Culture

“Decisions about change, 
if any, 
seem to be regarded 
as collective decisions, 
political decisions. 
But that is not 
how any cultures have arrived 
where they are today. 
Individuals have decided 
for themselves 
how much of the old 
they wish to retain, 
how much of the new 
they found useful 
in their own lives. 
In this way, 
cultures have enriched each other 
in all the great civilizations of the world. 
In this way, 
great port cities 
and other crossroads of culture 
have become centers of progress 
all across the planet. 
No culture has grown great in isolation. 
But a number of cultures have made historic, 
and even astonishing advances 
when their isolation was ended, 
usually by events beyond their control.” 

~ Thomas Sowell :)