Culture is the biggest major that we play in our lives because it defines our values, beliefs, and personal interests. People are not born with cultural behaviors or beliefs they grow up developing it. The most important environmental factor that is identifying our personality is culture. In the film of god grew tired of us is exploring to bunch of Sudanese lost boys that grew a decade growing up in a Kenyan refugee camp were each one takes care of the other and make sure they getting food and surviving.
The reason why they are called the lost boys because they grew up displaced from their parents or they were orphans or even both. Among the survivors of the horrifying war, were John Bul Dau and his two other friends who were brought to America from the help of Syracuse, NY church. John Bul Dau was the tallest boy in the refugee camp, he was a leader for 12,000 kids at age 13, his job was to support those young children and give them hope that tomorrow well be better, he would only say that to keep them alive. John Bul Dau comes from a communal culture which makes him feel obligated to help his own people through the opportunities he receives.
God grew tired of us gives us two important types cultural values, which is between communal culture vs individualistic culture. John Bul Dau lived both of these cultural values. When he lived in Sudan he lived the communal culture were all friends and family are together and helping one other. John has a sense of obligation to his own people’s value, when john moved to America he carried that communal trait with him, it was certainly hard for him because having to start a whole new life is pretty difficult. John lived the individualistic society in America where he had no one to commutate with, he was so used to the communal culture that it was hard for him to connect with others.
But, being born and raised in Sudan, experiencing the civil and being a leader and having the responsibilities at such a young age, pushes him to work hard, because he believes and knows he could do better. In the book of outliers Malcolm Gladwell introduces two people, Bill Gates and Bill Joy. ‘Both of them toiled away in relatively obscure field without any great hopes for worldly success.
But then –boom- the personal computer revolution happened, and they had their ten thousand hours in… Instead, what started out as adversity ended up being an opportunity'(Gladwell 128). What Gladwell clarifies here that there is always going to be a connection between effort and reward. As for John bul dau he worked and, put his effort to save his people even when he received his reward to go to America he stayed loyal and faithful to his community by sending them money.
As young boy, John Bul Dau was forced to lead 12,000 children that were starving to death but, soon it leads him an opportunity to go to Untied States. John already has practiced leadership ability back in Kakuma refugee camp which makes him want to be successful in America. While John Bul Dau lived in the Kakuma refugee camp he learned how to take care of his people, by making sure they are together and surviving. John’s reasonability’s to his people already made him successful and independent by of how many hours of practice he put in.
In the book of Outliers Malcolm Gladwell introduces ”The Ten-Thousand-Hour-Rule”. He states that ”the idea that excellence at performing a complex task requires minimum level of practice surfaces again and again in studies of expertise. In fact, researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours'(Gladwell 39-40). As for John Bul Dau he practiced more the 10,000 hours, from his leadership skills and his independence for his people back in Sudan. Once John Bul Dau left to Syracuse NY his life began in speed a light.
He started working at McDonalds, a security guard, and he took 2 to 3 part time job at the ups. While doing all that he enrolled in a community college, his goal was to finish his education which eventually he does. In 2002 he received his Associates Degree then soon he enrolled at the University of Syracuse to receive his Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy. Once John Bul Dau adjusted his life in America he then brought his mother and sister to the United States ‘ which he never gave up looking for them’.
Soon he created a foundation called ‘John Dau Foundation’ to help out the other lost boys in the United States with the money he provided he opened up a healthcare clinic to the citizens of South Sudan. John now is a famous motivational speaker who inspires all those people who heard his story. As for John Bul Dau he wouldn’t be here in the United States without a thank from his communal culture people because the practicing skills of being a leader back is Sudan contributed his success life big time.
