Not only is history being forgotten, but with it go the lessons learned. History has a habit of repeating itself and it should be noted that if lessons aren’t learned from history’s blunders, they are sure to be repeated through a cycle of insolence that all too often spells tragedy. To learn from the past is vastly different from living in it. By no means is studying and learning from the past in order to avoid potential mistakes in the present is proactive, whereas stepping blindly into situations which have been historically proven to be errors in judgment is simply known better as ignorance. Conservatism is built on the past, yet is far from progressive, its views engraved in the past and practically unmoved. Change is obviously a much needed part to culture in order to keep up with the world’s advances. It must however be kept in mind that some cultures have traditions dating back for centuries with flourishing ways of life that are able to support themselves on methods surviving for generations upon generations. Change in these cultures is unheard of and thought to be unneeded since many of these cultures have little access to current technological advances or are unfamiliar with the swift changes the world is progressing through. No matter how difficult it may be to grasp the fact that some cultures live entirely embedded in past traditions with very little influence by civilization, the truth lies in the hearts of these flourishing cultures that are slowly and in some parts, quickly being wiped away by the developing world around them. It needs to also be recognized that social issues vary greatly depending on the development and politics of a certain country. Countries with heavy amounts of conflict obviously are preoccupied and may not be as concerned with social issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and stem-cell research simply because much of their politics haven’t advanced enough to encompass or sometimes acknowledge these issues which are currently hot topics in European and Western culture as well as other more developed countries. There is a great amount of emphasis on underdeveloped countries to change drastically in order to end current civil wars, poverty, corrupt government, etc., but in order to even begin solving these crises, the heart of the issue must be located as well as a coherent plan in order to work in a positive direction. Many countries haven’t the resources to even begin searching for a cure to their abysmally tragic situations.
To turn one’s head and ignore the enormous crises facing whole countries daily is ignorant. Although it’s common knowledge that cultures are being torn apart by conflicts beyond the grip of and sometimes induced by the government; a world unknowledgeable and indifferent is one which is also susceptible to simplistic notions of other nations which could easily be misunderstood/misrepresented with values and customs which are unfamiliar. Hence it is important to take the time to realize that every culture is different but not unequal and when formulating an opinion of the issues plaguing a certain culture, proper and unbiased views are necessary when determining what is best for the culture.
I feel it is also necessary to touch on the subject of the taboo. I’ll bring up specific instances in later entries. Values and traditions which are embedded in a culture are sometimes particularly unusual, but it is important not to judge these traditions through the influences of one’s own values and traditions. Tolerance and acceptance is where peace lies and these entities can only be achieved once prejudice is discarded, the mind subsequently opened to new ideas and a respect thus formulated for differences.
Tags: acceptance, change, civil war, civilization, conservatism, corrupt, culture, global issues, government, history, social issues, taboo, tolerance, traditions, values
