The Benefits and Dangers of Individualism

The Oxford dictionary defines individualism as ‘the habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant’, two of the most cherished personal assets in modern society.

We all want to be independent, self-reliant and autonomous, and we’re all expected to be so.

Unlike other species, humans possess free will: we can decide wether we collaborate with others or work alone, follow the rules or stay out of the system, beat our own drum or go with the flow.

Some of the most important breakthroughs in the world have come from individuals who dared to follow their own ideas, broke with the mould and thought out of the box.

However, individualism is a two-sided weapon.

It can be a source of strength, independence and innovation, but it can also create serious personal and social problems, from loneliness and depression to lack of empathy, and even sociopathic disorders.

To illustrate this, let me tell you a brief story.

Once, when returning home, I took the elevator of my building; but then I noticed a girl coming. I held the elevator for her to come in, but despite my courtesy, she didn’t greet me, thank me, or even make eye contact with me. We were the only ones in the little box, but she wilfully ignored me, focussing solely on her phone, turning her back on me, and even pushing me out of her way, completely erasing me from ‘her world’. When I complained at her rudeness, her stunning reply was an indifferent: “I didn’t see you”.

Like the girl in this true story, there are many who, despite having no visual problems, can’t see anything or anyone beyond themselves.

They’re extreme individualists.

Of course, not all individualists are rude, but many tend to toss good manners aside, forgetting that these are essential in any society, and often push the rest of the world to a second place, which may hurt sensibilities, cause resentment, and bring up all sorts of problems.

Curiously, as Earth’s population increases, and our personal space is reduced, there’s been a parallel increase in individualism.

Instead of being more considerate and cooperative, our societies have become more entrenched in personal achievement and individual gain.

But, why can individualism be dangerous?

“Unrestricted individualism is
the law of the beast of the jungle.”
-Mahatma Gandhi

Excessive individualism often comes paired with antisocial traits -such as vanity, narcissism, and selfishness-, which may cause social ostracism and the eventual isolation of the individual. In turn, this may to lead psychological problems, from depression and anxiety to sociopathic tendencies.

The ‘me first’ attitude of individualists is not only annoying - it also weakens the fabric of society by establishing the notion that the sum of the parts (the community) is not as important as its individual pieces.

Just like in “The Little Prince”, individualists seem to live in their own personal planets, with a population of ‘one’, perpetually focussed on themselves and their own needs, problems and ambitions.

Along with indifference, extreme individualism is one of the most destructive personal attitudes for the stability and cohesion of society.

And yet, we seem to be constantly pushed into individualistic attitudes from infancy.

From our earliest years, we are constantly receiving messages that we should stand out from the crowd, set our own rules, be ourselves and not a copy, carve our own path, etc. Life is hard, the adults around warn us, so we must be assertive, competitive, ambitious, brave, gutsy, strong.

Children’s films and books are full of images showing empowered, independent and decisive characters, often stressing at the same time how each one of us is ‘unique’ and ‘precious’, in a effort to build our self-esteem from an early age.

And yet, other important character-building traits such as team work, collaboration, kindness, and generosity seldom receive the same attention.

This individualistic build up continues throughout our teenage years, with entertainment of all kinds loaded with messages full of aggressiveness, defiance, and ‘me-first’ attitudes.

Books and films such as “Maze Runner” and “The Hunger Games” bank on social teenage anxieties, with stories that stress the importance of individualistic pursue and achievements in dystopian life-or-death situations.

They have become huge successes by reflecting how many, both young and adult, feel in contemporary society: alone, in peril, a little paranoid, unable to trust anyone, and only counting on their own to survive.

Social media has only exacerbated the problem in recent years, through the constant push for self-exposure, self horn-tooting and competition for attention, playing with our need for acceptance and self-esteem while giving us a false sense of ‘community’.

All this influx from the media reflect our own anxieties, but as the fictions that they are, they also present a false perspective of reality, contributing to a warped perception of the world, specially when no clear distinction is made by the audience.

However, on healthy doses, individualism can also be positive.

Being self-reliant, strong, independent and resourceful are all excellent qualities to have, as it is having a healthy sense of self-worth.

But in excess, these attitudes may lead us to other not-so desirable traits such as selfishness and narcissism, and to the false and dangerous assumption that we don’t need anyone.

Technology has only exacerbated this sense of autonomy.

Unlike any other generation before, we have everything at the reach of our fingertips. Thanks to internet and online services, we can buy things, get information, learn subjects, find maps and locations, be entertained, travel, make connections, etc. All we need is money in the bank and a good internet connection.

We don’t need anyone. Do we?

As the old adage goes, no man is an island. As independent as we may feel, we still depend on the orderly chains of society to live and achieve our goals.

Even the smallest of our daily actions causes an impact around us, and depends on the chained actions of many others to ensure a normal, stable flow.

But our personal convenience is not the only reason to take on account when it comes to measure our individualism.

It is a proven fact that team work renders faster and more satisfying results than individual efforts, and associating with others -adding up talents, connections and expertise-, help in speeding up the process of achieving the goals of each of its individuals.

A good example of this are startups, in which we use technology to spread our ideas and projects, make new connections, and gain logistic and financial support in a collaborative venture towards the creation of a company or service.

Volumes have been written about individualism and its effects of politics, economics, philosophy, and society, usually in contrast to its opposite, collectivism.

While collectivism is a positive attitude in for the sustenance of a community, just as it happens with excessive individualism, excess of collectivism also has a negative side to it, often leading to tyranny, oppression, and the obliteration  of the individual.

When is individualism a problem?

* When we lose empathy or the ability to care for others.
* When we lose the ability to work as part of a team.
* When we become so attached to our own views that we refuse to accept any other views, any other possibilities, any other ways of working or doing things.
* When we value more our personal interests than the collective benefit of a community.
* When we think and feel that only the issues that affect us directly matter ('if it doesn't affect me, it's not my problem').
* When we forget that our rights end where the rights of the others begin.
* When we endanger or damage others in the path to our ambitions.
* When we think that ‘rules only apply to others’.

“Individualism, or perceived separation
from society, is as absurd as suicide.”
-Leo Tolstoy

So, is individualism a toxic attitude? As many things in life, the answer lies not on a ‘whether or not’ choice, but in a healthy middle point, something which some experts have come to call ‘ethical individualism’.

Ideally, we should be as individualistic as it’s necessary to strengthen our abilities for the benefit of the group or society in general.

Healthy individualism help talents blossom and shine, discovers natural leaders, and creates a favorable environment for innovation and creative thinking. 

Just as a level of collectiveness is necessary to keep a society healthy and strong and keep it going, a certain dose of individualism is also necessary to nurture and strengthen the individual.

The fortitude and success of every community is based on the balance between these two ends.

There’s a lot we can do on our own, and it’s great to cherish our strengths and independence remembering we’re all part of a whole, and that each of our individual talents can contribute to help make this a better world for all.