By Michael Baillie
The idea of individualism is not new. What is new, however, is the importance and prestige attached to one’s individuality. We are constantly told to embrace it and to relish in our uniqueness. It’s a message pumped out by the mass media that is both insidious and ubiquitous: you are your own person with your own sense of taste and style — and you should dress, mould and adorn yourself accordingly. We are told that if we wear this, walk in those, drive that or eat these, we are embracing our individuality, that it is your right to do so. Standing out from the crowd is the single most important marker of a successful person and we are sold a million different products to help achieve that (deliberately) elusive goal.
The consequences of this ideal are dire. Here are three.
One. Our quest to differentiate ourselves results in a phenomenal amount of consumption. Through the power of advertising we are sold everything from cars and cool drinks through to shoes and cosmetics, they tell us you are worth it, invest in yourself. But the thing is that in our quest for differentiation, we are all sold the exact same products and so we all end up being increasingly similar. Shit! And then instead of learning, we go back for more! We return to the shopping mall, we go back to the car salesman and we stay trapped in the same cycle, all embracing our individuality in exactly the same way. Yes, perhaps you have a blue BM X5 while your mate has a silver Merc — same difference. What you really need is an iPhone, that’ll show them what an incredibly unique individual you are — and since you’re such an individual you can customise and choose your very own apps. Congrats.
Individualism results in rampant consumerism.
Two. The idea of individualism is underpinned by the notion that we are each a separate, self-contained entity. This worldview, in my opinion, is the cause of our seeming inability to comprehend and stop the disastrous effects that we’re having on our environment. Our individualism makes it hard for us to perceive ourselves not as individuals, but as beings that are fundamentally connected to, and embedded in, the earth’s ecosystems. We have come to see ourselves as apart from nature, rather than a part of nature. We are so invested in the idea of ourselves as separate entities that we underestimate the direct impact we’re having on our surroundings. You are one person and your impact may seem slight, but step back and you’ll notice that a multitude of slight impacts soon add up to a formidable force. Each time you climb in your car or you take another flight, you are having a direct impact. And as much as you are told that you deserve this luxury, you are not the only person affected by your choice to take that flight. To think otherwise is selfish, narrow-minded and, sadly, all too normal. Individualism blinds us to the cumulative destruction we are causing.
Three. The ethic of individualism has made us into an army of impotent drones. We are apathetic, disinterested and depoliticised. We spend most of our waking hours working to finance our individuality. The time left in our day is then spent shopping, resting and recharging for another day of work and we are told that this is freedom. Indeed, the great irony is that individualism is sold to us as a liberating ideal. It is hyped up as a way to break free from the masses. It tells us that by standing out we can leave our mark in the world. However for the most part the only lasting marks we leave behind are towering landfills. Aware of how many other individuals there are in the world, we feel incapacitated to make any real changes, as if any changes that we do make will become diluted and meaningless. What difference can I possibly make, I’m just one person. It’s far easier to just keep your head down and make as few waves as possible. Individuality creates inaction.
So, what’s the answer? Well for starters, we need to wake up. Turn off the television and stay out of shopping malls. Join a club, go to the botanical gardens more often and find some way of re-integrating yourself into society. Start a discussion group. Start taking public transport, it’s a wonderful way of reconnecting with people in your community and it lowers your carbon footprint too. We need to re-orientate ourselves and realise that there is a lot more going on out there than our deluded selfish goggles will allow us to see. Finally, make a conscious effort to become more aware of how you are enmeshed in the world and acknowledge the impact you are having on its systems. We have a lot of work to do and a long way to go. But there is no time like the present.
Michael Baillie, 25, is a recent graduate working his first job in the media industry. He believes that political action is a personal responsibility and that waiting around for the government to bring change is futile.
While it’s praiseworthy to do as much as you can for yourself, it must not take away the duty of the democratically-elected government to keep all the promises it made to the voters when they sought election. Others may not be able to do what you can do, and government cannot use you as an exemplar in order to renege on its commitments.
Mike, this good! Nuf Sed I need to change!
Have a look at Project for Public Spaces for proactive ideas in turning your neighborhoods into welcoming environments. http://www.pps.org/
This is certainly a step in the direction of opening our eyes to the people and environment around us.
It is relatively easy to embrace individualism without embracing materialism. Just start with yourself and your values and then go on to fixing others and the outside world of evil capitalism. Incidentially this capitalism system is the only one that provides choices. Just blame you for your choices not the system.
Brent
Brent
recycle recycle recycle.
Wow, if this is how the new generation thinks, there’s a lot of hope… must say though, like everything else, individuality does not only have a dark side – you’ve shown individuality by swimming upstream. Go Michael.
I am but a hamster in a golden treadmill. Got you.
So right. Good advise.
Just one thing, please be careful about just joining the nervously happy throng on the mayhem that is Metro Rail. It has become absurdly adventurous lately and it isn’t all necesarilly funny adventure. “The shrug” similtaneously mean that they don’t have a clue and don’t care.
I think in a nutshell, the point I was trying to make is that we need to stop and wake up to the effect that we are having on the planet. We become so wrapped up in the idea of ourselves as unique, important individuals that it prevents us from thinking rationally.
Spot on Mike. everything sis connected one way or the other..complex systems and all that.,,
Nicely put and true indeed… these are the small things that could make a big difference….
what an awesome blog! you are so right!
individualism the way that it is packaged today, is just another product. It doesnt matter what you want, there is a niche market for everything. -you can buy any look/lifestyle. all that matters is that you keep buying. -expressing your so called uniqueness through consumption. Even alternate cultures like ‘artsy’, ‘boho’punk etc, which may have meant something at some time, are sanitised, so essentially, the depth and meaning of everything is purged.
the result is a loss of connection, with human beings, with the earth, with everything. pop culture although synthetic is all that people in a world of virtual communication and superficial relationships cling to.- so that esp children and young ppl dont understand the impacts
of their consumption and their actions.
anyways m just repeating what you said cos i so agree!….so just well done!
Mike… thanx for the enlightenment. I heard a friend once saying… when private entities (transport, schools, hospitals, etc) start becoming more important than public entities, then our society is beginning to dwindle.
Great article Mike. Regarding your first point – the culture of individualism has had a disastrous effect on the environment, but it’s also destroyed our social capital. By emphasising the individual (and the differences between us) we’ve forgotten what links us together as communities. The result? A society of isolated individuals that see other people as either competition (for jobs, resources etc) or as something that we can get something from (relationships, exploitative labour etc). This has profound consequences for participatory democracy (we’re unlikely to join together to protest), social equity (we look out only for ourselves) and happiness (isolated people are unhappier than people in communities).
Also, what’s becoming increasingly clear from watching the debarcle of the US health care bill is how intertwined the ideas of democracy and freedom have become with spending money. The same can be seen with the resistance to climate change legislation – ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ have been so effectively linked with spending cash and consuming that any attempts to curb excessive expenditure or to cut carbon emissions are seen as an attack on our fundamental human rights. When that ‘freedom’ and those ‘rights’ demand that you drive a 5L SUV 500 metres down the road to sit on a treadmill for ten minutes before going to McDonalds for a triple cheeseburger and fries….it’s no wonder we’ve got problems.
So, who’s going to reject the World Cup for the mass mind deception that it is?
What a paradox. Politics does not allow one to think individually – join the herd = let someone else do the thinking for you.
The West has been debating this issue of the individual v. the group for centuries – But Africa has provided the balance with ‘Ubuntu’ “I am because we are – and we are because I am “
Perhaps we should not confuse identity with image when describing individualism. Identity is who we are, image is what popular press tells us we should be. Whereas the former is substance the latter is illusion and transient. The best example of the latter is the current generation of clone zone “rebel” teenagers, all dressing exactly alike, same haircuts, same music, identityless… Truely sad, and lost.
Justin, I agree with you completely that freedom, consumption and democracy have become linked in our everyday thinking. And this is part of the reason why the recent climate talks were such a disappointment. Governments attend these talks with conflicting agendas. On the one hand they need to reduce carbon emissions and envormental impacts, but simultaneously they don’t want to reign in rampant consumerism.
We, the citizens, are sending conflicting messages too. We want eco, but we also want our beautiful Gucci bags and flights to our loved ones.
Mikey! I like big, hairy, audacious thinking like this.
Individualism is however not the culprit. The need for it as is natural as the need for food; how then do you blame the mouse for being caught in the mousetrap simply because it was hungry? It’s the dude who set up the mousetrap who is to blame; he exploited the mouse’s hunger. Quick, switch back in case I lose you. The dudes who set the mousetrap are the marketers, driven by their bosses, driven by their shareholders, driven by analyst expectations, driven by money! There we have it folks. One of the universal truths: love of money is evil.
Michael
Your blog suggests to me you read,observe and learn.Therefrom you comment on these pertinent issues.Further readings for you may include Karl Marx,Vladimir Lenin,Max Engels,Nkwame Nkrumah and Marcus Garvey.These writes have a similar issue in common and that is having a world outlook of issues thus discouraging individualism.
I belong to a political organisation and are able to mobilise the masses to sit and take notice.For instance,if you are in Galeshewe what is it one can do for the people of Haiti other than to pay solidarity and send messages of condolences? For one we can pressurise our government to send relief efforts to Haiti because we can.
Individualism in essence is an insidious,poisonous disease which may be cured by what you proposing.I am happy that we have young people who think like you do.I do harbour some hope for the future instead of having the Khanyi Mbau’s of this world.
Wao, Michael this is an excellent article. I am filling it in one of my most important read files. thank you and keep on writing more and more.