I love the clean lines in this mural next to my office by Danish artist No Title. It calls to mind a topic I’ve been thinking and reading about lately – tribal culture. We go through life drawing our identities from the various tribes we’re part of – our families, the cliques in school, our teams at work.
The tribal culture is an unwritten code of conduct and values that members adopt. Quite often we unconsciously make choices and do things to fit in with everyone else. What happens to those of us who want to or need to break out of this dynamic? Maybe you want to set up a business but all your friends prefer the security of employment. It could be that you want to go to culinary school but your colleagues insist you’ll learn more on the job. All your siblings might have joined the family business, but you want to train with other chefs you admire.
It can be really difficult to nurture your individuality and be loyal to what’s accepted by your tribe. If that’s the case with you, here’s a question to help you reflect on your personal boundaries: where do you end and they begin, chef?