S1, E1 - Culture is You: Unlearning What We Know Unlearn Lab

Culture is in everything. It’s where you work, what you do at home, and how you interact with others. It’s thinking that lemon sherbet is better than chocolate ice cream (or is it the other way around?) But did you ever stop to ask the most important question anyone can ask: why? Unlearn Lab is here to raise important questions and ignite our curiosity.  In this episode, we explain what we’re going to do in future episodes. In Unlearn Lab, we’re here to ask and answer questions — tough, fun, and thought-provoking all rolled into one. We create a definition for culture, navigate the spaces where we can observe it, and examine its multilayeredness. Ultimately, we will dive deep into taboos and uncomfortable topics that need to be discussed. 
You can’t learn something new if your cup is full. So if you’re looking to unlearn old information and redefine culture, this episode is for you!
Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode: How our culture affects the way we live, breathe and see the world. The importance of digging into the "Why" behind everything we do. Take the first step toward unlearning the things that may be getting in the way of authentically expressing yourself. Resources Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving by Celeste Headlee Read books by Brene Brown Catch episodes of Queer Eye on Netflix!  Episode Highlights [00:50] Starting Up the Unlearn Lab Jess asks the question, “What makes people, people?” Her favorite question as a child was: “Why?” Jess’ love for this question is rooted in a deep-seated curiosity of all things. Jess’ second inspiration was Karamo from Queer Eye and his ability to pinpoint the deeper aspects of people. Jess Moy: "And so I had this 'Aha!’ moment that maybe in order to really create change, not just social change, but true human evolution is not just about the things that we do on the outside…but really what we cultivate on the inside.”
[05:01] Culture Is Who You Are Jess is an Asian-American woman living in America with Filipino and Chinese roots. Culture is something you learn based on where you were born, the culture you were born into, and how you grew up. Some people reject their culture and heritage for fear of being different, especially as children. Your sexual and gender identity also play a part in your culture. [08:53] Culture, Collectives, And Society We absorb culture from our environment. Some culture is taken from your ancestry, but it doesn’t necessarily apply. We can cultivate it in a way that supports us. Culture is not just art and song; it’s also how people interact in their daily lives, like at work. Jess Moy: "From a human standpoint, culture really is how we develop our language and how we tolerate conflict and change and how we react and respond to it all is integrated and contributing to the culture that we really want to create for ourselves to thrive."
[14:56] Curiosity And Asking Why Society creates taboos, but who defines what’s culturally normal and what isn’t? Curiosity is something that society has slowly devalued over time. To unlearn what we know, we need to cultivate a curious spirit and be persistent in asking, “Why?” Hearing things you don’t immediately agree with may trigger a desire to dig more deeply and have these conversations on your own. [18:24] After Questioning, Take Action After exploring these questions, what will you do about them? We can redefine our culture and create new systems. Jess: “We as a collective are made of individually beautiful humans, that get to create new systems, and get to create an entity where we allow ourselves to change, to process to be in our own thoughts, to craft new behaviors, and really live and exemplify our own beliefs that come from exactly that us and create ripples of how our culture is formed.”
Nothing is stopping you from iterating and changing everything about yourself. Cultu