The Culture Code :: Notes

Rapaille, Clotaire. The Culture Code. New York: Broadway

Books, 2006.

Chun-Hori (2007)Summer Session I

Imprints: Learning & Emotion

• “The stronger the emotion, the more clearly an experience is learned.” (p. 6)

• “Every imprint influences us on an unconscious level.” (p. 7)

• Experience + Emotion = Imprint• First impression (experience) at a young age

– “Early Imprinting”– Before age 7– Strong emotional experience– “…tremendous impact on why people do what they do.” (p. 9)– “…determined by the culture in which they are raised.” (p.22)

Codes

• Different codes are for different imprints– Compiled together to form a reference system that people

within the culture use– Subconsciously supplied– “Every word, action, & symbol has a code.” (p.24)

• Imprint = Lock :: Code = Combination– All the right codes will help you to understand the imprint

(pp.10-11)• People don’t say what they mean

– We think too much– A REAL answer is an unconscious one– Look at the structure of the response rather than the content

• Ex. Melody played in different octaves w/ different instruments… still the same melody (p.20)

Structure Behind Our Actions

Why do we act the way we do? (Look at the structure)1. Biological

– DNA & Species– Unique because no set of DNA is identical

– Ex. Dogs have different DNA from Cats… etc.

2. Cultural– Language, art, habitat, history, etc.– All elements are unique in each different culture

3. Individual– Infinite variety of human; no two people are the same– Unique relationships and experiences

(pp. 20-21)

Biological & Cultural Schemes

• Every species is distinguished by the structure of its DNA-”Biological scheme”

• Biological scheme identifies biological needs of a species (i.e Humans)

• Cultural scheme is a piece of the biological scheme– Identifies Cultural

representation of the biological need

• Ex. Humans operate best between certain temperatures. To moderate our biological need we created AC. AC is interpreted different in each culture.

(p. 93)

Biological

Scheme

Cultural SchemeBiological

Needs for species

Cultural interpretation of need

Biological & Cultural Schemes

3 types of Unconscious

1. Freudian Unconscious• Individual unconscious• Guides us differently in our own way

2. Jungian Unconscious• Collective unconscious• Guides each of us as members of the human race

3. Cultural Unconscious• Uniquely guides us based upon the cultures that

produced us– Each culture has its own mindset; Never the same

(pp. 26-28)

3 Parts of Our Brain

• Cortex– Controls abstract thought & imagination

• Limbic System– Deals with emotions

• Reptilian Brain– Focus on survival & reproduction

(fundamental instincts)– Unconcious brain– The key decision maker

(pp. 73-75)

Codes from the Book

• Some American Codes– Health is Movement– Sex is Violence– President is Moses– Luxury is Military Stripes– Food is Fuel– Alcohol is Gun– Fat is Checking Out– American is Dream– Home is the prefix Re-