Taking a bit of a break from all the ongoing drama — and researching old silver souvenir spoons I need to list on eBay — to clear my head by doing one of the things I enjoy most:

Contemplating and commenting on the quirks and foibles of the Human Experience.

![1019WildRose.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/denmarkguy/i6vCsMPN-1019-WildRose.jpg)

I find it fascinating how generally accepted cultural values can be so different in different countries.

In very *broad general terms,* in my native Denmark most people tend to *trust* the government. Here in the US, most people *MIStrust* the government.

In some countries, the default assumption when someone approaches you, is their intent is assumed *malicious.* In other countries, intent is assumed to be *benevolent*.. or at least *neutral.*

I was taught — and also believe, as an expression of my personal experience of being alive — the honest, open and truthful dealings are the best way to go.

![1029Calendula.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/denmarkguy/ZjLMSwz4-1029-Calendula.jpg)

Yet, there are also cultures in which deception and cheating are not only *accepted,* they are even seen as *positive,* because if you can cheat someone and get away with it, it means you are *"clever."*

In some cultures it is considered outright *rude* to ask a merchant to make a better deal on an item for sale. In other cultures you are considered an *idiot* if you don't ask for a discount.

For the purposes of this article, I simply *observe* that these things *"are,"* and they are *authentic* expressions of being alive, within the context of the cultures in which they represent an accepted paradigm. I am not here to *judge* them; I merely state *"they exist."*

Yet — somehow — as we increasingly move towards a global and borderless economy, all of these different attributes somehow need to find a way to mesh; to work together.

![1004Purple.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/denmarkguy/UvhwGLS1-1004-Purple.jpg)

## *On Finding Meaning in Our Lives...*

I think it was yesterday I cam across **@andrarchy's** exploration **[about finding meaningful work.](https://steemit.com/openseed/@andrarchy/openseed-proposal-funded-walk-and-talk-video)** It got me to thinking about so many of my own moments of exploring that topic...

... going back all the way to waking up one day — at about age 32 — and recognizing that I was having a *"Crisis of Purpose."* I was *"successful"* by most conventional measures, but also quite unhappy with my life.

Then, this morning, I found myself listening the the music of one of our world's great street performers, **[Morf](https://www.morfmusic.co.uk/)**, who's so much more than your average busker out there.

For one thing, he's a **[busker with a TED Talk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02SRlQunVzg)**, which I watched. So here you have a guy with a *"good job"* who consciously *quit* that to become a street musician. 

![1076Kaprifolie.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/denmarkguy/V0iyDSPO-1076-Kaprifolie.jpg)

But the important takeaway was his observation that you can look at *"successful"* people and *recognize* that they have success, but when you really *look* at them you might also notice that they are not smiling; not happy. 

Do you *love* what you do? Does what you do make you wake up and work with a smile on your face? Because having that smile is usually connected to *having found meaning.* How do you derive your meaning?

Then I got to thinking about cheating, deception and dishonesty. Specifically, I started to consider the deeper issue of whether I could still be *authentic and happy* in a world — or culture — whose values are substantially different from my own? Perhaps even a world that sees my values as stupid, weak, worthless or something similar.

![1004Strawberries.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/denmarkguy/Ev2SDSIl-1004-Strawberries.jpg)

Is the finding of the deeper meaning in our lives purely *internally driven?* Does it operate independently of the greater world? Or is there some kind of synergy there... where our happiness gets hitched to the wagon — at least in part — of the majority paradigm?

Moreover, can I *"live with"* being part of something driven by values I find it difficult to stomach, because they feel diametrically opposed to my own? Or will I be like the guy with the very successful IT job who says *"no"* and becomes a street performer... *by choice?*

Where do we each draw *our* lines in *our* sand? 

Thanks for reading!

***Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!***

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/KqTEpgi.jpg" alt="PHC Logo" /><br />

*(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for this platform.)
Created at 20200307 23:54 PST*
***1219***