The phenomenon of social activism is becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society. It is just the sort of thing that appeals to the newly emerging subculture of people who are looking for what cultural anthropologist, Margaret Mead, calls “whole process” creativity and personal involvement.
Educator and activist, Parker J. Palmer says, “movements begin when people refuse to live divided lives.” The Cultural Creatives that I’ve been talking about for the last few months, who are looking for the reality of the time we are living in, are willing to look at themselves, who they are, and what values they hold dear.
Like many Cultural Creatives, I grew up seeped in the culture of the freedom and peace movements, where finding one’s self often meant idealistically looking for Shangri-la. As I matured, as did these grassroots movements, as well as the society around us, I believe that the idealism matured as well, turning from a dream into the hope of reality.
This reality then becomes the basis and framework for our worldview. This type of person chooses whom to relate to, what their priorities are, what they want to accomplish, and even whom they will vote for, as it is reflected by this worldview. Turning this into action that will benefit society gives truth and authenticity to their idealism, and sets new norms within the culture for what they view as success.
The container of this action, for me, is not what is important. As with the religious path, it matters not whether one is a Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim or Christian. I believe they can all be paths to the One. The principles behind our action will be what give substance to our results.
Similarly, whether we use biofuel, solar power or hydrogen in the next generation car is not something I would choose to worry about. Simply redistributing money, material resources or power will not accomplish poverty eradication, natural resource conservation, or globalization.
Wealth, like technology, is a tool that is created and used by people. And our natural resources do not belong to us anyway. How tools are used depends on the quality of the character and values of those who own the tools. Therefore, the principles that we see reflected in the nature around us, and how well we make them our own, will be the primary determinant if the decisions we make are wise or not.
In order to usher in a culture of wisdom, we must be aware of our choices. There are cultures of greed, of hate, and of selfishness—all arising from the choices we have made within the realm of our hearts. I believe that the phenomenon of the Cultural Creative must focus first on building a foundation for the transformation of heart.
We can begin by building bridges of understanding by making our common roots and origins, our common values, and purpose a shared experience. This can happen as we share our stories, making relationships with no hidden agendas or expectations.
Gathering together people of like mind, such as with conferences of educators, or scientists, or retired politicians, can be a beginning point. After their stories have been told, the time to brainstorm will begin, as each group focuses on problems within their discipline, taking into account the universal purpose of our lives—that of living for the sake of others.
Interestingly enough, I saw this very dynamic at work at the Doctoral Writing and Research class I wrote about in April. A group of doctoral candidates got together and shared their experiences. On that foundation the group brainstormed with each individual to assist in evolving and fine-tuning each person’s idea to create a dissertation that would take into account the individual’s passion and gifts, and how they could be expressed in a way that could be shared with and for the benefit of the rest of the world.
In my own case, I am choosing to tell each person’s story, focusing on the common threads shared by all, creating a tapestry of ideas and actions that I hope will become a model for others to pattern their own stories after.
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