The Cultural Cliff

By John Loeff

My book starts with a historical perspective of previous empires. What did they do right and what did they do wrong? What can we learn from them? Chapter two looks at the different socioeconomic classes existing in society. Where do you fit in? After locating your class in society, try to find out who you are. The next step is to find out your goals in life. Chapter three introduces you to six philosophers and their suggestions. What can Immanuel Kant, Soren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, Martin Buber, and Rollo May offer us? Yes, you will get a very wide perspective from these social thinkers on many issues. My final chapter discusses the individual changes you have to make in order to make it in this world. Can you do that? What is your outlook on life?

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Loeff
• Release date: Jan 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463307960

John Loeff

John W. Loeff is a former Associate Dean of General Education at Baker College in Michigan. My experience includes teaching, working in the library and a private practice in marriage and family counseling.

Book preview

THE CULTURAL CLIFF

A NEW BEGINNING

Second Edition

John W. Loeff, PhD, D.Univ

Psychotherapist

© Copyright 2013 John W. Loeff

© 2013 John W. Loeff

Illustrations by Joe Bilicic

Graphic Design by Dragan Bilic

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, photocopying, or otherwise, without written permission from the author and the publisher.

THE CULTURAL CLIFF

A NEW BEGINNING

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Other Books by John W. Loeff

Chapter 1 History

Introduction

The Aztecs

Ancient Greece

The Dutch Republic

The French Revolution

Summary

Chapter 2 Social Classification

Socioeconomic Status

Existentialism

Meaning in Life

Freedom

Isolation

Wisdom

Chapter 3 Philosophical Perspective

Introduction

Immanuel Kant

Søren Kierkegaard

Friedrich Nietzsche

Karl Marx

Martin Buber

Rollo May

Summary

Chapter 4 Individuals

Personal Changes

Cardinal Francis Joseph Spellman

Maturity

Harry Stack Sullivan

Competition

Anger and Hostility: Aaron T. Beck

Greed

Decision-Making

Teams

Summary

References

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the following people for assisting me in writing this challenging book. First of all, my thanks go out to the politicians in Washington who are dealing with the fiscal cliff. Since this topic is in the news almost every week, it gave me the opportunity to come up with my title The Cultural Cliff.

Second, I thank my wife and other family members for their unwavering support and the occasional push to meet deadlines. Yes, sometimes I am too involved in the research, writing, and rewriting process that I more or less forget that there is another world out there. My next step was to find an individual who had a background in philosophy and business and knew a thing or two about different cultures. This was my biggest challenge, but I did not have to look too far. A good friend of mine and former colleague at Baker College had exactly what the doctor ordered. John Mattappally comes with an educational background in theology, philosophy, and economics. All his degrees were obtained in western Europe, and since we are talking about culture, he was raised in Kerala, India. His working experience includes western Europe and North America. Add the proficiency in English, French, Italian, German, Malayalam, and Hindi, and we have a solid cultural background that is hard to beat. Yes, I am very fortunate to have somebody with this cultural background reviewing my book.

Finally, as always, a thank you note to the editing department of the publisher and other staff for their continuing support. A job well done!

John W. Loeff

Bright's Grove

Preface

In 1980 Alvin Toffler wrote a book, The Third Wave, which became a best seller. This book detailed the upcoming changes in society, and when we look back over the last thirty or thirty-five years, this book was pretty accurate. Toffler described the changes in society starting with the First Wave, the Second Wave, and finally, the Third Wave. The First Wave was the agricultural society, the Second Wave was the industrial society, and finally, the Third Wave was the IT society. How do we adapt to this new electronic age without being totally overwhelmed? The IT phase will take a few decades to complete, so we do not really have all that much time. As Toffler explained, the First Wave took thousands of years to be completed. The Second Wave took a merely 300 years to run its course. So, as you can see, we have to change at a faster pace, and this could be an issue for many people. No, you cannot sit on the fence for forty years and pretend that nothing is happening. Some individuals and companies are still operating as if nothing has changed in the world. They still dream about the good old days and ask, When are they coming back? They still live in la-la land, and most likely, they need a major makeover. Just in case you are wondering about the advantage of adapting quickly to a new high-tech world, let me give you one example. In Powershift, also written by Alvin Toffler in 1990, he talks about the slow learners and the fast learners in society. Fast economies—countries that can think and act very quickly on their feet—generate more wealth than countries moving with the speed of a turtle. So, when you look in the mirror, do you see a leopard that can move at a speed of fifty or sixty miles an hour, or a turtle that barely moves? If you do not adapt quickly as an individual, you are left behind, and you are too old to catch up. You might as well retire on an island in the Pacific and enjoy the sunset, along with a glass of Chardonnay. The changes in society create tension and stress for many individuals, families, and organizations. This turmoil applies to the poor, the middle class, the very rich, business leaders, and political institutions.

Let me give you one example:

Today the elites can no longer predict the outcomes of their own actions. The political systems through which they operate are so antiquated and creaky, so outraged by events, that even when closely controlled by the elites for their own benefit, the results often backfire. (Alvin Toffler, The Third Wave)

If we look at the situations in many countries in North America, the EU, the Middle East, or in North Africa, how correct is this prediction? So, the author has tried to come up with some suggestions on where and what we have to change in order to survive and prosper. How do I start this process of constant change, as Peter F. Drucker calls it? And this change in attitude applies to individuals, families, organizations, and political institutions. Chapter one provides the reader with some historical facts about previous empires. What did they do right, and what did they do wrong? Chapter two starts with your socioeconomic status in society. Where do you fit in? Next, it looks at who you are and what your goals are. Chapter three details some philosophers and their outlooks on life. How can you benefit from their ideas? Pick their brains and move on. The final chapter is concerned with the individual changes that you have to make. What is your outlook on life, and if required, where do you have to change as a person? Not an easy task!

Can you make decisions and operate as one team? Any constructive suggestions can be emailed to [e-mail]. Yes, I am solely responsible for any errors in this book.

John Loeff

Other Books

by

John W. Loeff

The following books are available in print and digital format.

Building Long-Term Relationships:

Stumbling Blocks or Building Blocks

An Unsuccessful Journey:

The Glass is Half-Empty Personality

A Successful Journey in Life:

An Individual Perspective

Chapter 1

HISTORY

Introduction

Since we are all familiar with the fiscal cliff, how about the cultural cliff? Where are we falling of this cliff, and what can be done about it? What cultural changes do we have to make in order to survive and perhaps improve our standard of living? Yes, we have to make a few changes in our thinking process. Let’s start with some cultural perspective from a few years ago; after that, we examine our contemporary culture. What is culture, and how deep is our lifestyle imbedded in our culture? Do we pay attention to the culture surrounding us?

Most of us take our own culture for granted, and frankly speaking, we do not pay too much attention to it. We only pay attention to it when we have a vacation in another country and their habits and values are not the same as ours. What is different and what is wrong with this other country and why? Perhaps they speak another language, and you do not speak that language, so having a conversation is almost impossible. If you do not speak the other language fluently, try a few words or sentences. People will appreciate it that at least you try. Would it be easier for us to accept foreign languages if we were schooled in foreign languages? Let me start with the official version of culture as written by Tepperman and Richardson in their book The Social World: An Introduction to Sociology. Culture is a total package of behaviors, values, customs, and symbols that we share as one group. We cannot exist in society without a culture, according Tepperman and Richardson, and this is an excellent point. These two authors point out that we have traditions and customs that rarely change, and we are creating a new culture all the time in the form of inventions, IT technology, fashion, and a new vocabulary. Mothers used to stay at home in the 1940s and 1950s, but times have changed, and many mothers now have part-time or full-time jobs. We have moved from a nonmaterial culture to a material culture. Our culture also determines our needs and what we eat and wear. Most of us would agree with these statements.

Symbols can be things like the flag of your country, or it can be your expensive foreign automobile in order to show off how successful you are. Bragging might be the right word here. If we did not have norms, traditions, and values in society, life would be chaotic. We need some structure and rules in order to survive as a society. Culture could be seen as the product of society in general, but when we have many groups in society, the question arises: Which group has the most influence in society and sets the tone for our norms? In most societies, the wealthy individuals try to control the media and force their culture onto the less wealthy. This creates a subculture of groups whose ideas are not really accepted by the controlling group. In the United States, visible minorities and the Latino population are good examples. In Canada, the French minority has their own language and customs. Belgium and Spain have minority groups in the population, as well, and some of them prefer to cooperate peacefully with the majority, while other groups prefer to separate and start their own country. In each group we have the older population with traditional values and the younger generation with fresh new ideas, and once in a while, they clash. Who will win this battle? Good question!

In authoritarian dictatorships, the government controls the media and tells the rest of the population what they can watch and read. A father-knows-best attitude! Trust me, I know what is good for you. You are treated like a little child with no brains. But with the internet, Google, Yahoo, cell phones, iPads, iPods, Facebook, and Twitter, this is impossible, and that is what some authoritarian countries are finding out. The older generation, who controls the political agenda in most countries, is left behind, because technological changes are occurring so rapidly and they are unable to keep up with the pace of change. The older generation is driving around town with their car in first gear, while the younger generation is racing on the highway with the car in fourth gear. This brings to me to the term acculturation, which means acquiring new cultural experiences by contact with other cultures. Many, many individuals in North America are so afraid of new cultural experiences that they hide in their bunker and avoid all contact with anything new. When I asked students in class how many of them have been to other countries for a vacation, one or two students might raise their hand. How many speak another language fluently? The answer is nobody! Yes, some of us have a long way to go. No, the world will not come to us. Period!

Let me bring up another cultural shock for some countries. When you live in a large country that is economically powerful, you have a tendency to have an attitude of superiority. You are the king of castle and more or less control the world; at least, that is what you think. You tend not to listen to smaller countries, because who are they? Many individuals in large countries carry that arrogant attitude with them when visiting other countries. We run the world—and who are you? is their attitude. Making compromises on many issues is not your specialty either. You are used to throwing your weight around and getting it your way, just like any spoiled child or bully in the schoolyard. Let me give the reader some examples:

• When you live in Canada or Mexico, the US is your powerful neighbor, and the US likes to dominate and control the other two countries.

• Germany is a powerful country in the EU, and countries like the Netherlands or Belgium more or less comply with the wishes coming from Germany.

• Russia tries to exert control over the old Russian Empire by using their energy supplies or other resources as a weapon. If you do not agree with my policy or my prices, I cut off your supplies. Plain and simple!

Politicians who run these powerful countries have to realize that times are changing rapidly. Not too long ago, we had the Cold War between the West and the Communist countries. Well, that all changed starting in 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell. Russia more or less lost the battle of domination, and the West won. After that win, you get the feeling that we in the West are invincible and we can do whatever we would like to do: I tell the rest of the world what and how to do it. Well, not quite! Slowly, we are waking up in North America that there is another world out there, and one or two countries are challenging us. Those two countries are China and India. It is a bit of a hangover after the Super Bowl party. You are not quite sober yet, and now you face this challenge. I am not even talking about the other BRIC countries and the EU. What do some politicians and people in powerful countries have to do to get back to reality? Where would you like to start?

• Inflated Ego

Of course, some of these politicians are larger than life. Just look at Washington these days! It is more like a TV reality show. Backing down or compromising is not their cup of tea. Yes, it has to be my way or the highway. The rest of the planet has to comply with my wishes, and let’s face it: We are only talking about 7 billion people. Frankly speaking, I do not think that this attitude is going to change anytime soon.

• Broadway Show

Yes, these politicians will receive their fifteen minutes of fame on the nightly television news, and as a result of this stroking, we see act two of this soap opera one or two days later.

• Parochial Approach

We have to move away from small-town thinking to a broader view of the country and the world. Can politicians do that? The answer is no! If you do not pay attention to your constituency, you won’t get re-elected. Period!

Note:

I would like to call the attention of the reader to Jamie Oliver, a celebrity chef from England, who wrote some very successful cookbooks. During a television interview, he made the point that politicians are only interested in getting re-elected every four years. Long-term thinking and planning is not on their radar screen. Jamie Oliver sees it as his duty to educate the general public about two major food issues. First, man has to learn to share household duties, and that includes cooking dinner once in a while. His second concern is the quality of the food we eat, especially prepared food. Give this fellow credit for trying to steer us in the right direction, and let’s face it: He is not concerned about getting re-elected every four years. Well done!

• Speedy Decisions

Sitting on the fence and arguing for years will give other countries an opportunity to react faster and beat us to the punch.

Example: Some countries—like Canada and the US—try to get one project going, and it takes years and years for approval. Try building a pipeline or a bridge between two countries! Many groups will oppose whatever you propose, and ten years later, you still do not have a bridge or a pipeline. Everybody has their say and their inflated ego, and that will not change. Period!

Yes, on many decisions we move like a turtle, or we do not move at all.

• Neurotic Personality

Not making speedy decisions could be related to your neurotic personality. When you have this personality, decision-making in not your strongest point; as a matter of fact, you tend to rely on other individuals to do that for you. On the maturity scale, you have a long way to go.

• Depression

We need a major economic catastrophe in order to wake up some people. This could be a major jump in unemployment, real estate prices going down dramatically, a stock market crash, a bank failure, or a bankrupt government. Take your pick! Yes, we need shock therapy to wake us up.

• Economic Cloud

People might argue that every country has their own political soap operas and intrigues, so what is different with the US? Well, when you are the largest economic powerhouse in the world, a lot of other countries depend on you. When your economy turns into a recession, many other countries will follow the same path. This is called responsibility to the rest of the world, and as a leader of the Western world, try to think in global terms. Why would you worry about the rest of the world? Good question!

When you are raised in a smaller country, that country is used to adapt to the larger country or to a union of many countries; you compromise constantly. Did you know that you have