Who are you?
‘No man steps in the same river twice. For it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man’
Heraclitus (Greek Philosopher)
Are you culturally self aware?
Our cultural self helps to define our identity. Who I am is influenced by my upbringing, my family, life experiences, education, relationships, work experiences, trauma, tragedy, successes, and failures.
This cultural self or identity then impacts my perspectives, my opinions, and my behaviours.
Some aspects of my cultural self have been cemented over time, I have lived the same gender and with the same core family network, but other aspects have evolved. My family, my sexual identity, my religious beliefs, my work identity, have all been 'works in progress.’
I feel this quote sums it up perfectly,
‘No man steps in the same river twice. For it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man’
- Heraclitus (Greek Philosopher),
I will not be the same person in 10 years’ time, next year, or even next week, my cultural self is ever evolving.
Why does this matter?
My cultural self may hold unconscious bias. By becoming conscious of my identity, taking the time to reflect on who I am and acknowledging my cultural influences I will be more willing and able to question my perspectives and my unconscious bias.
Imagine a world/society/workplace where everyone considers their potential bias before opening their mouths. Imagine a world/society/workplace where everyone listens respectfully without the assumption that their way is the right way (or only way).
I will always show up as my cultural self, and there is nothing wrong with voicing my opinion, or having conviction in my argument. But my way and my views are only my own, just as my cultural self is unique to me, no other person has lived my life and I have not lived theirs. The only way to put aside unconscious bias and ignorance is to listen, learn, step forward with empathy, and practice cultural inclusivity.
I heard a great analogy a little while ago, ‘when driving on the highway, everyone slower than us is an idiot, and everyone faster is a maniac.’ This is so true, and yet I bet the people I label ‘idiot’ or ‘maniac’ each have their own version. I am sure that I, like many others, have moments of being someone else’s idiot or maniac. Having empathy involves imagining living life in someone else’s shoes, or lane on the highway in this case 😊
An inclusive culture is one where everyone is safe to be their cultural self. An environment of respectful psychological safety relies on the awareness that each of us is just one of many ‘cars on the road.’