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Abby Trocinski

Mr. David Turley

English I Honors

25 May 2016

Individualism

“All rational action is in the first place individual action. Only the individual thinks. Only the

individual reasons. Only the individual acts” (Ludwig qtd. in Quotes About Individualism). As

long as there have been civilization, people have debated over which way to organize the society:

“individualist” or “collectivist.” Some people argue that a person should strive to achieve for

his or her own benefit, while others think that people should do things for the good of the

community before the good of themselves. Individualism should be the government model to

follow. It encourages personal growth among its citizens, which results in cultural complexity

and diversity as well as a general purpose for the people.

Individualism encourages people to develop their skills in many different fields, which

facilitates a more diverse and successful culture. It encourages people to express

themselves. According to Oscar Wilde, “Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the

world has known” (Wilde qtd. in Quotes About Individualism). People who are able to focus on

themselves and their individuality are more likely to express themselves in unique ways. This

allows the person to be the best version of themselves that they can be. As a result, artwork,

sculptures, music, cuisine, and poetry are created, which enrich the culture. Also, when people

are able to express themselves, they are usually more content.

People are more motivated to put forth more effort when they see the direct result of their

labor. When the citizens of a society are working harder, then the community or country will be
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more successful. According to Forbes, the top five richest countries based on wealth per person

are Switzerland, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Sweden (Singh). All of

these countries take an individualistic approach to their societies (Hofstede). This demonstrates

that the people of the community perform better in their jobs when they are working for the

benefit of themselves and their families rather than contributing generally to the good of the

community.

When people are setting their individual aspirations based on their passions, natural abilities,

and giftedness, they are more likely to reach their goals. Olympians are good examples of

this. They are part of a team and are passionate in their representation of their country, but they

still have individual goals. In fact, some of the most individualistic countries like the United

States, Germany, Great Britain, and Italy are also some of the top scoring countries in the

Olympics (Overall Medals). This suggests that when a person’s ambitions are self-determined,

performance tends to be stronger, and goals more likely to be achieved. Jeannette Walls

emphasized the importance of individualism with respect to goal-setting and achievements when

she stated, “You’re in a horse race but you’re thinking like a sheep. Sheep don’t win horse

races.” (Walls qtd. in Quotes About Individualism). Sheep are commonly used to represent

people that follow blindly, as shown in the allegory, Animal Farm. Throughout the book, the

sheep mindlessly bleat, “Four legs good, two legs bad.” This was the message ingrained in them

by their leader, Napoleon, and they didn’t question it. They chose to follow what they were told

without an individual plan or goal (Orwell 55). As a result, they accomplished very little.

Individuals without their own aspirations are less likely to be strong contributors to their society.

Although there have been many studies and much documentation against communist and

collectivist societies, many people still believe that these types of government are the best
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choice. These individuals believe that all citizens should work for the greater good of the

community. Communist societies represent an extreme form of collectivism. In a communist

society, the government owns everything and there is no privately owned property

(Communism). Even though the idea of communism and collectivism may seem appealing, they

are not the stronger choice for a government as most societies that work in this way usually

fail. Orwell’s novel goes into great detail about these types of governments. Mainly focusing on

the Russian Revolution, Animal Farm highlights the extreme issues that come along with

communism. In the Russian Revolution, Josef Stalin overtook an originally communist

country. He was a ruthless ruler and the cause of tens of millions of deaths (Snyder). He also

projected his individual goals on the citizens. Ludwig Von Mises further illuminates this,

saying, “The goals of the collective are merely the goals of those individuals who exert the most

power or influence over the collective” (Academy of Ideas). Thus, in a collectivist society, the

individual lacks a voice in how they are governed, they do not have the opportunity to work for

their own benefit, and they are not able to express themselves as individuals.

Because individualism is able to enhance the cultural diversity and the success of the

community, it is the best way to model a government. Utilizing an individualistic view of life

can be very beneficial. It allows citizens to focus on their own goals, and therefore, they are

more likely to accomplish them. Individualism sets the stage for progress economically and

culturally and allows for people to become better versions of themselves.

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Works Cited

Academyofideas. "Collectivism and Individualism." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Mar. 2013. Web. 22 May

2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdPyrKVFMpA>.

Hofstede, Geert. "Individualism." Clearly Cultural. Clearly Cultural, 1 Nov. 2009. Web. 24 May 2016.

<http://www.clearlycultural.com/geert-hofstede-cultural-dimensions/individualism/>.

"Communism." Merriam-Webster. Ed. Merriam Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 19 May 2016.

<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communism>.

"Overall Medals." Olympic.it. Nautica Online, 24 May 2016. Web. 24 May 2016.

<http://www.olympic.it/english/medal>.

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1954. Print.

"Quotes About Individualism." Good Reads. Otis Chandler, 2016. Web. 22 May 2016.

<http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/individualism>.

Singh, Rani. "The World's Richest Countries." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 8 Nov. 2015. Web. 19 May

2016. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/ranisingh/2015/11/08/new-study-finds-a-better-way-to-

measure-the-worlds-richest-countries/#4f0bf9b6b82b>.

Snyder, Timothy. "Hitler vs. Stalin: Who Killed More?" The New York Review of Books. The New

York Review, 10 Mar. 2011. Web. 19 May 2016.

<http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2011/03/10/hitler-vs-stalin-who-killed-more/>.