A person’s reality is not objective but is formed by the information they receive and how they interpret it.
Each person’s reality is unique, shaped by personal experiences, cultural background, education, and societal influences.
The Role of Culture in Shaping Reality
Culture acts as a normalizing force, creating a shared framework for understanding the world.
However, American culture has never been truly unified—it is a melting pot of diverse and often conflicting perspectives, leading to cultural divisions.
Cultural Split: Monoculturalism vs. Multiculturalism
The political and cultural divide in the U.S. can be seen as a conflict between two visions:
Monoculturalism: Rooted in nativism, American exceptionalism, and white supremacy, promoting a singular national identity.
Multiculturalism: Embraces diversity, immigration, and a critical examination of America’s past, present, and future.
This division reflects differing beliefs about who belongs and what values should define American identity.
Fragmented Information Streams Create Diverging Realities
People receive different streams of information depending on their education (public, private, parochial), religion, and media consumption.
The internet adds to this fragmentation by allowing individuals to curate their own “realities” based on chosen information sources.
Political Alignment and Selective Information
Many people’s views are shaped by limited or biased information streams, such as family traditions or political ideologies.
For instance, individuals who align with traditional Republican values may interpret Trump’s actions through a lens of family values, despite contradictions in his behavior.
Assumption of Shared Information is a Mistake
It’s incorrect to assume that everyone operates with the same set of facts or information.
People interpret events based on their personal reality, which is influenced by the information they have access to and the cultural lens through which they view it.
Culture as a Battleground of Narratives
American culture has historically been a struggle between multiple cultural narratives competing for dominance.
The conflict is not just about which version of reality will prevail, but also about whether multiple perspectives will be accepted or suppressed by a singular narrative rooted in supremacy.
Reality as a Personal Experience
Each individual constructs their reality from subjective experiences and information streams.
There is no singular objective reality shared by all—each person lives within their own interpretation of the world based on their upbringing, culture, and environment.
The Internet as a Tool for Reality Construction
The internet allows people to reinforce their beliefs by selectively consuming information that aligns with their existing views, further deepening divisions.
This creates parallel realities where people’s understanding of events and truth can be drastically different.
Conclusion: Embracing Multiple Realities or Remaining Divided
The fundamental issue is whether America can accept multiple cultural perspectives or whether it will continue to enforce a singular narrative.
To move forward, there must be an acknowledgment that individual realities differ and that shared cultural understanding requires openness to diverse perspectives.