Become a Person of Culture

Whether you're a teenager or well into your adult years, you want to engage in the wonderful yet complex culture that exists in today's society. This can be quite difficult if, say you've never finished reading a book, but this article will help to make you a more cultured, interesting, and well-rounded person from scratch.

Steps

  1. Know what it means to be cultured. A cultured person can be someone who is an eclectic reader, who watches well-written classic films, and who has a refined appreciation for art. Also, to be cultured is to be educated about the world and its languages, to understand world politics, and to be well-read in world history. Above all, a cultured person is one who is interested in culture and engages in it.
  2. Read more. A large part of culture comes from books, as they have existed for a longer time than most other media. The obvious thing to do would be to read classic books, but if you're a first-time-reader, this will be daunting and uninteresting.
    • Choose a genre that you have genuine interest in, such as fantasy or romantic fiction. Research the best books of that genre as judged by book enthusiasts, and read them. You may want to look up books in other genres that interest you while you're at it. If there is a genre you are not sure about, try it, and you might actually enjoy it.
    • After you feel you've become reasonably well-read in one genre choose another. Also, read some classic or recommended books. You might understand and enjoy some books of past cultures by reading books of the present culture.
    • Subscribe to magazines that include articles about literature, plays, and music. Read articles from these magazines once a week or twice a month or whenever your schedule will allow. Follow leads presented by the articles you read. Every once in a while you might find articles that will inspire you to pursue a subject. For instance, if you read a great article about Mozart, take the article to a store where you can buy compact discs and ask the counter attendant to direct you to some Mozart CDs that you might like. Buy or borrow a few of them from the library. If you read an article about an artist who sounds interesting, look online to find out which museums feature paintings by this artist. Then plan visits to those museums. Scan your newspaper for local college or high school theatrical productions that you can attend.
  3. Write. You can write poetry, short stories, books, and even plays. Being cultured means to respond to culture, and the best way to do this is to create your own.
  4. Watch films. It is very important to not only read books, but to watch films regularly. There are many films, and you may be unsure about which ones to see.
    • Word-of-mouth is the best way to become aware of which contemporary films to watch. You may remember your friends talking about a certain film. Go to the video store and scan the shelves to find names of movies you may recognise.
    • Look up reviews about a film on Wikipedia before you watch it, just to make sure you're not wasting your time (if you're pressed for time). However, remember sometimes critics' opinions are not always right.
    • It is important to do your research. If you don't understand a certain film, then look it up on Wikipedia or somewhere on the internet. Sometimes an old movie will contain references to other classic films. As a result, you can learn about other works. When you watch these type of films, you will soon be able to appreciate more of them than you could previously.
    • Don't restrict yourself to English-language films. There are many other films out there worth watching, they are just in different languages.
  5. Watch television. While TV shows can be time-consuming to watch. If you watch only one episode of something each day, less of your time will be spent viewing programs. There is much to be learned from TV shows. Television is as significant a medium as any, and it often provides social commentary.
    • Look up good TV programs that you think you might enjoy. There are many types, ranging from situation comedies to drama. Wikipedia usually has information on popular TV shows. You can look up ratings or just ask around.
    • Don't forget to be open-minded. TV shows you thought you might not like might turn out to be your favourite show. It has happened.
    • If you really like a TV show and you think you'd watch it again, then buy the DVDs.
    • Watch TV channels like Discovery andThe History Channel. This is a painless way to get involved in topics such as the origins of impressionist art or the history of English kings.
  6. Broaden your musical horizons. Many people are very narrow-minded when it comes to music, but a person of culture admires even the niche music genres.
    • For example, while it is important for a person to listen and enjoy songs with non-cliché lyrics, it is also important that one is able to enjoy music without lyrics at all, just for the mood it can set, or the story it can tell without of words.
    • The ability to appreciate classical music is not as daunting as it seems. Just listen to some famous musical pieces, and you will most definitely understand why.
    • Be very open-minded. There is a lot of music out there which may not fit into any genre, but you may enjoy it. Don't reject certain forms of music just because you have never heard them.
    • Listen to albums, not just singles. You might develop an interest in songs that never gained much popularity. Yet, this is not to say you won't enjoy the memorable ones.
    • Listen to bands. Many bands have been around for a long time, in spite of this fact, some of their music is still fresh. This will give you access to older music, and you'll be able to hone an appreciation for it.
    • Listen to music from other countries and in other languages. You'll be surprised.
    • Learn a musical instrument. Once you listen to some good music, it will be natural for you to try to learn an instrument and create your own.
  7. Play video Games. Although this was considered mostly part of the "nerd culture", the popularity of video games is growing and it is becoming an undeniable part of modern culture. It is important to give any cultural medium a try, and video games are no exception.
    • If you don't like "shooting" games, there are many other types of video games that you may like. Do your research and you'll find there's a lot more variety than you originally thought. Role-playing games, RPGs, especially open world RPGs, are good to lose yourself in. However, some people prefer simpler games like platformers.
    • Don't worry if you actually enjoy video games. That's a good thing. It doesn't automatically make you a nerd, it just adds more complexity to your personality.
    • Video-gaming is quite an expensive hobby, so make sure you try them before you buy them.
  8. Participate in Internet culture. Don't forget that past culture, such as '80s music, was once present culture. Those who paid attention to it may now understand its cultural significance, while those who ignored it, do not. The digital age is very important and a huge milestone for society. We are living in historically profound times. Don't let it pass you by.
    • While you may feel like you already know a lot about the Internet, learn about the history of the Internet, and check out memes and viral videos so that you have a greater understanding of it.
    • Set your homepage to Wikipedia and read an article each day about something which seems "cultured" to you. In a very short time, you will know quite a bit more than you know now.
  9. Take a deeper interest in art. Art is a universal language. It is sometimes considered the most potent form of communication. Whether it actually is, is up to you.
    • The only advice that can be given here is to do research and engage in art by going to galleries (which, contrary to popular belief, are free).
    • If there is one art form you particularly like, such as dancing or sculpting, then become practised in it.
  10. Learn a new language. The best way to do this is by immersion...
  11. Travel. Reading about other cultures as opposed to experiencing them is like colour being explained to a blind person. Travelling introduces you to the many differences and similarities between cultures, and opens up your mind. A lot of the prejudices we have about a culture (good and bad) are grossly misplaced, and the only way to find out the truth about social practices is to experience them.
  12. Get hobbies. Ask your friends what their hobbies are. Most of them will be art forms or sports. As a cultured person, it is important to experience as much as possible, so next time your friend goes water-skiing, ask if you can come along.
  13. Visit places where you can receive an education in a fun way. Go to the zoo, visit museums, even go camping to learn more about wildlife.
  14. Educate yourself. Nowadays with the Internet, almost all information is accessible. You should take full advantage of this and learn all those things that you never understood before. You should aim to be reasonably educated in these topics:
    • World history. This is probably the most important cultural asset for you to acquire, since it provides pathways into other domains of knowledge and contextualizes its discoveries.
    • Geography. Again, a person of culture should not be ignorant of where countries or famous landmarks are.
    • Basic Sciences: Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology. Unless you want to follow a career in the sciences, a refined knowledge in the sciences isn't completely necessary. Instead, make sure you have a sound understanding of the sciences at a high school level.
    • Economics. This is very relevant in understanding today's world.
    • Psychology. A note about misconceptions: there is a huge misconception that Psychology is not a science, or that it is bogus. Read up on experimental methodology and actually educate yourself about it before believing those claims. Psychology is of extreme importance in today's society, becoming increasingly more so as the world becomes more complicated.
    • Art and Architecture
    • Philosophy
  15. Free yourself from ignorance about other cultures. Develop a natural curiosity. Delve deep into things you don't understand.
    • Part of becoming cultured is learning about other cultures, not just your own. Try to free yourself from ignorance and media-fed stereotypes you have about other societies/religions.
    • Always try to empathize with all parties while learning. It is very important to challenge your prejudices. No one is inherently good or evil; instead you should aim to understand the motives for actions. Otherwise you will not understand other cultures.
    • Think for yourself. Don't let others dictate your opinions.
  16. Eat new foods with an open mind and excited spirit, especially Indian food.

Tips

  • The biggest hindrance to becoming more cultured is time. You need to make becoming cultured a priority if you want to make progress. Reading books for an hour before you sleep, listening to music while doing chores; these are all great ways to integrate culture into your lifestyle.
  • As with the previous tip, you should not just aim to have a knowledge of culture, but integrate it into your lifestyle. It is there to be enjoyed, not just to be seen once and never thought of again. For example, if you read all the classic books, it does not mean you should stop reading. You should continue to engage in more obscure texts or reread those you really enjoyed.
  • Creation versus consumption is very important to be aware of. Most of the above steps outline how to consume products of other people's work, but it is also important to create your own pieces. If you have certain critiques about a person's , you might have a go about creating something that you enjoy. It also makes for great hobbies.
  • A very important part of culture is becoming critical. You should always evaluate something after you experience it. Note its good and bad points. At first, you may not have many standards to compare it to, but do it anyway. Later on, your critiquing will be much more refined.
  • You don't have to engage in every aspect of culture to be cultured.

Warnings

  • Be patient. It takes some time to be a person of culture. Instead, aim to be well-rounded and interested.
  • Some of these activities (e.g. reading, watching TV, playing video games, etc.) tend to be addictive. Try to spread out the time it takes to do these. Do not sacrifice your work or your family or your health, because these should always be higher priorities.
  • Do not be snobby. As with anything, be a polite and conscientious person.
  • Do not attempt to become cultured only to impress others. This is not the aim of becoming cultured. People want to become cultured out of genuine curiosity to understand the world because the world is interesting. This is a lifelong commitment.
  • Do not waste time. If you have free time, instead of chatting on the phone or watching bad TV shows, spend your time doing things that will further advance your goal of becoming a person of culture.

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Sources and Citations

  • www.thomaswhodgkinson.com
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