The quest for REAL individualism (isn't as hard as you might think)

[loinburger]

Originally posted by orange
By hive mentality, I'm not talking about common interests.

Oh, I agree that hive mentalities certainly exist, and they're annoying as hell. However, the opposite mentality ("I'm going to disagree with you just to assert my individuality!") is, if anything, even more annoying. People need to be comfortable enough with their individuality that they don't feel the need to be confrontational with it.

[orange]

agreed

[chequita guevara]

You can call yourself an individual only by ignoring most of what human life is like. We are social animals, like wolves, zebras, dolphins, etc. Our individuality is premised upon our being in a group.

Without a group, we would never have learned how to communicate. Without a group, we would never have learned the necessary skills to produce the things we need for life. Without a group, it is unlikely we would have survived infancy. It isn't simply a matter of convenience. Our social nature is programmed into our genes. Groups in which social nature is encouraged are more likely to survive and spread their genes.

We need groups to survive, learn, and thrive. That's what it means to be human. It's why one of our greatest fears, second only to death is our fear of being apart, alone, outcast. How do we punish people in our society? By removing them from it. When we are away from our groups, we feel more anxious, we are quicker to be frightened. Sometimes it's good to get away, but to be truely alone is frightening thing.

So frightening that people will do a lot to stay with their groups. Cults work not by physical threats but by the fear of ostracism. You do what your cult wants because you are afraid to be apart from them. Soldiers will do almost anything to protect other members of their unit, to safeguard the group.

We worship the individual in this country, but in reality, the group is where we are happiest. It's where we belong in the most basic sense.

[Dis]

good post. we would have never got anywhere as a society with individualists. Although social groups have also been responsible for most of the world's atrocities, but what are you going to do . I guess you can't have society and not have atrocities.

individualism=anti-social.

I consider myself an invidualists. And people could probably call me anti-social as well (really I'm just very shy). But I'm not too individualist. Becauase I would never identify myself with other individualists .

[orange]

My argument isn't with groups. It's with group identification and hive mentality. I don't see how anything Che or Azazel has said contradicts anything I've said.

Obviously men are social beings.

[Q Classic]

ignore what others think of you to the best of your ability. do what you will. try not to label yourself.

that seems to work fairly well.

[chequita guevara]

Everyone needs to belong to a group. You just sound bitter.

[Q Classic]

besides, you are unique, just like everyone else.

[Drake Tungsten]

Individualism for its own sake is ****ing gay.

[Shi Huangdi]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Everyone needs to belong to a group. You just sound bitter.

Right. That does mean everyone must subordinate themselves and all their interests to a group.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
Right. That does mean everyone must subordinate themselves and all their interests to a group.

Everything depends on circumstances. In a lifeboat, yes. In a university, no.

[Az]

che

[orange]

Everything depends on circumstances. In a lifeboat, yes. In a university, no.

Becuase I was clearly talking about a lifeboat.

[*End Is Forever*]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Everyone needs to belong to a group. You just sound bitter.

Solid-ar-itay com-rad! Wan sal-u-shan rev-a-loo-shan!

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by *End Is Forever*


Solid-ar-itay com-rad! Wan sal-u-shan rev-a-loo-shan!

White :: Black
Communism :: Capitalism

In the middle, you find SOCIALISM