Effect of culture in today`s way of life

On a sunny afternoon, I was seated in the living room watching an animal

documentary. I had the opportunity to see how a lion caught an antelope, killed
it, and shared them with a few other lions. There I thought of how must the
other lions feel about the lion who just brought them meat to eat. I guess they
feel happy and will say, the lion is nice and good. On the other side, the family
of the antelope will see the lion as someone bad and dangerous, being that the
antelope must have been a great and dependable one in the family. These gave
me questions,

*How do people think about others?

*Why do people act in different ways?

*Who is bad and who is good?

*How can someone grow up just to be a killer, someone dangerous, or someone

who is seen as a bad influence in society?

amongst other questions So I tried putting in research on how these questions

could be answered.These led me to the impact of culture i.e., belief systems. I’m
talking about how great one belief system can affect one’s life and how difficult
it is to correct them. Culture is said to be the way of life of people. It is the
ideas, customs, and social behaviors of a particular people or society.

Using the story of the Israelites in Egypt, according to the old testament, the
Israelites had been in Egypt for generations working as slaves. This could have
affected their mentality and way of life (culture). i.e., the way they think, to
them as time goes by, they will begin to reason that you have to struggle hard
before you can eat. The harder you make use of your muscles, the better your
chances of feeding well (note: These might not be true, it’s just reasoning from
my perspective). This mentality affected them when they were brought out of
Egypt, which lead to some requesting they want to go back, also the god Egypt
worship is made in the look of a statue, this mentality affected the Israelites
making them join metals to build a statue, with the hope to represent God, to
worship.

Another example is the story of Abraham and Sarah. (Note: This is my point of
view,I am not trying to step on any religious story) Abraham slept with one of
his wife’s slaves (Hagar) and she conceived a son named Ishmael. Later they
were sent away(Hagar and her son Ishmael). Now, the son grew up to hear of
the story that they were sent away cause of a promising child, will probably see
himself as what???. Let’s not forget that Ishmael growing up must have been
hard, which could have built up a different mentality. The Muslim religion
could also be traced to Ishmael because Muhammad is considered a descendant
of Ishmael(according to the bible). As generations pass by, and as the story of
Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac spreads,people’s way of viewing
thing is different so the way we reason this is mostly due to our experiences
which forms our way of life. This past story and ways of life as affected or
contributed to the current disagreement between both religions. Making one
religion feel superior to the other forgetting the fact that we are all from one
God.

Culture, as I have said earlier, is very difficult to correct but without its
correction, there can’t be a significant change in Nigeria and also in the world at
large. For example, people working in the force add little favouritism in form of
gender, religion, ethnicity, etc., or working with the mindset that some regions
are prone to some acts. example having the mindset that Igbos have too much
love for money and will do anything to get it. These mindsets will lead to wrong
decisions and might end up creating more conflicts, then different views which
will be passed down from one generation to another and resulting in the way of
life (CULTURE), belief system.
Conclusion.

The world evolves, change is constant, and can be considered part of the factors
guiding the world No action is taken by anyone without a cause, the world
needs to unlearn some facts about certain people and learn new ones about
them.Learn to unlearn to relearn.

We need to stop the attitude of just learning from past generations’ experiences
but also look for a way to change that beliefs or facts without making the same
mistakes. Be it black or white, we need some of the views of the previous
generation and create our belief system, not continue with theirs. EG most
people are in religion not because they want to but because they are born into
it.create what you believe in, don’t live under others’ ideas.

Before you make a decision or judge anyone a deep insight into the person’s
past is required, even before you go into any mutual agreement with anyone, be
it marriage or business partnership a little understanding about the person’s
previous relationship or business life is necessary. A poor man who sleeps all
day, with the mindset that things will change one day, and a Rich man who
steals, after having much money that will last him his lifetime, both are
chained to a belief system or culture. You don’t judge them they are
both acting on what they grew up to know is true and just. What you view as
wrong is right to another person and vice versa.

OLUKINNI OLUBUNMI