From 600+ conversations with the world’s leading thinkers.
For a long time there was a kind of cultural chauvinism: the idea that if you just played Mozart to people in the Amazon or to hunter-gatherer groups in the South Pacific, they'd instantly recognize its greatness, maybe even see God. But of course, they don't experience it that way at all.
I can't look an African-American parent in the eye for thinking about what they must tell their sons about what can happen to them on the streets of their country.
As far back as we know, humans have spent a lot of energy making what I call 'pointless, precious things.' Archaeologists recently uncovered a life-size sculpture of a bison, 14,000 years old, in a cave in France. That must have taken real effort by people likely living a Palaeolithic lifestyle. That's part of why we've been so dominant on this planet.
We have a very strange relationship with empire, a combination of selective amnesia and nostalgia. The amnesia comes from the fact we mostly identify as the nation that won World War 2 not as the nation which had the greatest empire in human history.
There's a great quote that is 'political correctness is tyranny with manners'.
Don't base one's identity on their opinions. This can be a perilous path because it makes it challenging to change one's mind. Instead, it's preferable to root one's identity in their values and character. In a world that's rapidly evolving, it's essential to anchor ourselves to elements that are stable - our values and character, the principles we uphold.
Swimming transcended mere physical activity. It served as a conduit for life lessons, embodying the essence of its beauty. It taught me discipline, respect for others, and how to navigate the fine line between friendship and competition. Upon arriving in Germany, swimming became my sanctuary during a time when I had no other home. It provided a common language that allowed me to connect with others effortlessly, facilitating a smoother integration into German society.
I guess like any other entrepreneur, but Brown? – this may seem inconsequential, but sometimes, the 'them and us' in society only becomes apparent when pointed out.
The silver lining of this pandemic in the last couple of years is we have realised that culture is not relegated to an office, it's agnostic of a physical office. It is how we work with each other.
Most people don't know who they are. They're trying to be what other people want them to be- or they're trying to create something that fills a void that comes from within. The pressure to conform is huge right now, especially with people getting cancelled; saying what you really feel can make you unpopular… so people box themselves into a place where they're not celebrated or respected for being truthful. It's tragic.
He was playing it and people were dancing. They didn't need to know who the band was, they didn't know what Nile Rodgers… didn't mean anything. They were just going crazy.
With participatory culture, economics dictates that we pour more resources into building an infrastructure platform that anyone can use, so most resources go into empowering 'the long tail'. Small groups of people can come together and make use of a powerful infrastructure to enable them to pursue their own passions and interests, without regard for popularity.