YAQ: Cultures

[vakkotaur]

Via altivo:



Your result for The Cultural Identity Test...

The Noble Traditionalist

You Scored 64% Traditionalist, Congratulations!

Brush off your Webster's Complete Dictionary, Vol. XXVIII, and look up "Traditionalism". See a picture of yourself? You should, you're as traditional as they come! As a Traditionalist, you probably have a keen appreciation for the customs of the old world, and a yearning to keep them kindled in your heart and in those around you. Whether it be celebrating obscure rituals or participating in festivals, you know about your heritage and are proud of where you come from, and you've like as not got some lederhosen in your back room.

You might see the progressive trends of modern society as eroding away at the traditions you love, and may resent the lack of appreciation that many have for their ancestry. After all, it is difficult to celebrate your own heritage when the modern credo, "Hail, diversity! Down with the traditions of old!" surrounds you at every corner. But, you put up a stoic front and try to honour your culture in the name of your forefathers.

You are likely a little more intellectual than most, and enjoy learning about the histories of many different cultures, including your own. It would be hard to appreciate yours if you didn't know about any others. You are somewhat idealistic, and probably relish the romanticism of earlier times more than others around you. You see the grandeur in the ghosts of antiquity, delight in drafty castles and the notion of aristocracy. You feel like your ideals are not part of the mainstream spectrum of philosophy, but that's ok: as a traditionalist, society needs you more than ever to check the heady flow of new age 'enlightenment'.

You scored as a traditionalist because you tested highest in the areas of, naturally, traditionalism, intelligence, and oddly enough, diversity. Hey, you can't be knowledgeable and intolerant at the same time, they aren't really good bedfellows.

Take The Cultural Identity Test at HelloQuizzy

---

Eh, not quite. I have no illusion that the "good old days" were all that good - we just remember or re-create the bits that we like. Time can be quite a filter. "Tradition" is all too often merely a rut with unwarranted good press. Enlightenment would be good, but I have little use for newage. And aristocracy can go do something obscenely biological to itself. But then I suppose that is a traditional American sentiment.

One thing might be right, the picture for "Liberal Philosopher" shows five hands of various color, each holding the wrist of the next in a circle. It's probably meant to imply solidarity or togetherness, but I couldn't help but think that in that arrangement everyone is holding everyone else back and nobody is free.

Comments

[altivo.livejournal.com]

As they always say, the optimist sees the doughnut and the pessimist sees the hole.

I saw that image as solidarity and everyone HELPING everyone else along, as in "No, we won't use our advantages to run away and leave you in the mud."

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

I am not at all surprised by your response. I tempted to add, "And the realist sees the empty calories."

Yet how does that image indicate actual helping? It doesn't, even if one person releases, (s)he's held back by someone else. Each person is holding the next back. It's more of a vicious circle than anything. It's not even a "piling of hands" sort of thing - but oh that would be bad because one hand or another would be on top? Now, showing all all pulling on a single rope, working together, that would show some unity of purpose.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Think of it as "United we stand, divided we fall."

Invariably, when conservatives start talking about "freedom" what they seem to be describing from my point of view is their "right" to better themselves by stepping on anyone who gets in their way.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

I think you're dead wrong about conservative ideas of freedom, though I do consider my leanings to be somewhat more libertarian.

Consider the image more like "No Child Left Behind" - what really happens is that all advance is slowed. It's well-intended but ultimately counterproductive to its own intent.

[jcw-da-dmg.livejournal.com]

Interesting.

I got "Liberal Philosopher" on that test and I didn't even think about any symbolism behind the picture. I also consider myself somewhat libertarian, although a "Liberal-leaning" one.

I think I can appreciate how both viewpoints got that way. What I have seen in practice is that "Sharing Is Caring" is an out-and-out lie. When people have shared responsibility for something is when NOTHING gets done (look at condo boards). People really only take care of things they own outright, I suspect because that's the only time it means anything to them.

[foolscap001.livejournal.com]

Conversely, when I hear leftists speak of "freedoms" they seem to me to mean their "right" to have government seize other people's resources to give to someone else.

[nefaria.livejournal.com]

Forcing people to help each other is slavery. It's only a virtue when it's voluntary.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

So stopping people from robbing and murdering each other is slavery too because it denies them the freedom to do whatever they like?

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

I would suggest you put that straw man back in the field where it might do some service as a scarecrow.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The only way to respond to someone else's straw man is with another straw man.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

I await nefaria's straw man reply to you then.

[jmaynard.livejournal.com]

Slavery is forcing someone to work for the benefit of another. Your example is nothing of the kind.

Our taxation and welfare system does qualify, and the Community Organizer in Chief is doing his damnedest to make it even more so.

[nefaria.livejournal.com]

It's the government's responsibility to prevent us from violating each other's Constitutional rights. It is also the government's responsibility to prevent its own violations of its citizen's rights. That is government's proper role, as a preventer.

The government should not be forcing us to do anything. That makes the government the master and the citizen the slave.

[melskunk.livejournal.com]

I find it funny I got modern thinker when my tradtionalism was higher than my untraditionalism

Wish i knew how they scored.

[tkcoyote.livejournal.com]

Your result for The Cultural Identity Test...
The Liberal Philosopher
53% Traditionalism, 61% Knowledge, 76% Diversity, 51% Contemporary and 47% Untraditionalism!

You Scored 76% Liberal Philosopher, Congratulations!
Diversity! Cultural awareness! Sharing! Caring!

Congratulations, you're a liberal philosopher! Perhaps a bit bleeding heart at times, and maybe a little too nice for your own good, you nevertheless bring a strong sense of individualism and unity to those around you. Liberating the minds of the traditionalists from their stodgy conformity, you seek to spread the good will of peace, understanding, and diversity.

You likely find little value in the traditions of old, and instead see them as myopic and intolerant. You are very progressive in your ideas towards race and heritage, and are probably pretty much colour blind. Which is good for you, because there's no better way to lead than by example.

You are probably more sensitive to the ideas of other cultures, sometimes even at the expense of your own! But you see this as a good thing, because after all, how can diversity prosper if we cling to our own ways more tightly than to those others? It's a big, beautiful world out there, and you just can't wait to share it with everyone.

Although it's now taken over twenty hours to complete (and if you calculate in all the years I've spent compiling this information for my own purposes a good deal longer), I'm very pleased with how this test has turned out. Yet even more gratifying are the responses I've been getting from people. If you were wondering, I am a traditionalist, and knowing about my heritage and celebrating my customs is one of the most important aspects of my life. It has been since I was a child, and in reality I created this test more for my own interests and curiosity than for entertainment value. If I succeeded in both then that's just a bonus.

The greatest compliment I've gotten from people is that this test has made them consider their own heritage more deeply, and want to find out more about where they came from. This wasn't a necessarily a goal I had in mind when I created the test, but to hear that I've sparked some interest in a person's lineage, however small, is an incredibly rewarding experience. Our lives are so determined by where we have come from, our past, that to learn more about those indelible links is often times an overwhelming experience. To know that my great, great, great grandfather was a signer of the Declaration of Independence helps me appreciate the history of my country, America, in a much deeper and more personal way. And, like as not, amazing links can be found in almost anyone's history.

[pharwarner.livejournal.com]

I got 75% on traditionalism. Predictable. I do have a nice double breasted frock coat, after all. And I had the whiskers once. You can only grow a decent set of muttonchops when you're older anyway. There's no hope for me!

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

You can only grow a decent set of muttonchops when you're older anyway.

Probably true. When I was younger I had sideburns that grew a bit wild and I looked somewhat like Isaac Asimov in very bad way.

[pharwarner.livejournal.com]

Des did the test and got Liberal Philosopher. We immediately started talking about "The Odd Couple" and came to the conclusion that I was Felix. The place is looking a little messy...

I'm not sure they know what "idealist" means.

[bronxelf-ag001.livejournal.com]

Intolerant? Not you! As a contemporary idealist, you have a lot of innovative ideas about how the world should be run.You probably don't see a lot of value in traditionalism, and think that many traditionalists are outmoded and narrow minded. You likely believe in very permissive lifestyles, where anything goes and it's all ok as long as everyone's having a good time.



The concept of authority probably doesn't sit too well with you, and following any established protocols seems like, well, stupid. Governments, to you, are an extension of the wealthy elites who attempt to hold down the rest of society, and actually result in much of the intolerance we experience today.



You were rated an idealist because many of the answers you selected showed an aversion or disinterest in traditional beliefs. In ideas of race, heritage, culture and diversity, you scored highest in progressive, contemporary ideas that likely weren't very popular as late as fifty years ago. Many of your fellows might consider you a radical, a reformer, or just downright misguided. But don't listen to them. After all, many of the greatest movements in history were started by so called 'radicals'. Unfortunately for you, people tend to cling to their traditions rather stolidly. Fortunately, that gives you a cause! Get out there and show all those ignorant, prejudiced poltroons the true way of enlightenment!


(though it is true I find about zero value in traditionalism.)