Challenging the Culture: Inspiring Positive Change
Culture plays such a vital role in the beliefs we have and the actions we take. The more I try to understand how and why things are the way they are, the more I realize how cultural norms and values influence them. Reflecting on this today, I found myself thinking about the impact of culture on my own life and pondering if there is a particular aspect of it that I am eager to explore. One thing that stood out to me above all else was my desire to understand the impact of culture on the decisions I made and the freedom I had to make creative choices. In this blog post, I’ll explore how one can challenge the culture and share my personal journey.
Growing up, I was as curious as any other kid. I wanted to examine every intriguing objects, ask all the questions popping in my head and find answers to all the unsolved mysteries. However, those around me never embraced this philosophy. My curiosity was met with judgment, my radical ideas labeled as alien, and my attempts to discover answers dismissed as foolish. The same trend continued in College and University an I use to wonder:
Man, why is it so hard to talk about engineering in an engineering institute?
If you have come up with an innovative idea, you may find that convincing people to give it a chance requires more effort than the actual implementation of the idea itself. As an example, during my final year of university, I waned to collaborate with another department for my project, which was not a common practice. However, instead of support, I encountered criticism from some senior faculty members. I had hoped to inspire more individuals to take similar initiatives, but the prevailing culture held different ideas and discouraged such practices. This leaves you with couple of options:
- Let go of your ideas and curiosity and let the culture around you define who you are.
- Embrace the challenge of not giving up your thoughts and beliefs, despite how people may have treated you.
I embraced the challenge and made the decision not to let the culture around me define who I am. I don’t believe it is matter of attitude or will which decides which path you take but your privilege can dictate your choice as well. I acknowledge that I was privileged enough to have the freedom to make my own choices, but I must admit that the journey wasn’t always easy.
Enough of the rant, back to how one can challenge the culture to inspire positive change. Firstly, always listen to the right people. The world is filled with people with different opinions, so it is important to only listen to the right people. If you are looking for words of encouragement, talk to those who care about you and have a genuine interest in your well-being. If you are seeking advice on a specific subject, listen to someone who is an expert in the subject or has experience with what you want to do. You don’t have to worry if some famous celebrity thinks AI will take our jobs (well it might but …) so choose your mentors wisely.
Be patient, It may take time for people to adjust their perspective and see things from your point of view. Persistence is the key, period. I remember wanting to change the way we were shipping our software, and initially, there was resistance. However, after 7 months of persistence and implementation, the perception shifted from “What on earth are you doing?” to “This is so awesome!” so change will take time.
Also, There’s no need to feel pressured for being the odd one out. In order to see things differently, we are meant to perceive them differently. It’s important to remember that our differences contribute to creating an inclusive culture. Embrace your uniqueness and use it as a source of power and inspiration.
Lastly, let’s remember to be supportive of everyone who is striving to inspire change. We may not realize how even a small act of kindness can ignite a spark of greatness in others. Those who have supported me hold a special place in my heart and has made our relationship meaningful. Together, let’s continue to uplift and empower one another on our journeys of making a difference.
