What It Means to Be Multicultural: A Manifesto

Having a multicultural identity is confusing, beautiful and enriching at the same time.

It’s confusing because it makes it harder for ourselves to understand who we are and what is important to us.

It’s beautiful because it makes our identity so much more multi-layered and unique.

It’s enriching because it allows us to see the world from multiple perspectives, learn and grow.

Being multicultural means that you look at the world multiple different and perhaps conflicting ways at the same time. It means that you have the ability to switch your behavior from one moment to the other. It means that you feel a sense of attachment to multiple different places and ways of thinking.

Being multicultural also means that you are carrying a sense of confusion about who you are with you all the time, for the rest of your life.

So many things are in a constant state of flux…

… your values will change based on the new thoughts you get exposed to all the time.

…. your sense of attachment will change based on the situation you are in right now.

… your behavior will change based on the needs of the people around you.

… your worldview will get challenged by new ways of thinking all the time.

Seeing the world as a place full of unlimited opportunities for learning

Every day marks another opportunity to learn something new. Every person has the potential to disrupt your way of thinking completely. Every new thought we get exposed to brings us closer to becoming who we really are.

Everything we learn about ourselves helps us to become a more authentic.

Multicultural individuals always maintain an open mind and a willingness to learn about a completely different perspective of the world.

They remain aware of their tendency to judge other people too quickly and judge their behavior before understanding it completely.

They develop an awareness of how their own cultural frame of reference influences how they look at the world and what limitations this holds for them.

They try to control their emotions to the point where they are able to live with the discomfort of being exposed to completely different ways of looking at the world all the time.

They remain adaptable to different conditions of living, ways of looking at the world, and a large variety of behavioral modes.

They are always open for feedback to adjust their behavior, learn from mistakes and get a better understanding of a new cultural perspective.

Becoming independent from external influences

Multicultural individuals understand the power of culture in shaping who people become.

They are very well aware of both the positive- and the negative ways which external influences can have on their own development.

It is very clear to them that they need to expose themselves to an environment that offers the most fruitful ground for them to develop in ways that they are looking for.

At the same time, they do not stay in one single environment so long that they become “entrapped” in its patterns of thought and its biases.

They pick and choose which environments, thoughts and beliefs they want to be exposed to every single day and which one’s they want to internalize into who they are.

What does being multicultural mean to you?

Share your thoughts on what it means to be multicultural to you and I will update any new and fascinating thoughts on this subject to be included in this manifesto! :)

I am also considering to turn this manifesto into a free e-book with much more in-depth explanation of these points and strategies on how to become a multicultural individual.

Let me know any feedback — i.e. ideas on which topics to explore or what to include in the book in either in the comments below or by sending an e-mail to rettigtim@gmail.com

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