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