These days it seems that everything must be constrained to fit into its own little box…

… it all has to fit into certain parameters . Music is not analog anymore, except live performances, it’s digital; this means every sound must be assigned a value, it has to fit into some compartment, whereas analog, the way we’ve listened since the beginning, is infinite. A sound pitch can be variable, anywhere, as well as intensity etc. Now I know this may sound picky or that you cannot discern the differences. I maintain that the differences are discernible, perhaps not in such a measurable way, but in the atmosphere and ambiance. There is a difference and it must be felt in some way.

Many things now that they are digitized are also error checked and brought into compliance. Everything about modern society has begun to conform to the new uniformity. Now I’m not saying there is not some good in this, there is much that is positive. It allows for incredible repeatability, and duplication, for amazing productivity.

Here’s where I think things fall apart for uniformity and standardization. We have now come to desire to measure everything, and to use statistics to mold everything to what everyone wants. I think this leads to blandness. There is excitement in the newances of something fresh and different.

I know you think I’m off my rocker today on this little editorial blog, especially in why am I pursuing this topic, who cares about this stuff in relation to survival? Ah ha now if you are thinking in that way, that’s where you’re wrong, it has everything to do with survival.

Here’s one way to look at it. All of our foods these days are formulated, tested, evaluated, measured in every conceivable way, statistics are generated proving the likeability of a particular dish. So just what does all that research do? It generates compliant food. Not that someone is forced to make some certain menu item, but that we are trying to avoid failure by staying in the norm.

So now you are in a survival situation and have grown up in such a culture as we have just talked about. If you eat something wild, it’s flavors may be offensive to you, not that they are bad, but that culturally we have made our flavors fit into the appropriate boxes. Let’s take Chokecherries, or Wild Cherries as they are sometimes called. They are delicious, but there is an astringent sub flavor to them that some find undesirable. These berries are very healthy, and if you let yourself go a bit, you will adapt and find the taste is really almost addicting. It’s that little astringent taste, that no food manufacturer would risk having, that at first is a bit odd, even kind of a different mouth feel, but as you become accustomed to it, you soon find other foods seem rather boring.

So here’s the deal, if you need to eat wild foods, have an open mind, while eating it try to discern the vast flavor variety that is present, many flavors and smells you’ve never had the privilege of experiencing. Make it an adventure, not a mishap.

The same thing applies to discomforts we never really experience in our everyday lives, hunger, a bed on the ground, heat and cold, we can look at them as horrible things or we can learn from them. A big part of survival lies in our attitude, if we can try to make everything an adventure, we will get through it better, enjoy life more, and pile up a mountain of interesting experiences that we can share with family and friends.

Until next time, “Simplifying Survival” this is Perry Peacock

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One Response to Culture of Uniformity How Standardization Affects Us

  1. Capt. Yaw says:

    THanks Perry, we just linked one of our projects to your video on you tube – about SODIS.

    If you ever fancy coming out to West Africa to see life here and to do some training in the bush – we are always looking for volunteers!

    Take care and thanks for the tips that we can adapt to save lives ‘one flight at a time’.

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