Being Cultured is a Frame of Mind

I grew up in an environment where the term ‘being cultured’ immediately conjured images of stuffy people dressed up to the nines at some posh event in the evening. ‘Culture’ was something characteristic of the well-to-do, who would have an all-rounded education and be exposed to knowledge of the world at large. I thought I was learning to be cultured when I so religiously attended all those music, dance and art lessons.

surely culture isn’t something that’s reserved for the upper crust of society.

Only to realize that at the end of the day, I grew to be so used to being disciplined that I had lost touch with the very pillar of art—creativity. Using my mind to form something out of nothing, using influences from what I had learned as tools. It got me thinking—surely culture isn’t something that’s reserved for the upper crust of society.

Then I got into Capoeira. I found myself in a world that was an antithesis to what I was familiar with—no longer were classes done in cushy, air-conditioned, nicely floor boarded rooms. Instead, I had to get acquainted with bare concrete and sometimes suffocating humidity in a room full of sweaty bodies. Yet I feel liberation in these movements in an art form that was borne out of slavery. What is it about Capoeira that keeps some of us in pursuit of mastering even more complex moves with each passing week?

Capoeira showcases the human body as a creation that must be marveled at, respected, and maintained well.

Personally, I see such grace and beauty in what some people consider as something that belongs to the dusty streets of Brazil. Capoeira showcases the human body as a creation that must be marveled at, respected, and maintained well. Even when practiced by people in the lower rungs of society there, I’ve seen fine examples of how passionate they can still be about refining their skills in Capoeira. Is it that the lack of societal pressures to conform (that is so typical of the middle and upper class) frees Capoeiristas of that background to be so vibrant and of such high caliber in their art? I believe so.

In my mind, to be cultured is the opposite of being crass. One of the definitions of crass is to be ‘so unrefined as to be lacking in discrimination and sensibility’ (Wordnet, Princeton University). In the case of Capoeira, some would view it as being a past time for ruffians, but they obviously are not aware of the high level of discipline demanded in order to immerse and refine oneself in the art. Being cultured means making a conscious decision to do something because you are driven by a specific purpose, and this can only be discerned after some thinking.

3 Responses to “Being Cultured is a Frame of Mind”