I am afraid that this is more a long question rather than an answer. What exactly does it mean to be an individual? Or are we even individuals? I suppose what is meant when we say we are individual is that we have individual thoughts, as really our actions throughout our life are far from individual or unique. They may seem to be but really they are not. If this is true though then we rarely get our individualism out, if what is seen is not individual.
We think ourselves more individual than say an ant, but then is it possible for their to be a thing that would class itself as more individual than us, and if so in what ways would that thing be different and what would make it more individual?
I said previously that maybe only our thoughts are individual, but does this even hold to be true? Our thoughts are there usually to fulfil a certain action, even if the most silly action. Take for example a fear of spiders as a thought. I suppose this isn't exactly silly but it does fulfil the action of protecting someone from what they see as a danger. Our thoughts may be slightly different and so too are our personalities, but really don't they seem to fulfil the same task, the highest up being to survive. Obviously this is taking a broad view, but since our thoughts lead to generally the same goal, then is it only the slight difference in thoughts to achieve the goal that make us individual, and if so, are we really that individual since ultimately our "individual" thoughts lead to the same thing?
Since it is our actions that let us interact with others, such as in sports or other things, maybe it is that our individual side is alone, being away from others and only in our own thoughts. This may not be totally true since one can share their thoughts, but looked upon from higher up, say from a worldly view, then this is only the sharing of opinion, with many different means reaching the same end; growing closer to the other person through interaction and the show of individualism. Another example of such a thing is any type of art, be it music, painting, poetry or any other type. These kind of things are regarded by some to be the greatest show of one's individuality as they may think that each brush stroke in a painting shows some of your personality.
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.
However, I disagree with all of these views; there is a distinct self in each and every living human being. The Oxford dictionary describes the self as “a person’s essential being that distinguishes them from others.” In Jim Holt’s Why Does the World Exist that states, “To say ‘I exist’ is just to assert the existence of a certain more or less continuous bundles of memories, perceptions, thoughts, and intentions. What makes me me and you you is our distinctive bundles” (258). What made Madison Madison was that she was a unique being with not only a unique genetic makeup, but also a unique personality and life experience; there was never anyone exactly like her and there never will
The main element of what makes a person human and unique are the emotions that inhabit their minds, which they can control to some degree.
Being an individual is difficult. The book “the chocolate war” approaches this topic of debate well. The author of the book, Robert Cormier, made the main character of his story experience this all too well. Jerry Renault, a skinny freshman football player tried to be different from everyone else but did that sure take him on a ride. Trying to be a apart from everyone has its ups and down. This is explained more further on.
From all existing creatures, we humans differ because we are able to use our brain to make decisions. In
Individuality is a characteristic that sets you apart from everyone else. The author Tim O’Brien illustrates this through Rat Kiley, Kiowa and Mary Anne in his novel, The Things They Carried. Individuality shows the personality of a character, reveals the link between personality and the physical items the soldiers carried, and how individuality is used to create teamwork.
Georg Simmel proves that individuality is hard to separate from group dynamics. This is because human being have to interact with others in groups. Within groups the person discovers their own individuality, but only in the context of the group. The extent to which one discovers their individuality is based on the size of the group. If a group is big an individual has a higher probability of developing a sense of individuality. In a small cohesive group it is harder to separate the values of the individual from those of the group.
In this world there are millions upon millions of people that roam around the earth in there own special, little life. Every person is different than the next one and he or she has their own personality. Each person also deals with life differently than the next. If everyone was the same, then we would be like one giant colony of ants. Just following the ant in front of us, and everyone looking the same as the next. Not having any of there own ideas or thoughts of what to do and how to do it.
Individuality is the quality or character of a particular person or thing that distinguishes them from others of the same kind, especially when strongly marked. According
Human beings and what defines us is a complex, never-ending process. We are a combination of our biology and our experiences. I believe that a person is born with a personality that becomes molded overtime due to our experiences and produces who we are as people. Who we are as people is determined by a multitude of interactions and constructs. This idea of personality is nearly impossible to define, as everyone defines personality differently. The construct of personality is hard to define, and many personality theorists continue to debate on its definition. Personality is a difficult construct to define because so many theorists evolved their own distinctive perspective due to a lack in agreement on the nature of humanity. Due to a lack of
Fey’s ideas about what it means to be an individual are completely valid. He says how individuality is an important trait that makes us human, how it is threatened by conformity, and how a balance between individuality and conformity can be used to achieve happiness without being as extreme as leopard man. Individuality is essential to the world, society cannot function without individuals with unique and creative ideas, but society will also fall apart without small amounts of conformity because people would not be able to work together, this is why it is important to balance individuality and conformity as Feys suggested.
Do you stand alone as a unique and special individual? Since the beginning of American history there have been struggles for individualism. The American Revolution, the American Civil War, and the separation from family life are all examples of individualism in American history. Individualism is an American paradigm designed by the modern societal structure that is an altered idea of the foundation by immigrants. In today’s society the struggle for individualism is more personal and represents how American values have shifted since the beginning of American history.
In the Individual level, all persons are in some respects unique from other individuals, while, at a genetic level, humans are the same; however, we all possess individuality.
As humans, are we allowed to determine our own individuality? If we are, how much of an impact can we make on our own originality? The answer to the first question is yes, however, the answer to the second question is one that has changed over the years due to the advancements of our world. Identity is, in a sense, “an unfolding story…continually recast in the course of experience” (Sennett 175-176). In other words, a person develops their identity through experiences they have in their lifetimes, usually while growing. Nowadays, people have more choice over who they become than they have had in the past. Some examples of this “control” are due to advancements in science and technology, curriculum in education, culture, and what is shown in the media. Because of (but not limited to) these factors, a person has more control but also more influence on the development of their own identity.
The quest to find one’s identity and have a sense of individuality is rampant in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go. The humanistic urge to have purpose is embodied in the characters of Kathy, Tommy and Ruth very differently. They each know that their life’s purpose is to donate until “completion,” yet on the way there they explore themselves and find out there is more to each of them than their vital organs, even if that is how society has labeled them.