Waves Of Identity, Culture And Morality

It’s complicated

a man becomes an unstoppable tsunami wave against an imposing brutalist building, epic, black and white, sleek pencil drawing — by DALL·E

If we allow ourselves to look at the events around us, we will soon witness the complex relationships existing among identity, culture and morality. Identity is primordial for any self-respecting human being. It is the sum of our nature and experience, the essence of who we are and the core that drives our impact on the world.

We could argue that culture is the sum of a particular cluster of identities, but I don’t think it would be accurate. While individuals make a culture, cultures are significant enough to feed the identity of those born in them. Besides, cultures rely heavily on past identities, often ancient enough to be legend — rather than history — material. It doesn’t take a wise person to understand that culture is bound to be problematic. Modern, individual identities will feed on cultural values that are undoubtedly obsolete and radically unacceptable by today’s standards.

Yet, it is as unfair to blame someone for their culture as it would be not to consider it when assessing their identity. It is unlikely anyone will judge us for our upbringing, but how our parents raised us will determine how we behave. Indeed, the actions that result from this behaviour will certainly be judged. While being respectful of identity at its most diverse is essential for any civilisation to be worthy of…