Culture. And today's world.

Culture is the sum total of our ancestors. It is what our forefathers taught us.

It is what we carry forward from our previous generations.

Culture can be defined as a set of tasks, which after being repeated a number of times, with time being the greatest teacher, has been accepted by us as a way of life.

People learn from mistakes. People adjust themselves. People adapt to different situations. People change.

Culture is defined by the people.

Culture changes.

Everything in life has it's own cycle. Everything has its ups and downs. 

Normally people tend to bank on tried and tested techniques. Most people would like to live life in a low risk environment. 

Where they can feel safe and secure. That is why people bank on tradition. That is why people bank on culture. After all it's the culmination of what we've learnt from the past.

The problem with culture however is that even if a solution works it might not be the best one.

This is why culture changes.

As mentioned in the audio clip, this is due to the intermingling of cultures.

Now this intermingling of cultures is supposed to preserve the positive aspects of the base culture, overriding it's negative aspects with the positive aspects of some other culture.

But, who is to say what is good or bad ??

Say, for example, I believe that belief in God helps one to focus in life.

To another person it could be a waste of time, as he might have done something productive in that period of time.

With this amount of doubt existing at the lowest level of reason, it is no surprise that when one culture tries to get rid of it's negatives, it could get rid of it's positives as well. When it tries to accept the positives of others, it could accept the negatives of others as well.

Today's world is constantly changing. Tried and tested techniques are being thrown out of the door as newer, better ways of doing things are coming up.

Does this mean that culture has no role to play in today's world?

Culture never had a role to play in the present. Culture is always created in the past and applied in the relative future. As our thoughts become more free, so does our culture.

The culture created yesterday has an effect on us today. If anyone wishes to tell me that people are not behaving in a manner which does not reflect their culture, then in my opinion is wrong.

Everyone acts, already having the burden of culture in built in them. Whatever decisions one makes, it is knowing whatever happened in the past. If any mistakes are made, they will be corrected by future generations. 

That is the beauty of culture.

Culture is the way we think, the way we do, the decisions we make.

Culture is human nature, on a slightly personal basis.

Everything we do today is based on human nature.

The world will change

So will culture.

The topic of todays speech was the implications of culture in todays world.

Todays world is a result of culture based on yesterday.

Tomorrows world will be a result of culture defined by today.

Don't worry. Nothing you ever do will be against your culture. It will be a result of your culture.

The Bathtub Curve

The Bathtub Curve.

Yes I'm writing about the bathtub curve.

Yes, that would be the graph which looks like a bathtub.

There is the initial high.

Then there is the trough ... the lowest part... kinda flat and stretched out (just imagine a bath tub).

And the final high.

In my opinion, everything in life can be represented using a bath tub curve.

But, today my topic of discussion is very narrow.

You've probably never heard of a band called The Killers.

Well, I can't really blame you. Not much is known about them outside USA and Europe.

I'm one of their biggest fans.

Their first album "Hot Fuss" was amazing. From songs like "Mr. Brightside" to cheer you up, there was the nonsensical "Somebody Told Me", the groovy yet sad All The Things I've Done, which spawned the famous line "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier", the evergreen "Jenny was a friend of mine". I could go on and on. Yes I really do like them that much. So did all the award shows.

But like them enough to dedicate an entire post to them ??

Well no.

My point brings us to their second album called Sam's Town. Listening to Sam's Town one would feel a bit let down ... the raw power was missing. The thumping basslines were missing. Although "Read my mind" could probably move even the most coldhearted person to tears.

Their next effort was much worse. It was a compilation of B-Sides and covers called Sawdust.

Apart from their amazing collaboration with Lou Reed on "Tranquilize" and their less than impressive (only slightly though) cover version of the Dire Strait's classic "Romeo and Juliet", not much to talk about.

Now they've released their fourth attempt called Day and Age. I hated the album. Initially.

After hearing it around five to six times running ovals around the park in National Games Village, I started loving it. I think it's one of the best albums I've listened to.

Now, this could mean two things.

Firstly, they might have found the slope back up to their initial level.

Or, maybe I've lost my sense of judgement, due to accomodation, the constant changing force which society instills in us.

I'll assume it's the first point to avoid confusion and drive home my point.

Okay, so now you'd be thinking ... what the hell is this guy sayin ??

Does he have any idea what he's talking about ??

Is there any point that he's trying to make ??

God this is more confusing than calculus.

Well. It isn't more confusing than calculus. And yes, there is a point I'm trying to make.

Maybe it just so happens that the Killers just so happened to fit into the curve (which also just so happens to be there).

Life, in fact, is just opinion.

Lets talk about another of my favourite bands, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Initial high of One Hot Minute, Mother's Milk and Blood Sugar Sex Magik.

The all time lows of Californication and By The Way.

And now they're back in form with Stadium Arcadium.

If you've had the patience to read till here, you'd probably be asking... why just musicians ? why just bands ?

Because, I feel, one of the best ways to get an accelerated view on life is to follow a band.

Why?

Because, once again it's just my opinion, that they feel the pressures of society and need to conform. More than individuals and couples. Imagine trying to hold together a marriage of four to six people. Then, in that pressure, churning out albums which are to be accepted by society. Then, trying to do it for the rest of your life.

Yes, the bath tub curve applies to life.

In a bigger way than you would imagine.

We all start with an initial high. Be it life or some personal endavour.

When we're born, we are care free.

The initial high.

Slowly, what society expects of us comes to the fore. We are "groomed". This has to be the low.

Normally, this period extends for a long long time. Till we are independent.

The sad part about all this is that we give up when we're at the bottom. It's not like anyone can blame us though. After the initial high, everything seems bad. So we quit.

We fail to recognize that there is the crest at the end, waiting for us.

This is not intended to be a motivational speech.

I quite frankly hate motivational speeches.

I'm just stating something I've noticed.

And who am I to write about life?

You're right. I'm no one. And I admit it.

I have no business writing this.

I don't.

I really don't.

But hey, it's just my opinion....

What now?

Everyone knows about the attacks in Mumbai. Much has been written about it.

I'll cut right through it. Till the part which begs, "What now?".

Something similar happened in America 7 years back. As most of us know, they went to war. With whom? Well, everyone. We all know where it got them.

So what do we do? Do we go to war?

I know many people who want India to go to war. With whom? With Pakistan, of course. Why Pakistan? Because its obvious they did it.

I agree. Its obvious they did it. Like it was obvious the Afghanistanis did it. And after that, the Iraqis.

Many of us condemned the American war on terror. Now that we are on the receiving end, we are prompt to justify our own war on terror. Not to mention that India is in no way prepared to go to war. Not even with the Maldives. No disrespect.

I know its a tough task, but we must not let our emotions spill into reason.

You may think that our country might be considered weak if it does not respond in kind. I beg to differ. A strong country is one which, in troubled times, can see reason. Clearly.

Let us take a moment. Pause. Think. And then, decide.

Start-Up

To be honest, this isn't my first attempt at a blog. I tried to start a blog 4 years back, but after 2 or 3 posts I got so bored that the idea went up in flames. In the flames of disinterest.

This, however, should not be the case this time.

If you are jobless enough, you might be wondering as to why I stole the title of the blog from a common phenomenon in physics.

Well, here goes....

Total deals with the fact i shall write about all that affects anyone. At least, about all I can. At least about stuff that affects me. At least, about stuff that affects me and that i care to write about.

Internal implies things close to me, my views on different topics that I never thought I would share with anyone.

Reflection, in this context, deals with how it effects me and how I might react to it.

Till my next scrap.

sLuDGy