In discussions on cultural sustainability, the primary focus has been on material and financial aspects. This emphasis places culture in a position of protecting it from often presumed dangers, preserving and securing its financial stability, and sometimes turning it into a passive recipient of funds. However, in contemporary evolving society, where the emphasis is shifting from serial manufacturing and wealth accumulation to social responsibility, slow production, and diverse cultures, such a narrow focus risks neglecting the cognitive value chain of cultural and creative products and practices. The paper explores how to achieve a strategy for an all-encompassing sustainability in culture, answering the question: what role do cognitive values play in shaping cultural sustainability? Through a critical analysis of practical experiences, the paper aims to show how sustainability should move from protection to participatory enjoyment, emphasizing accessibility, hospitality, and inclusiveness, and nurturing continuous and intensive critical discourse around cultural heritage, in order for sustainability to be endemically and systematically pursued.