Random Rambles *Quickie*: Individuality

One thing we value above all else in America is our individuality. Individuality speaks to us above all else because we want the feeling of being distinct. We want to feel as though we are a separate entity that has its own purpose in life. We can feel this detachment from the rest of society by placing our personality as something that divides the regular people from us. There is an air of superiority that comes about this since we feel as though we are better than others because of some certain aspect of our personality that we identify ourselves as.

Individuality is something that is exclusive to western culture. America is especially noted for this idea because of the idea of "rugged individualism" in this "land of opportunity." The idea of becoming who we want to be based on our skills and the determination to strive for certain skills makes us feel as though we are unique. Eastern culture doesn't have this idea since the emphasis is more on community and achieving goals as a team. Inter-connectivity is key and individuality is forsaken for this nationalistic ideal of having a unified culture that works together. We have a tendency to deride Asia for having too many homogenous people that aren't distinct and appear the same and that is true. Instead of having a really competitive social strata, they choose to work together. Many see this as the remnant of the communist regime, but I would think they chose this idea of community by themselves.

So what does this mean in terms of western society? Well, individuality wants us to feel like a special snowflake. Only we're not. With 7 billion people on this planet, we do have a different genetic makeup and distinct personalities, but there is much overlap in the paths we take. Many people have done the same stuff we've strove for which means individuality is only an illusion. People cling desperately onto individuality to cling on to the hope of being unique but in the end we just need to realize that our individuality only serves to make us eccentric and irritating. Western society has this competitive feel about it because of individuality making it so that it's every man for himself. We want to work alone and achieve all the hopes and dreams we've been striving for. So what is individuality in the end? An obstacle or a means to an end? Only personal preference can say for sure.