Matisyahu's Blog

I was watching a video on YouTube about ‘choice feminism’ and it reminds me of discussions regarding cultural norms that for many are treated as if they were something that are permanent – they always have and they always will exist.

The more you study about history and anthropology the more you realise that, to quote a comedian whose name escapes me, “we just make shit up”, and then that is passed down from generation to generation with each generation convincing themselves that it has always been that way – some sort of universal fact that cannot be challenged because it has always been that way.

Why does that happen? I think part of is due to a lack of intellectual curiosity and in part due to benefitting from the status quo so there is no incentive to investigate further. It is easier to just simply accept the way things are rather than to ask why things the way they are particularly if you’re of a group who benefits from the status quo. If you’re part of a group who benefits then why rock the boat when you’re getting so much from it? If you’re lacking in intellectual curiosity or maybe worried you may get an answer that you may not like then you’ll avoid the self reflection and go with the status quo – enjoying blissful ignorance over reality.

I do think it is important to continuously ask yourself “why do I believe what I believe”, “why do I have the preferences I do? were they shaped solely by me, what influence does culture has, how did that emerge and embedded into the culture?” along with many, many other questions. That then expands out to larger questions regarding capitalism and the commodification of identity into something that can be acquired, the idea of masculinity or femininity can be acquired and reenforced through the purchasing decisions we make.

Now, that doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy something but it does allow you to have an awareness regarding the origins of a given practice, aesthetic etc. but that being said it is also important to understand how we’re subtly influenced subconsciously even if we don’t consciously construct a justification in our head regarding why we like something or dislike something, why we find a particular thing attractive or unattractive. The whole point of challenging the status quo is to question whether the choices me make are choices we’ve made freely or whether we’ve had our consent manufactured.