I became interested with the theme individuality when I realized how many individuals we lack at school. I saw how many people wanted to copy new trends, and be just like everybody else. I used to be one of them, but now I understand I won’t always get to be like everybody else and I’m okay with that. In fact, I am proud of that. For my first source of media I used the quote, “If you walk in the footprints of others you will never make any of your own,” to represent the theme of individuality. I used school as a prime example because everybody wants to try to fit in in a place like school. Everybody wants to be like someone else. I interpreted the quote as if you are a follower of others you will never be your own person, or if you copy others …show more content…
The first line of the song is “I don’t want no time on the big screen. I’m okay with me and my ripped jeans.” The definition of individuality is defined as “a quality that distinguishes one person from another.” In this song the lead talks about how everybody she knows is rich and famous now, but she is okay being herself. This is a characteristic that distinguishes her from others, which is the exact definition of individuality. Next, I wanted to include that during my research I discovered that individuality and individualism are two completely different things. Individualism is the act of isolating yourself in a world of self-wants. Individuality is classified more as a uniqueness. Individualism is a mere deformation of individuality and it is never a good thing to obtain …show more content…
“We live in a black and white society, and I’m am so proud of you, of all of you, for showing shades of red, or blue, or yellow, or green, or any other color that exists in this world.” The author is stating that our world is plain, so if you are different in any way, she is proud of you. You should be proud of yourself if you are able to have the great confidence it takes to be yourself in the world today. For my final source of media I used a painting by Kristen Bailey. Her piece called “Tree” supported the theme individuality perfectly. It gives off the message that the most different one is always the most beautiful. I knew that I definitely wanted to use a piece of art by Kristen Bailey because every painting she has gives off a certain message. In conclusion, I am very happy I was able to portray the theme individuality in a way of my own. If nobody shows who they really are at some point, then our world isn’t really as fascinating as it seems. Everybody wants to be someone else these days. Why can’t we just be
Despite the current scrutiny that her race faces she asserts to the reader that her race and color define her as a person and does not determine her identity. Despite the mindset that most of her peers keep about the inequality of race, she maintains an open mind and declares to the reader that she finds everyone equal. Thus proving herself as a person ahead of her own time.
There are numerous ethical schools of individualism and copious individualists with different perspectives on the idea of individualism. In this paper, I have selected the following ethical individualism to expose and critique: 1) ontological individualism, 2) methodological individualism, and 3) moral or political individualism.
This article provides me a detailed research on a group of American and Chinese adults with plenty of data and analysis. They provided a lot of real and objective opinion on the comparison between individualism and collectivism. The fact of the whole respondents are students gives me an advantage on finding better ways to understand and use this research in my
Based on “Freedom and Individuality”, Simmel largely perceives a positive relationship between the size or growth of society and individualism to function, but proposes that the size of the society alone does not solely determine levels of individuality. He promptly delivers his thesis, saying “the larger circle encourages individual freedom, the smaller one restricts it.” (Simmel in Calhoun 2012: 376) Simmel then goes on to describe the role of individuality within society, discussing positive aspects such as freedom and fluidity, and potentially negative aspects such as the “negative freedom of no differentiation” and loss of collective consciousness/identity. As the group grows and expands, collective identity is weakened and the original pressure to conform is relieved (to an extent), allowing for a greater opportunity for individualism to thrive in an increasingly flexible environment, at the expense of certain aspects of common culture and identity. Simmel also reflects on the difficulties associated with individualism for the individual, such as increasing difficulty trying to establish and exude one’s own unique personality within such an individualistic and flexible environment. Toward
Allowing people the discovery of their true nature, ending their life of mimicry and fakery. Individuality is important and beneficial for it develops a sense of freedom which brings out the authentic self. Whether this is rebellious or not is up for debate, but this act of nonconformity can unlock new ideas and open paths for brighter futures, letting creativity flow through minds of those who have been restrained by peers and their opinions. Be different than others, express yourself through thoughts and ideas that have been hidden by conformism and do not be afraid to be a
The past sixty years have been full of monumentally huge changes for society in the United States. From the civil rights movement and the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to the election of the first black President and the legalization of same-sex marriage, equality has been the subject on hand. While it may be a big pill to swallow for some, those that have been discriminated against for quite some time finally have the freedom to be themselves, knowing that they are protected under the law. Those minorities that celebrate this equality have a lot to teach the bigots of the country in such a wonderful day and age – pride. Zora Neale Hurston shows how important it is to have pride in yourself, your differences, and where you come from, in her four-sectioned essay, “How It Feels to Be Colored Me.”
In the unit “The Spirit of Individualism” there are two parts, “Celebrations of the self” and “The Dark side of Individualism” with pieces that present very different perspectives on human nature. “The Dark side of Individualism” portrays human nature as greedy, confused, easily caught up in fame, and addicted to wealth and possessions. In “Celebrations of the Self”, human nature is viewed in a more positive light. The characteristics shown are self reliance, independence, wisdom and selflessness. “The Dark side of Individualism” pieces are written in a more macabre tone, whereas “Celebrations of the Self” pieces have a more positive and uplifting tone to them. The generalizations of human nature are different because of the pieces in “The Dark side of Individualism” and “Celebrations of the Self” have entirely different views on life and human nature.
Individualism and conformity--two very commonly used terms to describe anyone in today’s time. In comparison to the article “The Sociology of Leopard Man,” written by Logan Feys, one of the most notable quotes that relates to individualism and conformity is “to be a human is to be an individual human, with individual tastes [...][and]talents [...] that are distinct from those of others. Living in society, we are under constant pressure to surrender our individuality to the will of the majority, the school, the workplace, the family, …” (Feys Par. 6). To be truthful, conformity and nonconformity are used to determine a person’s inner-being, but every person is different, and in this case people will not always agree with each other on how they should live.
(1994). Beyond Individualism/Collectivism: New Cultural Dimensions of Values. In U.Kim, H.C. Triandis, C. Kagitcibasi, S. Choi & G. Yoon (Eds.). Individualism and Collectivism: Theory, Method, and Applications. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, pp. 112-115.
The idea of Individualism can be traced all the way back to England before America’s existence. As we know, individualism has been interpreted in many forms throughout history. The 19th century is no different, taking hold of its own idea of individualism, called transcendentalism. Transcendentalism suggests freedom should not be confined to those focused on money and superficial gains. Instead, people should depend on no one but themselves. This movement focused on “greater individualism against conformity” (Corbett et al.). Heavily influenced by the Romantic period, transcendentalism adopted the belief that reason was more important than logic as Benjamin Franklin has believed. Reason must also include unique emotion and spirit (Corbett et
Throughout the year Professor Prudden has been teaching us the idea of the individual and when and how it came about. We have studied The French Revolution, Scientific Revolution, Colonialism, and Reformation, all stressing what made this time period important to the individual. We finished the class reading the novel Frankenstein with does a great job of demonstrating a man or “monster” creaking his own being. We have already determined that an individual is; the habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant. Mary Shelley demonstrates individuality through Frankenstein and leads to his internal isolation and loneliness. She shows that uniqueness is the most important aspect of individualism not only through Frankenstein but Victor
Individualism is defined as many different things, but one definition of individualism became very popular in the early 19th century especially in many of the literary works of the time period: the pursuit of individual rather than common or collective interests. This new idea was expressed by many early American authors in their writings.
Identity, an ambiguous idea, plays an important part in today’s world. To me identity can be defined as who a person is or what differentiates one person from another. Identity would be a person’s name, age, height, ethnicity, personality, and more. A quote by Anne Sexton states “It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was”(Anne Sexton). This quote helps me define identity because I believe it is saying that identity is what people are remembered by. When some people think of identity, words such as, uniqueness, distinctiveness, or individuality may come to mind. However, I disagree with this because when I think of identity I think of mimicry, self-consciousness, or opinions.
Since the beginning of time, people have been trying to become individuals and stand out as unique beings. During the foundation of the colonies, individuals were focused on preserving their religious beliefs. As slavery became more predominant, the Civil War era fought to give black people their identity back. In the 1800s and 1900s, the individual initiative shifted from giving a group of people identity to individuals fighting for their own personal beliefs. In today’s society, individualism has been diminished by the collapse of the economy, forcing people to live with their parents for longer periods of time. As the economy continues to grow again individualism is making strides in a positive direction.
Individuality and conformity both play a major role in society. No matter what it may be individuals will need to choose appropriately between conforming and acting individualistically about their situation. Individuality allows individuals to freely express themselves while conformity offers safety under the protection of other conformers. Both of these aspects are beneficial to many individuals and is a key to maintaining societal order; however, it is disastrous to have too much of either side of the spectrum. Therefore, there should be a balance between individuality and conformity because having too much of either side morally and physically harms components of society, such that it pressures and forces individuals to do tasks against their will, and causes individuals to think selfishly and worry solely about themselves.