People talk about cultures
and how important they are
to productivity and happiness.
This seems true. At first.
But not all people fit
so neatly into cultures.
That culture that cheers you on
and solicits your participation
also alienates.
You don’t WANT to be cheered on.
You don’t WANT to participate.
There is Kool Aid to be drunk,
but you don’t LIKE Kool Aid.
And so here you are,
smack dab in the middle
of this culture that doesn’t
seem to fit you right.
So what are your options?
1) You can drink the
horrible Kool Aid and hope it
drowns out your discontent.
2) You can accept that
you’ll never really belong,
despite what your culture tells you.
3) You can look for a NEW culture,
or perhaps a subculture that fits you better.
And so that’s what you do,
play the game of your culture
while also looking for others
who seem more like you.
It’s nice finding new friends
who seem to resonate with you.
But after a while,
even your subculture
fails to satisfy.
So you go through subculture
after subsubculture
after subsubsubculture.
And you still feel very, very different.
This is when it hits you.
You seem to be your OWN culture.
A culture of one.
This makes it
very difficult and easy
to hold gatherings
and have conversations.
But who needs them?
At long last,
you are in 100% agreement
with your subsubsubsubsub…culture.
Except for your own doubts.
Are you being productive?
Are you happy?
Are you simply talking to yourself?
Does it matter?
Why do you even ask?
Perhaps option 2 was the correct path.
Maybe whether you belong or not
is besides the point.
Perhaps it’s OKAY
to feel like you’re all alone
and on your own.
You are a culture of one,
among cultures of one.
Why gang up on each other?
Trail Wood,
6/16
In a world that emphasizes the importance of fitting into cultures, it’s easy to feel like an outsider. While cultures can provide a sense of belonging and support, they may not resonate with everyone.
You find yourself in a culture that doesn’t align with your values and preferences. You have a few options: conform and suppress your discontent, accept that you’ll never truly fit in, or seek out a new culture or subculture that better suits you. As you explore different communities, you may find friends who understand and resonate with you, but eventually, even these subcultures may fall short.
It dawns on you that you are your own unique culture—a culture of one. This realization brings both difficulty and ease. It’s challenging to gather and engage in meaningful conversations with others when you’re the only member of your culture. However, you start to embrace this individuality and find solace in the agreement with your own thoughts.
Questions arise. Are you being productive? Are you happy? Are you merely talking to yourself? But in the grand scheme of things, do these questions truly matter? Perhaps the notion of belonging is not as significant as you once believed.
Maybe it’s okay to feel alone, to be your own culture among countless cultures of individuals. There’s no need to form factions and gang up on each other. Embracing your uniqueness and accepting your solitude can be liberating.
You are a culture of one, and that is something to embrace.