Culture

Culture is a pursuit of our total perfection by means of getting to know, on all the matters that concern us, the best which has been thought and said in the world, and through this knowledge, turning a steam of fresh and free thought upon our stock notions and habits, which we now follow staunchly but mechanically, vainly imaginging that there is a virtue in following them staunchly, which makes up for the mischief of following them mechanically.
Matthew Arnold, Preface to Culture and Anarchy.