Individuality vs. Society

 

The tale of the tape:

 

Individuality

 

Individuality is a prized possession in the current scheme of human existence. If one can be an individual in today’s culture, they are a success. It means that they fought against the need to conform, which may or may not be some kind of subversive way to get you to buy stuff. But trying to be like everyone else is part of human nature, and that makes for lots of lemmings that just try to fit in. They do not follow their own course; they do not have their own goals. They are not a distinct person; they are just more faceless beings living in complete drudgery and sadness. Therefore, the person who can define themselves as an individual, who can think and act for their own purposes and goals, is a successful being. At least, that is how culture, as of now, defines and prizes individuality.

 

Society

 

Society is the collection of all the people living on the planet as of now. It is a collection of their thoughts, practices, and goals. The society we live is not perfect; in fact, there are many impurities in the way we live. There is money dependence, murder and war, pilfering, selfishness, and complete disregard for other people. However, our society is also making many advances in areas that can be considered good. Science, for one, is helping to eradicate diseases. Technology is another that propels us to greater prosperity by creating machines that are more ecologically sound, use cleaner and healthier energy, and makes life easier for anyone who has access to it. Money is an issue here, but I digress.

 

Let’s get ready to Rumble…

 

The problem between society and individuality is that they counter act each other. In order for society to be ideal, the individuality of the people has to be erased. The people in society have to be considered as a group, as a whole; individuals do not exist. People who do things for their own needs and goals do not contribute to society. If they are only concerned about themselves, about their own individuality, the curb the success of the society. The bottom line is that for society to prosper, everyone in that society must think only about how to contribute to that prosperity. This point will probably be the recipient of a lot of hostility, but some of that hostility can be explained by how people are taught that individualism is the goal that they should strive for. Think outside the box.

 

The solution is to be an individual and still contribute to society, but I’m finding it hard to come up with an example. This paradox would be most related to non-profit organizations. Remember, it is all about what you can do for you, but what you can do to help society continue on in greater prosperity.