“We all go through a similar process of being formed by the culture around us. It is something described well in Bruce Wexler’s book Brain and Culture: Neuroscience, Ideology and Social Change, in which Wexler argues that much of human conflict arises from our efforts to reconcile the world as we believe it to exist (our internal structures) with the world we live in. According to Wexler, we develop an inner world, a neuropsychological framework of values, cause and effect, expectations, and a general understanding of how things work. This inner world, which underpins our culture, forms through early adulthood, after which we strive to ensure it exists, or continues to exist, in the world outside. Those inner structures can change in adulthood, but it is more difficult given our decreased brain plasticity. That different internal structures exert different pressures on the mind (and body) should not be surprising. Every culture has its own logic, its own beliefs, its own stresses. Once one buys into its assumptions, one becomes a prisoner to the logic. For some people, that means a march toward its more tragic conclusions.”
–Frank Bures, “A mind dismembered: In search of the magical penis thieves,” Harper’s, June 2008
February 1st, 2010 at 9:38 am
Profound…thank you! To be truly free, one must constantly engage in experiences that rearrange our internal structures. Education, psychotherapy, travel/exposure to new cultures, spiritual experiences, or enduring an unexpected loss or life change are only some of means through which we alter our internal structures.
February 1st, 2010 at 11:12 am
Insightful post. Christina is spot on when she says, “…one must constantly engage in experiences that rearrange our internal structures.” Many people fear change and the unknown because it’s uncertain what will happen if a “leap of faith” is taken. Many people have a fear of failure and success. Failure means our plans didn’t work out; success means our social circle may change — friends may be lost along the way. People must decide for themselves what they want out of life. If you lose people along the way, so be it. At least you’ll find yourself which is much more important.
February 1st, 2010 at 12:38 pm
I agree with Mr. Bures’ description. I think there’s a mental discomfort when you start experience the world outside the familiar, subconscious definitions your mind has created. I know there have been times for me when I didn’t understand what I was feeling – perhaps homesickness is an expression of this movement outside the familiar?
Thank you for the insight you’ve just given me.
February 1st, 2010 at 6:51 pm
I noticed this especially when I started to visit Cancun on a regular basis for work.
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Very deep post. I think not only does your “culture” become more permanent as you enter adulthood, but so does your routine. It becomes much more difficult to step outside of your comfort zone and break your routine. You see yourself as belonging to one part of the world and bringing away from that can be challenging.
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:22 pm
[...] via: Rolf Potts [...]
February 4th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
[...] posts, but I felt it deserved more focus especially in light of a recent entry on Rolf Potts’ Vagabonding blog. The post is actually a quote from a distractingly-named article by Frank Bures’ in which he [...]