Have you ever wondered why we, as individuals, tend to align our thoughts and behaviors with others? Conversely, what prompts us to sometimes stand apart, embracing our differences? This is the intriguing landscape of social understanding, an exploration of the delicate balance between convergence and divergence our tendencies to conform and to imitate, and what it means to stay rooted despite societal pressure.
The Igbo proverb popularized by Chinua Achebe: A Giant of World Literature, shared this beautiful wisdom, “If you do not know where the rain began to beat you then you cannot tell where you dried your body.” You can tell the collective consciousness of a people or society by the way those people act, and behave, in their day-to-day lives but more important is how those people see themselves and how rooted they are in their culture, tradition, and ancestry. A particular reality in today’s Africa with a rich variety of ethnic and cultural identities is complicated by the impact of European colonialism. However, Africans like Achebe and countless others have challenged stereotypes of Africans as primitive savages, and tell stories that reflect the complexities of our sets of traditions, rituals, ideals, values, and behaviors that make us Africans — the beauty of which lies in our diversity rich cultural traditions and rituals, indigenous languages and most importantly Africa as the cradle of humanity, the birthplace of mankind. It was Achebe’s lifelong mission “to reinstate a sense of pride in African cultures, and to help as he stated, “my society regain belief in itself and put away the complexes of years of denigration and self-abasement.”
The intriguing landscape of social understanding, an exploration of the delicate balance between social convergence and divergence, between conformity and individuality, is a complex and nuanced one. Consider the classic case of the two tribes residing on either side of a river. The ‘East River’ tribe and the ‘West River’ tribe, as we’ll refer to them, had lived in close proximity for generations. Over time, they developed distinct cultures, reflecting a fascinating blend of convergence and divergence. The East River tribe, largely agrarian, cultivated crops and lived in tightly-knit communities. Their social norms, traditions, and collective beliefs were shaped by a process of convergence, as individuals adopted similar practices, creating a cohesive cultural identity. This is an instance of social convergence, where shared experiences and common goals align attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Meanwhile, across the river, the West River tribe led a nomadic lifestyle, hunting and gathering for sustenance. Each clan within the tribe had unique customs and traditions, reflecting a spirit of divergence. This divergence, the process where individuals or groups differentiate themselves from others, was a survival mechanism, enabling each clan to adapt to different environments and circumstances.
Now, these tribes are not isolated entities. They interact, trade, and sometimes conflict with each other, resulting in an exchange of ideas and practices. This interplay between the tribes demonstrates the intricate relationship between convergence and divergence in shaping social understanding. While convergence creates a sense of unity and shared identity, divergence sparks innovation and adaptation. Both are critical in the formation and evolution of cultures. One might assume that these forces operate in opposition. However, as the case of the East River and West River tribes illustrates, they often work in tandem, shaping and reshaping societies in a dynamic interplay.
Social understanding is not a simple binary of convergence versus divergence. It’s a nuanced dance of complex dynamics, a dance that shapes our cultures, our identities, and ultimately, our world. Nevertheless, as the world continues to be globalized one of the problems with globalization is people becoming more convergent that we forget our roots, culture, traditions, and values that make us whole — a cultural framework by which we can define ourselves. As Achebe argued, “If you don’t know where you come from, then you cannot tell where you are going.” It matters that we understand where we come from and know the stories of our ancestors. This allows us to know and understand our roots and the values that are important to lead a good life as opposed to conformity and imitation which makes us lose sight of who we are. A cultural framework is helpful for especially young people, as it provides them with a blueprint for life as illustrated by the ‘West River’ tribe.
Joseph Campbell whose work covers many aspects of the human experience, provided us with a clear perspective. Campbell argued that we need new myths and even rituals to fill the ever-developing void left when people move on from their local mythology and rituals. It is these myths and rituals that give our societies some meaning and contribute to stability. “The ancient myths were designed to put the minds, the mental system, into accord with this body system, with this inheritance of the body. Whether we listen with aloof amusement to the mumbo jumbo of some witch doctor of the Congo or read with cultivated rapture translations from sonnets of Lao-tze, or now and again crack the hard nutshell of an argument of Thomas Aquinas, or catch suddenly the shining meaning of a bizarre Eskimo fairy tale, we’re hearing echoes of the first story,” argued Campbell. Identify yourself, not with the body, which is falling away, but with the consciousness of which it is a vehicle. And this body is a vehicle of consciousness, and if you can identify with the consciousness, you can watch this thing go, like an old car there goes the fender, there goes this. This is what myths and rituals teach us — to get in tune with consciousness. According to Carl Jung and his view of the psyche, individual consciousness is a superstructure based on, and arising out of, the unconscious. Consciousness does not create itself — it wells up from unknown depths. In childhood, it awakens gradually, and all through life it wakes each morning out of the depths of sleep from an unconscious condition. It is like a child that is born daily out of the primordial womb of the unconscious. … It is not only influenced by the unconscious but continually emerges out of it in the form of numberless spontaneous ideas and sudden flashes of thought. [“The Psychology of Eastern Meditation,” CW 11, par. 935.]
In the grand scheme of social understanding, we are both the dancers and the dance, constantly moving, and evolving. This is the beauty and complexity of social understanding. This is our story. And it continues to unfold, one step, one dance, at a time. It requires us to stay rooted, to maintain a firm connection to our heritage and culture, even as we navigate the pressures of societal expectations and norms. It invites us to question, challenge, explore, and ultimately, understand ourselves and our place in the world.
Complement with our next Friday newsletter as we dive into some ancient African rituals featuring tribes that stay rooted in their traditions, despite the passage of time and the onslaught of modernization.
