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.
I never even thought about this word “individualism” before I came to America. Instead of collective, normal is the way I considered as my culture, and for American culture, I would say they are selfish and unkindly sometimes back then. However, after my 2-year study here and all the research I’ve been read for this paper, now I say that neither individualism nor collectivism is purely bad or good.
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.
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
In the long trek of life, people are constantly chided to follow their hearts, and to be themselves, and to let our individuality run free. As Georg Simmel once said,“The deepest problems of modern life derive from the claim of the individual to preserve the autonomy and individuality of his existence in the face of overwhelming social forces, of historical heritage, of external culture, and of the technique of life.” He is utterly correct. Every person, every mind and every heart, has their own way of doing things. We have associated individuality with singularit...
Depending on who you are and what you believe, you will have your own idea on the positives and negatives of individualism, and where you stand. Despite the fact of the good and bad in American Individualism, without the freedom of standing alone, we are nothing. To group individuals together, categorize them and classify them as a single entity is demeaning to each person’s individuality. There is a lot of positives and negatives that go along with being an individualist.
Noah Miller English Honors: D Ms. Hiller 13 December 2013 1984 Major Essay Assignment. Individualism is the one side versus its opposite, collectivism, that is the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups. When put into a collective whole, one might do for the whole more than one does for oneself.
What the texts suggest about the relationship between how an individual sees themselves vs how the individual is seen by others, is through the concept of identity. An individual’s identity is shaped by many factors: life experiences, memories, personality, talents, relationships and many more.
Individualism from the transcendentalist era is very different then it is in the modern day. In the transcendentalist era, everyone believed that the person is more important than the society. You see this in self reliance where Emerson says “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events” (Emerson par. 3). In this quote, i believe the emerson is saying that you know what's best for yourself and you should follow your heart, but society is always going to try to tell you something different. In the modern day, people rely more on the
You are as others see you, yet others do not always see you as you are. With the importance others play on the sense of identity, it's no wonder that peers influence the minds of individuals early on in life. As young toddlers, children do not recognize biological
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.
It is a way of deliberation, to tune out the clink of money in the background when you talk to somebody, so that you can concentrate on that person's message and judge it on its own merits. It means looking at someone and not saying to yourself, "That's my aunt" or "That's my boss," but rather, that is someone with his or her own inclinations and desires, in other words, a true Individual who incidentally happens to have this relation to me, as a relative or a superior. On a grander scale, individualism puts the individual above the state and country. In those countries that have always been proud of their traditional values of emphasis on the family or the country above self, they see individualism as a direct attack on these values. However, we live in a democratic country and we believe in individualism and equal opportunity for all persons.
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.
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.
The first category of sports is individual sports, in which a person can play alone if he/she does not have any partner. For example, auto racing, tent pegging, golf, fishing, skating, skiing, swimming, martial arts and cycling. These are the sports that a person can play alone and maintain his/her fitness while enjoying the game. Unlike team sports, individual sports focus more on personal growth and accomplishment. In indivi...
The information provided in this lecture describes individualism as social patterns that involve an individual’s priority for self motivation, self confidence, self oriented, and self competent, self responsibility. Collectivism also involves social patterns, however collectivism involves individuals who are collective, which means these individual prefer to be a part of some type of group. These groups may be internal or external.