The Culture Trap - Grasshopper

Many years ago I heard it said that most women lead lives of dissatisfaction and most men lead lives of frustration. I wondered how that came to be and here’s the answer that came to me.

They’re caught in the “Culture Trap.”

We been conditioned our entire lives that there’s a “should” way to be. And when we don’t measure up, we follow a path towards dissatisfaction or frustration.

That “should” way is dictated by culture, whose leading mouthpiece is advertising. You don’t have to wonder about the accuracy of that last statement, especially when you listen to a still popular song from almost 60 years ago: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones.

The lyrics tell a cultural tale.

When I'm drivin' in my car
And the man comes on the radio
He's tellin' me more and more
About some useless information
Supposed to drive my imagination

The lyrics go on to say:

When I'm watchin' my TV
And a man comes on and tells me
How white my shirts can be
But he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke
The same cigarettes as me

I can’t get no satisfaction.

It’s dissatisfying when we can’t look as good as the model in the makeup commercial, no matter how much we buy. And how frustrating is it when we aren’t as “ripped” as the man in the military recruitment poster or underwear ad?

The culture trap goes well past looks; it invades our sense of self and tells us if we don’t have this or that, we will be dissatisfied or frustrated. And when we’re there, they’re right there with the salve or elixir that will solve our dilemma.

The message we hear from culture our entire lives is, “You’re not enough.”

Sad to say, that message is never going away, because it’s so potent and profitable.

But there is a way out of the culture trap. 

The first step is to notice you’re in it. Just by noticing where you are gives you a leg up on those who don’t know they’re trapped. They think this is their fate.

Once you know your current location, it’s easier to plot a path towards where you want to go, instead of being led to where culture wants you to be.

Next, ask yourself, “Who would I be without what’s on TV, or TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, etal?” 

The answer you’ll eventually hear is “Enough!”

That doesn’t mean resigning yourself to wearing sackcloth or disavowing all your possessions, positions, or potions. It simply means you’re enough without any of them. 

Once you own that realization, you can easily extricate yourself from the culture trap and find the comfort of your own skin. 

All the best,