The era we are currently living in is undergoing processes that inevitably affect us all. A process is a chain of events that we perceive either positively or negatively. Primarily, this depends on how we approach the events that influence us. If the external tone is directed towards negativity, our reaction is usually similar. Therefore, how we process these events within ourselves depends on our focus and specific attitude toward them. This, in turn, depends on our cultural background and education.
We often hear the terms “culture” and “cultural space” in information channels, but we lack an understanding of what culture means and what constitutes a unified cultural space. This so-called culture has been intensively cultivated over the last 200 years, replacing true culture with ideology. The press, television, and the internet—whose accessibility to the masses has grown exponentially over the years—have significantly contributed to this. The sole purpose of media creation is to influence the masses, not to bring news or culture closer to people.
Culture cannot be brought to people in such a way because culture is part of a person, part of a lifestyle passed down from generation to generation through traditions and heritage, thus embedding itself in the genetic memory of humanity. Culture is part of human life. It consists of valuable knowledge and experiences passed on to future generations. This dynamically changing repository of experiences primarily includes knowledge necessary for survival outside civilization. When a person is cut off from culture, which is essential for independent survival, the connection to valuable experiences is also lost, and with it, the overall level of education decreases.
As we can see, we are nearing the end of this phase, as each new generation increasingly lacks basic skills and adaptability, missing survival instincts altogether. It is more accurate to say that this generation has no survival instinct because how else can one explain the self-destructive path of silent compliance with everything the government devises?
How did we get here? That is a good question. However, when we look at the direction our country has taken over the last thirty years, the questions fade, and a deep understanding arises that, even in nature, only those capable of adapting survive.
The foundations of culture lie in traditions stemming from the family. In the past, multiple generations lived under one roof, enabling intergenerational communication and the direct transfer of knowledge from person to person. Fathers instructed their sons about hunting, farming, and the weather, weaving in stories of forest and water creatures, spirits, and more. Women, in turn, instructed daughters everything a woman needed to know, adding tales of household spirits and protectors.
All these stories, told by campfires in the woods or during bread-making at home, gave rise to traditions passed down like treasures from generation to generation. An integral part of family traditions was shared activities, which taught younger generations practical knowledge. Without these, the next generations could not live fulfilling lives.
With technological advancements, the traditional “multi-generational family model” began to disintegrate. Young people no longer wanted to live under the same roof as their elders. This broke the ties with the parental home and the cultural space. The need for culture diminished because, in the new technological era, there seemed to be no room for the skills and knowledge that could be learned from elders. In cities, where people’s lives are mostly pre-planned by others, there is no need for culture.
We are told that culture is particularly important and that it should be cultivated. But again—what is culture? Is culture what we are shown on television and theater stages, or is it something that connects us with our authentic selves, our souls? Does culture mean patterns on fabric, belts, and carpets, or is it a collection of traditions and indigenous lifestyles passed down as treasures from generation to generation?
For centuries, this treasure defined who we were supposed to be, not what we have become today. For decades, we have been told about Estonian Culture, but on a larger scale, we see, and experience entertainment disguised as culture. We have lost our connection with our ancestors and, therefore, do not know what culture truly is. We mostly lack the experiences and knowledge of our forebears. Our only remaining cultural events are folk song and dance festivals and ethnographic and heritage music festivals. Everything else we enjoy is simply—ENTERTAINMENT.
Thus, we can say that, on a large scale, we are a people without culture. And cultureless people are not sustainable. Culture means living in harmony with nature, understanding natural processes, and perceiving cause-and-effect relationships. Only through understanding these relationships, through experience and knowing one’s roots, can so-called common sense—or practical wisdom—emerge, something Estonians are increasingly lacking.
To be continued…
/ Katrin Seppa /
Telegram @katifilosoofia
