Culture
In essence: Culture shapes how we think, behave, and understand reality. Technology and social changes are transforming cultural patterns in unprecedented ways.
Core Ideas
- Technology shapes culture more than we realize
- Modern life increasingly disconnects from tradition
- Cultural changes often have unintended consequences
- Digital media transforms social relationships
Examples & Insights
"Western people are far outliers on the spectrum of human experience, both historically and geographically. The way we see the world is very different from the way our own premodern ancestors saw it."
— Source: Living in Wonder
Modern Western culture represents a radical departure from historical human experience.
"The message of the internet—the virtual world that frames the world we all live in—is that life is filled with almost infinite choices, electronic rabbit trails we can follow for endless hours."
— Source: Living in Wonder
Digital technology fundamentally reshapes how we experience and understand reality.
"Technology is not something that humankind can control. It is an event that has befallen the world."
— Source: Straw Dogs
Technology has become an autonomous force shaping culture in ways we can't fully control or predict.