Nature and culture should coexist

Nature and culture should coexist

JAKARTA (JP): Some people believe everything in the world is
created in pairs. Naturally, the pairs are the opposite of each
other, just like day and night, good and bad, sweet and bitter.

That positive-negative difference is believed to create
balance in life. Like a yo-yo, life goes up and down. There is a
time when one is in power and rich. There is time when one
is poor and weak. But no one can be in power and rich, or poor
and weak all the time. Everything changes and it is just a matter
of time.

Former outstanding late ambassador Kusumasmoro once ask young
foreign service officers what was the opposite of nature. This
striking question surprised them. After thinking hard for a
moment, no one could come up with the right answer. They were not
unfamiliar with the word "nature", but somehow this simple
question stumped them.

"The answer is culture," Kusumasmoro told them. They stared at
him. They worried that he may be cracking a joke, something that
he was fond of doing. To make it clear, he clarified by giving
examples. When one who is lost and thirsty in the desert and
stumbles upon an oasis, surely he/she would jump into the water
and drink as much as he/she can.

That is nature. When one visits a colleague and finds
himself/herself very thirsty and is served a glass of water by
the host, he/she would drink it bit by bit. He/she might not even
finish it no matter how thirsty he/she was, for the sake of
politeness. That is culture. So, nature refers to the kind of
freedom where people may act freely, not having to think about
hurting other peoples' feelings, while culture places limitations
on people. Therefore they are the opposite of each other.

It sounds plausible.

Referring to the Oxford Dictionary, culture means 1.a.
intellectual and artistic, achievement or expression; b. refined
appreciation of the arts, etc. 2. Customs, achievements, etc., of
a particular civilization or group.

Nature, on the other hand, means innate or essential qualities
or character. Compare to the above example, the dictionary gives
no such clear understanding that they are the opposite of each
other.

With regard to manner, however, there is no doubt that culture
is the opposite of nature. The aforementioned example might not
be enough. To find another example, we don't have to go too far,
just look at daily life.

My four-year-old nephew once cried out in a mall when his
mother refused to buy him an imported Japanese electronic pet
(tamagochi) the same as his brother's. That is nature. A
schoolboy, on the other hand, would never cry out loud in public
because of culture.

There is an endless list of examples, but the following stand
out.

When somebody accused of corrupt practices pretends to be
poor, that is nature.

Buying a gun for a businessman who fears he will become a
target, while disbelieving he is well protected by security
officers, that is also nature. By the way, where is the opposite
manner, the intellectual and artistic achievement or expression,
to be called "culture"?

During the New Order regime, it was well known that Indonesia
was a culturally rich nation -- even officials boasted about it
-- and people were friendly to everyone. It was not clear,
however, what culture the officers referred to. The truth is that
corruption, collusion and nepotism was part of people's daily
lives.

When the word "culture" refers to dancing, singing and other
traditional ceremonies and performances, it is true Indonesia is
home to that kind of culture.

Although some of the arts have disappeared, there are still
thousands left! But when we refer to the word "culture" as the
opposite of "nature", it is not that easy to find the "culture"
of daily life.

If one were to examine recent cases, he/she might not find
much culture, or even grow to doubt whether culture exists at all
when considering the May, Semanggi, Ketapang and other incidents.

Surely it will be difficult to find "culture" in the recent
happenings in Ambon and Sambas where people are killing each
other without trial. What inhuman behavior when people proudly
behead others and put the heads on show!

Frankly, the latest changes worry me, especially when, with
greater frequency, people act according to "nature". What would
happen if such "nature" comes to be considered as "culture"?

-- Amrih Jinangkung