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LM: #270: Cargo cult culture
One of the most fascinating displays of the follies of the human mind is the cargo cult.
In WWII, the U.S. military landed on various islands in the Pacific. To the previously-isolated societies who lived on these islands, these soldiers were like aliens from another planet, arriving through never-before-seen technology.
After the soldiers left the islands, cargo cults cleared forest areas to make runways, and made headphones out of coconuts and air-traffic batons out of sticks.
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They believed if they recreated the scenes they had seen, planes would once again land with food, clothes, and equipment.
One such cult is the “John Frum” cult. To this day, on the island of Tanna, there are festivities, worshipping rituals, and even false prophets claiming to be the reincarnation of “John Frum.” (A now-mythical American serviceman whose name apparently derives from introducing himself as “John, from…[place].”)
The bizarre beliefs of cargo cults come from the same wetware with which we in industrial society are equipped. So, cargo-cult thinking is everywhere:
- Dating: Searching for a set of qualities we imagine we want in a partner, rather than thinking what it would be like to be with such a person.
- Politics: Choosing candidates based upon appearances and sound bites that fit an ideal, rather than asking what makes an effective leader.
- Productivity: Looking and feeling “busy,” regardless of whether it produces the results we desire.
- Entrepreneurship: Following trends and hype. Copying style, not substance.
We often merely mimic appearances, without understanding what will cause the effect we want.
Do you see cargo-cult thinking in other areas?
Aphorism: “Anyone who in discussion relies upon authority uses, not his understanding, but rather his memory.” —Leonardo da Vinci
Book: I don’t remember how I got It Only Takes a Minute to Change Your Life (Amazon) but it’s motivating and inspiring.
Best,
David
P.S. I shared another several weeks ago, but the Waiting for John documentary on the John Frum cargo cult, which includes the above image, is even more in-depth.
