Culture–The Strongest Force In The World

Culture is the strongest force in the world. People will do illogical, and sometimes insane things–for better or for worse–because of a culture that inspires them. 

In 1987, the fire in London’s King’s Cross train station killed 31 people. But before a great explosion erupted in the underground halls, a ticketing clerk put out a burning tissue on the ground. He just didn’t tell anyone. That tissue turned out to be an indication that an escalator had caught fire internally. But no one was informed. 31 people died, not only because no one was informed about the tissue, but also because trains kept running on schedule, dropping people into a burning underground chamber. The company culture of “stay in your lane” ended up killing 31 people. 

In 2006, Jason McElwain, a high school senior with Autism at Greece Athena High School, was put into a high school basketball game with 4 minutes left on the clock. Before this, McElwain has only been a team manager, responsible for setting up gear and encouraging the team. On senior night, after his team took a 20-point lead, the coach decided to put McElwain in the game. He scored 20 points in 4 minutes, including six 3-point shots. The gym went wild, as fellow students touted print outs of McElwain’s face they made before the game. At the final buzzer, students rushed the court. The video is a reminder of just how wonderful this world can be. The culture of generosity and respect for McElwain created one of the most memorable moments in high school sports. 

We can try to push specific situations and circumstances the way we want them to go. But if we’re going up against culture, we’ll be fighting an uphill battle we’re unlikely to win. On the other hand, if we’re able to design a positive culture within our communities, good decisions seem to happen automatically. 

Don’t underestimate the power of culture.