Indirect External Influence – Our Society and Culture

Our mindset is heavily influenced by our culture and society from early childhood, becoming a driving force in our daily life even if we are not actively aware of it. Our life decisions and daily choices are largely based on a collection of cultural ideologies developed through our upbringings, social norms, and environmental influences.

• Research shows that values attained through cultural teachings influence our problem-solving and decision-making, including major life decisions such as how to treat people, what career path we take, how to vote and when and whom to marry.  [Güss, C. D. 2011. Fire and ice: testing a model on cultural values and complex problem solving. J. Cross Cult. Psychol. 42:1279–98. doi: 10.1177/0022022110383320].) When faced with a tough choice, we are more likely to do what we think society wants us to do than what we feel is right deep down – scary how the force is strong with this one!

 So What?

Society and culture have a wide and deep reach into our lives from every direction (music, social media, society norms). It is our responsibility to reflect on our cultural ideology and intentionally select our thinking, attitudes, and behavior.

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