You Vs. Society
IN TRANSITION
Are You More Important Than Society?
Though society exists to serve the individual and individuals make up a society, many people don’t think of them as having equal weight. I spoke to a man who told me he doesn’t believe in the common good. The community was less important than the individual’s ability to be successful. He would do whatever was necessary to achieve his goal even if it meant stepping on the backs of others to do it. Every man (woman) is out for himself.
I find that cultural differences mattered a lot when I ask the question. America is highly individualistic while Asian and African cultures are more collectivist. In individualistic societies, the individual is viewed as an independent, unique being. With the individual more important than the group, when a person needs support they turn less to their families and more to government institutions and neighborhood groups. Information tends to come from mass media and they support capitalistic economic systems. The most individualistic countries in the world are the United States, Australia, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. Slightly behind are Poland and Germany. Robert f. Kennedy spoke of individualism concisely. “At the heart of western freedom and democracy is the belief that the individual man…is the touchstone of value, and all social groups and the state, exist for his benefit. Therefore, the enlargement of liberty for individual human beings must be the supreme goal and abiding practice of any western society.”
Collectivism is also a cultural value. It is not a government system or political ideology. In a collectivist culture, the individual is part of a network of obligations that include relatives, neighbors, clans, gangs, and n groups. Much of their information comes from personal contacts. Their families and community are at central to their lives. With the group standing above the individual, they adhere to social rules focusing on selflessness, group cohesion, and doing what’s best for society. Collectivist cultures of South and Central America, Asia, and Africa consider the well-being of the group over the unbridled rights of the individual. In business and sports, they emphasize team loyalty and support. \Ayan Rand explained it by saying, “Racism is the lowest, most crudely primitive form of collectivism,” and “Collectivism requires self-sacrifice, the subordination of one’s interests to those of others.”
Here is what a few people when Quora asked if the group was more important or the individual.
Mike Kauffmann - “Groups can’t exist without individuals so the individual is more important.”
Andrew Sheldon -“ Values are personal. Values subjugated to group think lose their value this ultimately personal, contextual and hierarchical.”
J. Variable - “The group was always more important than the individual throughout history. Look into Chinese Legalism for instance.”
Sophie Campbell - “Neither have any real importance, beyond an eco-chamber affirmation of self-love. Understand that you and I are only one of 7,500,000,000 living species; many more have died and many more will come. Whether I wear a fedora, a merkin, or pink gloves ion matters about as much as whether an oyster adheres to a rock in the intertidal zone.”
The dichotomy of opinions is tearing our country apart. The way people vote is a clear express of the national divide. Over the past two years, the conflict built to such a crescendo that vigilantes prefer to fight than get along. My way is right!” they shout. “And, since you are wrong you should be punished.”
So you believe it is possible to get along with one another when we are so split?
Mahatma Gandhi once commented, “I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.”
After viewing images of January 6, 2021, his statement seems to be more of a goal than a \reality. Countries, tribes, political parties, and religious zealots still muscle their way into power under the dangerous belief that they have the inalienable right to do so.
There are good aspects to having a divided country if we take the time to cool down and analyze it. The division brings balance and perspective to politics. As individuals, we belong to more than one community. Yet, there are times when are associations are in conflict with each other. Your family group may not agree with your political community, yet you continue to love them for the history you share. When immersed in a particular community, you follow itsrules and regulations for the common good.
Am I more important than my community? Is individualism better than collectivism? The answer depends on the circumstances. I belong to many communities, each with a different culture. My artist and writers communities encourage individual expression, while my church and my business emphasize community. What does concern me more are the fanatics who are so set in their ways, they cannot bend.
We need creative geniuses, entrepreneurs, and dreamers to help with the challenges we face as a nation, but also need systems in place so we’ll feel safe and secure. For the common good, we have social security, universal education, waterworks, highways, and health care. We also protect the right to speak out and protect individual creators through copyright and patent laws.
Though, the constitution recognizes the individual’s right to free speech, racial equity, and religious freedom, when practiced it’s easy to step on people’s toes. To get along, individual rights have to be balanced with what’s good for the community.
The American experiment comes being in a hybrid country, a nation of immigrants from around the world. The question is not whether one immigrant’s values are better than the next, but rather how we accommodate strangers who do not share values. Perhaps if we look to common interests, like access to clean air, water, safe energy, and health care, we can develop systems that meet common needs. We can agree to disagree and allow individual freedom to flourish as long as it doesn’t impinge on someone else’s freedom and take away their livelihood. You vs. So. Learning how to get along, is how to make America great again.
References
Website: Module 3- Political and Economic Systems Around the GLobeReading: The Benefits of Communism. International Business. retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-internationalbusiness/chapter/reading-the-benefits-of-communism/
World Population website. Collectivist Countries 2022 . retrieved from https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/collectivist-countries
Cherry, K. (2020) Individualistic Cultures and Behavior. Verywell Mind. social psychology. retried from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-individualistic-cultures-2795273
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