Photo Credit – Flickr 

By Marissa Goh

Culture is about a group of people having similar views and this includes what race we are born into. Different countries also have different cultures and every one of them are unique and interesting. Culture influences our values, worries, beliefs, fears and even hopes. Every culture also has its own celebrations, cuisines and festivities where families gather together and have a good time. 

When we are doing a business deal, it is important to understand the culture of our business partner. Through culture, we would learn to understand their expectations, practices and behaviours that are considered polite. By respecting someone’s culture, we are also opening ourselves to a learning opportunity as we mingle with people from different races. 

We learn about our cultures from our families and we practice them in our daily lives. Everyone should be proud of their cultures. Besides racial culture, there are other forms of cultures such as work culture, religious culture and family culture. One should also make friends from various cultures and it would be an eye-opening experience. 

Travelling for a holiday to another country is another way to learn about cultures. Before arriving at your specific travel destination, it is best to understand the culture and maybe learn the basics of their first language. Without a deep understanding of the people’s culture, we might unconsciously end up offending others or might even appear to be rude in their eyes. 

In order for cultures to not die off in the future, it’s best that the older generation teach the young ones to appreciate their culture. They should also inherit the cultural values and traditions and pass them on to their children. 

** The views expressed on this opinion are of the writer and not the publisher.