Me and the World (2) The environment shapes the individual: our initial understanding of the world

Where did our social identity come from?

Social identity is actually the aggregation of homogeneous knowledge. For example, when we talk about a person's role as a father, we will automatically have a presupposition about the behavior he should have; and For example, no matter whether lovers make their relationship public or not, they will have basic expectations for many of the other person's behaviors.

Therefore, the essence of social identity is labeling, which is the product of collectivism promoting collaboration within the community. And its formation is the result of the long-term evolution of human society.

In the long process of human evolution, we have evolved a series of physiological characteristics to protect us from better survival. As an extremely important ability in individual survival, "collaboration" controls many human emotions. and behavioral changes.

For example, revenge is a preventive mechanism produced by humans to punish those who disrupt cooperative behavior; herd behavior comes from two underlying desires in human psychology: the desire to be liked by others and the desire to do things correctly. , these two desires are also basic emotions that promote collaboration. (Link to sociology, psychology and anthropology knowledge)

On top of physiology, human cooperation has evolved into civilization.

A student once asked the famous anthropologist Margaret Mead a question: What is the first sign of human civilization?

Many students guessed that the answers were fish hooks, stone tools, fire, etc.

However, Mead's answer exceeded everyone's guess. She said that the first sign of human civilization was our discovery of "a humerus that was broken and then healed."

Mead further explained:

"A fracture of the thigh bone is an extremely dangerous thing in the animal kingdom. If an animal breaks its thigh, it actually means death. Because it couldn't escape danger, go to the river to drink water, or hunt for food, it was quickly eaten by roaming beasts."

"And the healed humerus shows that someone took a long time to do so. Take care of the injured person - treat the wound, provide food, protect him from attack. "

Finally, Mead meaningfully concluded - "Helping others from difficulties is the starting point of civilization!"

People’s pursuit of individual self-interest and the guarantee of collective cooperation ability are the biological basis of human development; and the evolution of imaginative aids such as emotion, civilization, and morality form a unified body, which is also It constitutes the social identity needed for the cooperative development of society. Therefore, the characteristics of the human spiritual realm are also the core elements for our understanding of macro and micro concepts.

To sum up, the differences in politics, culture, and values ??among different civilizations are essentially differences in the ways of collaboration that have evolved under different geographical environments. (Link to geopolitical knowledge)

This is also a valuable reason why China’s 5,000-year civilization has not been cut off. This kind of spiritual heritage is a valuable asset for any community.

Internally, individuals with a long history of homology will be more likely to gain happiness and less likely to be confused.

For example, when Chinese people have doubts and confusion about filial piety, ethics, and kinship, where should they go to find strength? Naturally, it is the Analects of Confucius, poetry, and hundreds of classics from ancient times to the present;

This is the same reason that Westerners gain strength from faith. Although both Eastern and Western civilizations are facing a crisis of tradition, the use of new technologies in the new era Reinterpretation and continuation of tradition are also requirements for intellectuals in the new era.

Chinese civilization has experienced the longest impact of the agricultural era. After completely entering the industrial era, it began to bear the impact of changes in the Internet era. In the epidemic caused by the new coronavirus in 2020, we have seen the confrontation between the strong rule inherited from the agricultural era, the collectivism of the industrial era, and the individual will of the Internet era in China's political consciousness. Under such conflicts, China may need to develop new or better expressions of the political consciousness within the Chinese community and coordinate contemporary individual and collective relationships in China.

Externally, the *** community, which has a long history, will be more rational, moderate and strategic in collective behavior.

For example, in the past, China could promote its traditional "gold mean" and actively but steadily participate in world collaboration; the Belt and Road Initiative it has begun to advocate in recent years still draws extremely important symbols from history. and the power of cooperation; and under the epidemic, the emphasis on "humanity is a community with a shared future" that is even more emphasized is a re-expression of the awareness of world unity with Chinese characteristics.

While collectivism provides certainty and security, and promotes collective collaboration, the lack of such self-control can easily lead to extremism. Especially in a high-pressure environment, it will cause greater harm to the individual in the body.

For example, the Nazis in Germany during World War II and the Nanjing Massacre in Japan. After studying such extreme phenomena, psychologists found that most of the people who committed these behaviors were just ordinary people, but under the requirements of authority, the collective Massive tragedy occurs when guilt is shared and a sense of individuality is lost.

***The same body requires historical and cultural correction. For example, in Chinese history, Bai Qi "trapped and killed 400,000 Zhao soldiers", which ultimately made him infamous for thousands of years. Then when we face similar scenarios again, we will have more references. Of course, in today's globalized world, the human community will share more historical lessons. (Link to knowledge of sociology and history)

In different eras, the community needs to identify the political consciousness that maintains its own stability and express it more effectively. "Historical sense" "We can help the community achieve this process better and more stably, but this requires allowing and helping a rich and large number of individuals to better speak and collaborate."

The expression of self-consciousness by individuals in different environments forms a unique collective culture and consciousness, and the interaction between environments and the differences in providing choices for individuals shape the individual preferences.

For example, when I was studying, people my age preferred Chinese martial arts stories, and many online novels, film and television works also had martial arts themes. However, after coming into contact with foreign superhero movies, which can create grander scenes, the destructive power of "wu" in martial arts is no longer comparable to the settings of fantasy works, and it gradually fails to satisfy the public's fantasies. As a result, martial arts novels have gradually fallen into disrepute among Chinese online novels.

The history and culture that people have been exposed to since childhood, combined with the education and influence from parents, teachers, and friends, determine our collective cultural background. Accepting more information from the external environment enables individuals to Show preferences in learning and choice.

Compared with entertainment media such as novels, movies, and games, which are relatively easy to spread, and the values ??spread through the media, the environment provides a more direct impact on the choice of the collaborative network provided by the individual.

For example, young people in areas with a single industry can only pass the college entrance examination if they want to integrate into the talent selection system of the entire society. In contrast, children in areas with richer industries can integrate into the social collaboration network through inheritance of family business, family nepotism, and even social relationships. Naturally, students in certain areas face greater competition in the college entrance examination.

Another example is that the older generation of artists often lamented that they were unable to achieve their goals when they were young, but now it is becoming easier and easier for artists to make their debut. Various variety shows and agencies have also given artists more diverse ways to become famous. This is also because society has progressed and provided individuals with richer choices. An individual's cognition of these choices is also a characteristic of the individual that is influenced by the environment.

So when people are far away from their familiar environment, they will find more of their own differences and sociality. For example, when I am abroad, I have a stronger sense of my Asian identity, and the differences in dining habits are constantly reminding me.

Many immigrants, overseas students, and employees of multinational companies have this experience. After arriving in a new country, they have to spend a lot of time learning appropriate conversations and behaviors in the new environment. Even switching to another company with a completely different corporate culture from your previous one can leave you with a similar feeling. This is not only people's instinct to follow the herd, but also a necessary means to integrate into the collaborative network.

By relying on the learning and understanding of knowledge and collaboration methods in different environments, we have a preliminary understanding of the unfamiliar world and recognize the difference between "me" and "environment". The environment also selects and shapes us in this process.

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