Culture is something referred to as our mental programming, our “software of the mind.” But we can take that computer analogy further and say that is the operating environment that enables software programs to run. Culture is like DOS or Unix or Windows: it is what enables us to process information in various specific applications. The metaphor of windows seems to be very appealing to describe culture: culture is a mental set of windows through which all of life is viewed. It varies from individual to individual within a society,but it shares important characteristics with members of a society. Culture is like the water fish swim in--a reality that is taken for granted and rarely examined. It is in the air we breathe and is as necessary to our understanding of who we are as air is to our physical life. Culture is the property of a community people, not simply a characteristic of individuals. Societies are programmed by culture, and that programming comes from similar life experiences and similar interpretations of what those experiences mean. If culture is mental programming, it is also a mental map of reality. It tells us from early childhood what matters, what o prefer, what to avoid, and what to do. Culture also tells us what ought to be. It gives us assumptions about the ideal beyond what individuals may experience. It helps us in setting priorities. It establishes codes for behavior and provides justification and legitimization for that behavior.