“The values to which people cling most stubbornly under inappropriate conditions are those values that were previously the source of their greatest triumphs over diversity.” - Jared Diamond (Collapse 275)
Defining who we are is a very important part of our lives. It is vital for humans to have a sense of identity and our belonging. Identities are made up of many factors, such as culture, values and ambitions. As humans we tend to hold on very closely to our beliefs, because they usually come hand in hand with our identity. The things we grew up seeing or believing play a huge role when trying to define who we are, and who we want to be. Once we have made up our mind on who where are, and what our identity consists, of it is very hard to change our mentality. I find the saying “old habits die hard” very true. It is very challenging adapting to a new lifestyle, environment, culture and values. The Greenland-Norse are a perfect example of a society who couldn’t adapt to a new lifestyle. They identified themselves with the European and Christian culture, and when they arrived in Greenland they had no intention of changing that, even if that particular lifestyle wasn’t suited for their new environment. Their perseverance in trying to maintain a European and Christian culture identity led them to their collapse.
In the book Collapse, Jared Diamond provides details about the collapse of the Greenland-Norse. According to Diamond, Greenland was founded by Erik the Red, a hot blooded Norwegian, who was charged with murder and forced to leave for Iceland (221). His violent behavior continued, and he was eventually kicked out of Iceland for three years. After exploring the Greenland coast for three years, he returned to Iceland, lost another fight and was forced to “lead a fleet of 25 ships to settle the newly explored land that he shrewdly named Greenland” (Collapse 221). Greenland Norse survival was based on a combination of patriotism and hunting wild animals for meat. (Collapse 222). According to Diamond Greenland Norse started out with aspirations based on the mix livestock maintained by prosperous Norwegian chiefs. (222) The Greenland-Norse wanted to keep living a European lifestyle, at all costs.
The Greenland Norse identified themselves as Christians. Diamond states that “Greenland converted to Christianity around A.D 1000, at the same time as the conversions of Iceland and the other viking colonies, and of norway itself” (Collapse 243). The Greenland-Norse did all they could so that their lifestyle matched the one they used to live. Then began to build churches and even sent someone to go to Norway to convince the king to send them a bishop. According to Diamond, as an incentive they gave the king a large supply of of ivory, walrus hides, and best of all a live polar bear. (243). The first bishop that Greenland ever had was Arnald, after him, Greenland had nine other bishops. The bishops that were sent to Greenland all had European culture instilled in them. They favored beef over fish, and their biggest concern was to build churches. Their European characteristics made it that much harder for the Greenland-Norse to adapt to their new environment.
If I could describe the Greenland Norse in one word, I would probably use the word stubborn. They came into a land that differed from the one they were used to, and yet treated it as if it was the same. Their inability to change their old habits was their biggest mistake. The Greenland Norse had already doomed themselves when their violent ways destroyed relations with the Inuit. If they would’ve learned a thing or two from the Inuit, they would’ve had a higher chance of surviving. One of their errors was to discard the idea of hunting seals. Seals could’ve been their most reliable source to survive the cold winters. In addition Diamond states that the Greenland Norse developed some sort of taboo against eating fish. Another error that they made was their insistence on importing items that were not essential to their survival. According to Diamond much of the arriving cargo capacity was devoted to materials for churches and luxuries for the elite. (Collapse 240). They chose to import items that reinforced their European and Christian identity. They would’ve been better of importing goods that could’ve been beneficial to them.
When they arrived to Greenland they had a clean sleight, the opportunity to renew themselves and their beliefs. They chose not to do so though, instead they chose to cling on to an identity that only harmed them in the long run. They couldn’t change their preference for livestock. They chose to build churches that used many of their resources. “They thought of themselves as dairy farmers, Christians, Europeans, and especially Norse.” (Collapse 275) They chose to continue following their old lifestyle.
Having a sense of belonging was probably one of the main reasons why the Greenland Norse held on so tightly to their beliefs. In the article “Importance Of Belonging” by Amanda Enayati, she states that “As humans, we need to belong. To one another, to our friends and families, to our culture and country, to our world. Belonging is primal, fundamental to our sense of happiness and well-being.” Whether we like to admit it or not, as humans we like to be part of a group or a culture. When we are part of something, we feel safe. The Greenlanders felt safe belonging to a European and Christian identity. It was easier to stick to what they already knew than to start a new identity of their own. An identity that could’ve helped them survive in their new home. I’d like to believe in I have nothing in common with the Greenland-Norse, but in all honesty, like them I am guilty of acquiring stuff that I don’t need. There came a period in my life when I didn’t know who I was, or who I wanted to be. I got in the habit of buying things just because people around me had them. I thought that by having the same material things as my classmates, I was going to be like them. I didn’t want to be like them because I liked the way they were, I wanted to be like them because I wanted to feel like I belonged, like I was part of a group. I believe that’s why the Greenland-Norse held on so tight to their European and Christian identity, they wanted tp have a sense of belonging.
I’d also like to believe I’m a unique individual. I have a brother and sister who were raised the same way I was, we were taught the same values and yet we’re completely different from one another. When people use to ask me what made me who I was, I didn’t use to have an answer but now as a twenty year old, I do. My identity is made up of many things. My religion makes up the part of me that believes that anything is possible with God by my side. My values make up the part of me that will always value education, or any opportunity I get to be better myself. My family makes up the part of me that knows i’ll never be alone as long as I have my parents and siblings. My dreams make up the part of me that wants to become a speech therapist, and help children with disabilities. I’m made up of many things. Experiences that have changed my life completely, and made me the person I am today.
An experience that shaped a big part of my identity was coming to the United States when I was seven years old. When I arrived to the U.S it was extremely difficult to become accustomed to the new culture. In a way I can relate to the Greenlanders. Although I came at a young age, I already had a Mexican culture instilled in me. My first day of school was extremely difficult. For starters, I had no idea how cold a January day in the U.S could be. The part of Mexico I’m from has a mild climate all year round. The coldest it gets on the month of January is seventy-five degrees. I didn’t have a jacket on so I felt like my toes, and fingers were going to fall off. My teeth wouldn’t stop chattering, and my nose was as red as a tomato. When lunch time came around that day, I was happy to finally put some food in my system. When I arrived to the cafeteria, I experienced culture shock. The food was totally different from what I was used to. I remember attempting to eat what they had served, it was a fail attempt. The food tasted gross to me. It had no flavor, I was used to having spicy, flavorful dishes. I had no desire to become accustomed to American culture. For a very long time I was against everything that made me feel like I was betraying my homeland. I didn’t allow myself to like the U.S. As the years went by, I realized that my reality had changed. I no longer lived in Mexico. I came to terms with the idea that I had a new home, and everything around me was different. The day I came to terms with my new reality was the day I asked my father why he had willingly left his homeland behind. He gave me an answer that I did not expect, he said “I did it for you and your siblings, I wanted to a better future for you guys.” His words made me realize that he loved us so much, he was willing to be away from his parents so that we could have a better future. The sacrifice he made for my siblings and I helped me realize how lucky I was to have gotten the opportunity to have an education. My fathers words shaped me in more ways than he knows. They shaped me to want to be a better person, they shaped me to want to go far in life, and have a career. There were many things I had to change, I had to learn a new language, get used to new foods, and even change some of my habits. It was very challenging, but it was definitely worth it in the end. I did something the Greenlanders couldn’t do, I adapted to my new environment.
They say old habits die hard, I couldn’t agree more with this saying. It is completely difficult to become accustomed to new things. As humans we tend to reject the idea of change. We fear what we don’t know. It is a lot easier to stick to our old ideas, culture, and values. The Greenland Norse made the mistake of clinging to an identity that did not benefited them. They created churches, imported items, and refused to change their diet because they wanted to maintain their European and Christian cultural identity. To them it was easier to stick to the lifestyle they had once lived, than change their habits. They couldn’t adapt to their new environment, therefore they weren’t strong enough to survive.

Works Cited
Diamond, Jared M. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York: Viking, 2005. Print.
Enayati, Amanda. "The Importance of Belonging." CNN Health. N.p., n.d Web. 8 Oct. 2014. .