My note on the concept of Culture

Last weekend I was involved in an activity where I have to assess one's ability to adjust to new environment and culture to be able to perform self growth from it. From that activity, I am seeing young individuals who are determined to become world citizens by gaining experience and learning interculturally. What is it about this intercultural experience and learning that attracts people to be immersed in?

The concept of intercultural experience and learning is very closely associated with culture. In my definition, culture represents a wide aspect in our everyday life, from our way of thinking, way of living, way of creating something, etc. I think that every single person is part/product of a bigger culture and they represents the culture of their own at the same time. The process of creating culture involved external stimulus as well as generating our own values and ideals.

We see and witnessed varieties of individual ways of living, thinking, etc. We can see that, potentially, there are many ideas and new ways that could be developed by opening our minds to learn and see how the way of others may benefit us. Ideally, with open minds, we can be more receptive and able to unleash limitless creativity to create or improve many things in life. But on the realistic side, of course there are challenges to overcome when implementing the effort, from really believing the power of oneself, being misunderstood by others, to unsupportive external conditions (i.e corruptive government, conflicts,  etc).

While it seems that there may be no boundaries when it comes to discovering culture, the boundaries actually exists within ourselves as individuals. In other word, the extend to where we can change our behavior (even though we have been culturally empowered) actually has limit. If you happen to follow Daniel Pink and his show at Nat Geo channel, it is validated how we are tend to be 'lost' in our habits and culture, therefore controlling it becomes necessary. Or we all recalls on how our prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) always behave in kind manner in order to inspire and influence the disbelievers to take the right path. Culture could also be formed as influence to inspire and empower.

I guess these young people are aware on how intercultural learning and experience will benefit them by being able to learn about something that they have never been exposed to,and also being used to accepting new stimulus. The experience will have effect not just in short term, but also long term, as culture is not something to be mastered in an overnight. It is a fluid entity, which will stimulates, inspires, and challenges us in our entire life.