Foley 1

Daisy Foley
Ms.Meyer
English 1
5/20/16

If We Dont Look After Ourselves, Who Will?

From the beginning of time, man has spent a lifetime trying to figure out what his/her
individual purpose is on this world. And while we have always had each other, the mystery of
who we are as an individual is a beautiful, almost enlightening discovery, once found. As we
slowly figure out our purpose, we are not only doing it for ourselves anymore. We are
contributing to the society around us. Society is full of people from different races, cultures,
religions, and experiences. However in order to work together as a society, we must first work on
ourselves as an individual.
Individualism is defined as the habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant.
Another definition is a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or
state control. We need this type of thinking in our world more often because it celebrates the
individual and their accomplishments, and shines a spotlight on how one individual can change
the entire world. Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and Hitler are some examples of people who
have changed the world and the way we live today. Whether for good or bad, these figures have
shaped our home. Martin Luther King Jr. brought equality, acceptance, and peace into our
country and spread independence all around our world. Gandhi brought peace wherever he went,
despite the violence around him. He started peaceful protesting and love for acceptance. Hitler
brought a nasty, disgusting plague of discrimination, racism, and death across the 19th century

world, and changed the way our world developed. All three of these leaders have shaped the
views we have on racism, acceptance, and the power of the individual. Without the individual,
the past, present, and future of our world history would have been changed entirely.
My second claim focuses on the statement without the individual, society would not
exist. Society is a "collection of individuals," even formally defined. Each person in this world
has a different set of morals. Everyone in a group must be a little different from the next, because
if everyone in the group had the same ideas, brainstorming or even thinking would be pointless.
You would never get anywhere because each individual would be repeating the same idea.This is
just one situation of how without the individual, thered be no group or society. For example, if
you lived in a community full of people that were clones of each in their manner of thinking, you
might be stuck in a world full of only carpenters who loved the color blue and ate tacos every
Wednesday. That wouldnt be an ideal place to live. Instead, you have carpenters, taxi drivers,
people who eat tacos Friday and Wednesday, and every other day of the week. People who like
music from the 90s, people who enjoy worship music, and pop music. This collection of people
we have walking our earth is amazing because of their differences. We celebrate each other as a
group, for the individual. The existence of the individual is what makes our massive world work.
In the research I have conducted, I have found a few counterclaims to my argument that
the individual is more important than society. The most profound one claims society has the
power to change the individual. Despite the evidence against the statement society has the
power to change the individual, many people believe that it is true because of peer pressure and
the idea of fitting in. However they fail to see that the idea of changing must begin within the
individual and end with their personal decision. Those who believe society can change the
individual believe most of the people that change change for others to like them better. While

this can be true, its not always the case. Sometimes a person may change their ideas because
they really do believe or would like to do what others are doing, because they are curious or
interested in the subject. Not just because everyone is doing/believing it. Although aspects of this
argument are enticing, it ultimately fails to be a stronger argument because in the end, if an
individual wants or needs change, theyll take it, and come closer to their ideal self. Society may
suggest, exclaim, or pressure ones self to change, but if that person really doesnt want to
change, they wont. And when they give in to pressure? They are always free to change their
mind again and learn from the mistake of changing for others. In fact, it will make them even
stronger than they were before. No one should change for a society if they feel their individual
self is better than what society may be pressuring them to become.
Society is full of people from different races, cultures, religions, and experiences.
However in order to work together as a society, we must first work on ourselves as an individual.
Many individuals throughout history have changed our world and so much of our cultures have
originated from one idea, one person. The power of the individual is so beautiful and powerful
because if we did not have ourselves, if we dont believe and trust in ourselves, if we dont
acknowledge ourselves, then who will?

Works Cited
Wotherspoon, Emma. "Individual vs. Society." N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2016.
Biddle, Craig. "Individual vs. Society." N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2016.
"Individual vs. Society." N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May 2016.