To answer this proposition it will pay to imagine a world of long ago. Not too long ago, as seems sometimes confusing when naturalists and paleontologists boggle our brains with billions and millions of years ago. Even if there was some form of life before man, it’s survival would have been an inbuilt culture of living. But human existence on the planet, whenever that came about, followed the same survival pattern or ‘culture’ to exist.

In it’s earliest human form it would not have been thought of or labelled a culture but just a pattern of actions for daily existence. Looking at all around them and into the sky with all it’s changing patterns, both during the day and at night, would have planted the seeds in imagination for reasons. It is reasonable to think the answers came through nature herself … Mother Earth gave birth to cultures through the beauty shown.

The answers coming into their minds would have been exchanged at maybe campfire level and formulation of a common denominator of opinion would have been accepted as that culture’s explanation. As the world contained so many differing climes and peoples, each idea would have been shaped accordingly.

For example, the ancestors of the present Inuit folk of the colder climes of the planet would have seen a vastly different landscape to base their thoughts upon, than say the desert aborigines of Australia. As time rolled on the initial folklore would have been passed down through the generations by word of mouth. Not only was this sacred and introduced to the younger and upcoming generation through initiation and ceremony, but was thought of as an intrinsic part of their lifestyle; what we in the colonizing countries, who expanded out into the world today, call culture. We analyse and discuss and try to understand another culture almost like a university degree and in some ways the essence of it’s pure message is lost.

Looking at that aspect of culture today, say in a developed country, as opposed to a third world or ‘primitive’ one discussed above, it is based on, in many cases, passed down knowledge contained in ancient books like the Bible. Although largely recognized as the written history of the Jewish people, this book forms a major belief system around the world.

Having said that, a culture is more centered around a lifestyle. As lifestyles are changing quite quickly in industrialized nations, a solid culture is being eroded. A culture is truly affected by it’s beliefs when those beliefs are simple enough to hold onto as a guide for living. The simpler they remain, let us say in an indigenous community, uncluttered by industrialized progress, the easier they are to hold fast.

Today we see many communities, such as the Australian aborigines, the American Red Indian or Eskimo folk, making great efforts to pass on original culture, including language, to their younger folk. In some cases this generation are losing this by integration into a more appealing, easy western lifestyle, or one where money seems to be the dominating cultural feature.

If a confusing message is passed on without a pure belief of simple rules, then its effect may be negligible. However, if one can go full circle and come out through the other end, it may afford a chance for a culture to be reborn and be effective in making for simple peace everywhere.