My first priority in this humble text is to snatch and hold hostage the attention of you, my dearest reader. I shall do so by reminding you, my precious reader, that every word you read is a sure sign that present within your skull is a highly complex and truly fascinating neurological storm marking you as a wonder of the natural world. Hence, my most noble reader, read on and know that with every word you read you honour your place within the infinite manifold of the cosmos as a miracle of consciousness. Don't you feel special now?
My second priority is to choose between the two topics which battle for prevalence within my own neurological storm. The topic I will set aside for a later date will be the nature of argument and debate which I will leave for a time when the example I wish to make use of - the Maltese Divorce Crisis* of 2011 - is well behind us and hence we will be capable of 20/20 hindsight.
Hence the topic which I will be dragging on ab-- I mean, discussing, today is culture. Not culture as in artworks and paintings and the sort, but culture as in the mentality of a society.
Recently I have thought quite a bit about the mentality of a people, and try as I might, I can't quite seem to find anything positive to say about it. A society's culture prioritizes certain objects or ideals and then forces this prioritization unto all the members of a society, whether they like it or not.
This pre-programmed prioritization is astoundingly detrimental to the development of all individuals. A tremendous part of life is finding out who you are. Once you've done that you'll have a much, much clearer idea of what you want to do in life and where you want to go. By pre-prioritizing all a person's thoughts, culture clouds one's mind from what s/he her/himself would have chosen given the chance. A vast majority of people end up chasing what culture has idolized and never finding out what kind of person they themselves are. They follow careers which are not suited for them, simply because they showed an aptitude in a particular school subject, or because their family is full of a certain profession.
It's no wonder so many people log onto the internet everyday to complain how bored they are. Of course they're bored, they're doing something unsuited for their personalities. They spend their days wasting their time whilst opportunity after opportunity for happiness is washed away.
Culture places certain aspects of life in a box which it places on a pedestal, and sub-cultures follow suit - different aspects, but its the same old box and pedestal.
As time goes by I, personally, grow increasingly dissatisfied with culture. It keeps on telling me to be who I'm not. For a long time I've wanted to travel to a different country to get away, but I know it would be to no avail. Another country will just have a different box and pedestal, and I will find myself in my position of dissatisfaction once again. My best bet is to learn how to live peacefully alongside this social phenomenon without allowing it to suffocate my personality. This is, I believe, true for anyone who finds him/herself desiring to develop a unique personality which is not suppressed by a society's culture.
(I plead, my cherished reader, that you do not see my comments about myself in the above paragraph as an act of egotism or self-righteousness. I only use myself as an example because I am, or obvious reasons, the example with which I am most acquainted.)
You may have your attention back now.
*After writing this, the Divorce Movement won the referendum after all, thus partially restoring my faith in Malta.
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