Cultural Lack of Awareness

[Mad Jax]

So before I begin, I want to say I'm not making an attack on Mormon culture of Utah culture, but it's an observation I made after joining the church, and not a stereotype I alone appeared to experience. Nevertheless I want to ask if it's more of a perception issue on my part and not the same experience or if it is true, what may cause it.

So to begin... I couldn't help but notice that many of the younger singles ward members (in various places) seemed to almost take pride in their ignorance of the wider world. And by ignorance I don't mean that in an insulting way, as everyone has a degree of ignorance about every subject. But I can think of no other group of people where one person in a crowd will so often blurt out the phrase "I don't get it" after everyone else seems to enjoy a good laugh. And I can't help but think I felt both an infusion of irritation that someone made a wry comment that they didn't understand,and a tiny hint of superiority about it. Maybe I'm not making sense. And I'm genuinely not attacking the culture. I'm just curious if this is something coming more from me than it is from people within the church.

On the other hand, there is something I almost admire about the genuineness of some members' lack of understanding about the world at large. They aren't shy about admitting their lack of understanding or knowledge and often this is done in a pretty humble way. I remember telling another member in a group setting I had been a bouncer in the past and had been offered a job, but didn't know if it was something a member of the church should do (given the environment). One young kid sweetly admitted he didn't know what a bouncer was and seemed delighted to learn something new when it was explained to him. So if what I'm describing does exist it has two different sides to that coin.

I have to know what others think of this and if I'm not having selective perception with my experience in the church. Or if I'm actually making any sense with how I'm presenting it.

[Red Ryder]

You're describing the mormon "child like" syndrome that creates a level of innocence and unawareness that comes from the culture. It's a result of:

No R rated movies.
No alcohol.
No pre marital sex.
No Monday night football.
No common sense.
No ability to choose your own underwear.
Watching shows on TLC.
Meek, humble, submissive.
Always following the prophet.
Graduating from BYU.
29 kids and counting.
Yada, yada, yada.

[Palerider]

To be in the world but not of the world is a tricky business. The church promotes this principle, as it should but goes a bit overboard to the extent that it fosters some undue ignorance.
I think this is why many Mormons are easy prey for predatory schemes that seem to run rampant in the Morcor.
The interesting thing is how quickly the church will turn to an outside source when they happen to need something that the world can provide or they will turn to church members who successfully work in the larger world setting who have the skill set they need. Almost shunning those who will only work in the sheltered places.

To be aware of what is in the world without partaking in it's evil aspects is actually to be forewarned. If you don't know what a snake is how will you recognize it in order to avoid it? More so how will you tell the difference between a benign snake and one that is harmful?

[deacon blues]

Pale Riders post reminds me of how Brigham Young would call people to go back East to get medical degrees or law degrees. It seems there was knowledge that the gentiles had that wasn't available in Zion in the 19th century

[Mad Jax]

You're describing the mormon "child like" syndrome that creates a level of innocence and unawareness that comes from the culture.

There just seems to be such a divide among members that way, now that I think about it. Some require explanations for the littlest thing and some are fully clued in to the bigger reality. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground. And for the rare ' in betweener' they seem to at least know how to express their ignorance without sounding arrogant about it. At least in my experience.

Maybe in a way I took it personally, like I was being criticized for being exposed to things they hadn't, or for bringing it into their little world. Which may not have been anyone's intention. But there were times it sure felt that way.

Anyway these days it's just a curiosity that I never felt comfortable bringing up as a TBM. Because it was potentially 'criticizing the membership' simply by asking if I was alone in interpreting it that way.