A cool map of Gethen ^

I found the concept of “shifthregor” that Ursula K. Le Guin presented to be one that is all too familiar. Genly describes shifgrethor to us very early on in LHoD as “prestige, face, place, the pride-relationship, the untranslatable and all-important principle of social authority in Karhide and all civilizations of Gethen” (pp. 14).  Does that sound familiar to you at all?  Le Guin makes a big deal about shifgrethor being a driving factor in how Gethenians, and particularly the Karhidish, live their lives.  It isn’t something that should be new to us though – we have our very own shifgrethor that dictates lifestyles on Earth (or Terra as Genly likes to call it).

We see it in many aspects of our lives – our politicians are very proficient in the practice shifgrethor.  In some cultures, things such as marriage and familial ties can be decided based upon pride and prestige. Marry someone in a caste below you? Shame! Family members or friends might not talk to each other for years because of such trivialities.

Shifgrethor is ingrained in our lives whether we like it or not – I have difficulty imagining life without it. It determines what decisions we make and how react to certain situations. It’s inherent to human nature, whether on Earth or Gethen or any other planet in the “Known Worlds.”  Le Guin does a wonderful job of bringing this trait to the forefront for us to acknowledge within ourselves.  It makes me wonder if there are any other inherent traits we have that drive us that we don’t ever think about on a day to day basis.