The influence of the past over the present

Having lived in a foreign country for a while now, and analyzed some behaviors from different cultures, I had some disgusting moments. In a first moment, I was inclined to think we are who we are, and we behave accordingly. But no, that was indulgent. We do hold responsibility for what we do and what we do. Each one's past can have some influence in tastes and habits, but not each one's actions (they may include the habits themselves). This holds not only for people from different regions, but also for anyone who thinks their past experiences justify their present behavior. No, they don't.