Do we have a culture of cruelty? To answer that question, one of the first things we would need to know is what we mean by a culture. I use the word culture as some anthropologists have used it, to mean a system of meaning. It is a system whereby we give meaning to our daily lives and we express that meaning symbolically. Let me give you an example. There is nothing particular about eating. Described as a physi­cal act, eating is simply masticating-you put food in your mouth, you masticate, you swallow, and that is eating.