages offered by the rest of the contemporary world.

Were the world to formally unify, and to become governed (or better, guided) by a single universal entity, it is likely that customs and traditions that had existed beforehand, within what had been certain countries (now locales), would continue to so exist.  The mixture and blending referred to above would probably eventually take place, in a voluntary and likely unintentional fashion, as the people in question should happen to themselves determine.

This sort of amalgamation is referred to by some as "healthy absorption."  A very insightful rabbinic scholar named Tzvi Marx is quoted by Thomas Friedman, in his The Lexus and the Olive Tree as having described "healthy absorption" to be what occurs when a society takes something in from the outside, adopts it as its own, refits it into its own frame of reference, and eventually forgets that it ever came from the outside.  This, says Friedman, "is how species and cultures advance."

On the other hand, there is a possibility that some of  our unique cultural characteristics will begin to blur and eventually be lost as years go by.  It seems, in fact, that this would likely happen (and has likely happened) with time, whether or not the universal world government spoken of by me should come to fruition.

It should not be the purpose or function of world unity to in any way interfere with, defile, or much less obliterate, any existing national, regional, or local customs or traditions.  Nor should any culture, or the elements of any culture, be extended to, or imposed upon, any persons or places.

In addition, the question remains as to whether the "blending" heretofore referred to could have a deleterious effect upon the individual persons who would be affected thereby.  Would the citizens of the unified world that is anticipated herein have been thus rendered into featureless bland ciphers, without personality and without passion?  I think not.

Such forebodings are found in science-fiction novels and fantasy movies.  I would wager, however, that such concerns are not well-founded.  For I have faith that man's inbuilt personality and unceasing desire for novelty, adventure, and improvement will always result in very interested and interesting human beings--who will perhaps be enabled to accomplish even more, once freed, via world unity, from the concerns, fears, and distractions with which they are burdened to0day.

                                                          * * * * *