Unraveling Unity: Exploring the Limitations of Collectivism and Individualism

Collectivist cultures raise children who value the collective over themselves.

Individualistic cultures raise children to value themselves over the collective.

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Either extreme is unhealthy for society to flourish.

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In extreme collectivism, children are raised with blind obedience and conformity to both societal norms and family expectations. This upbringing has lasting consequences including:

• Lack of Self: Adults now heavily depend on external sources for validation, approval, and direction in their own lives. This dependence limits their idea of self, leading them to doubt their own thoughts & beliefs. This diminishes their sense of self-worth as they rely heavily on sources outside of them (people, situations, environments, etc.) to validate their existence.
• Limited Critical Thinking: Adults now lack the ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information independently. Instead, they rely on emotions or assumptions over evidence, logic, and reasoning. Rather than exploring diverse viewpoints to find the objective truth in conversations and debates, they shut down from listening. This destroys any meaningful conversation from happening as individuals value collective harmony over interpersonal conflict.
• Diminished Creativity: Following societal norms stunts creative thinking and innovation as creativity often requires the freedom to explore unconventional solutions and differing perspectives. This requires breaking free from the mold to face severe and harsh criticism. Such discomfort can be a huge source of anxiety for someone brought in extreme collectivist norms.

Instead of thinking outside the box, collectivists seek boxes they are comfortable staying in.

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In extreme individualism, children are raised to prioritize personal autonomy and independence over collective well-being. This upbringing also has lasting consequences including:

• Loneliness: Adults now have a hard time forming meaningful bonds with others because they lack the skills necessary to step out of their own frame of reference to understand and empathize with another. This leads to individuals talking over one another, causing misunderstandings and conflict, further exacerbating loneliness. It also puts a higher pressure on intimate relationships to fulfill relational lacks that were traditionally met elsewhere (ex. Talking about collector trains with an intimate partner who doesn’t share the same level of enthusiasm about collector trains VS. talking to other collector train enthusiasts about collector trains).
• Lack of Community: An emphasis on the individual experience strips adults from a richer breath and depth of life as they lack perspective and meaning outside of themselves. This fragments social relationships and creates a weak collective identity where there is no shared vision or goal and causes a “dog eat dog” world. Individualism strips us from our inherent need for social bonding by removing the need to be interdependent and leaning on each other for help and support. Instead, it is replaced with the mentality of needing to do it all yourself...
• Mental Health: The obsession with being able to do it all by yourself diminishes resilience in the face of adversity. Adults have been taught to fixate on materialistic success which results in higher levels of stress and burnout. This can cause self-care, personal growth, relationships, and the need for community to suffer. The inability to meet such unrealistic ideologies cause mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and feelings of inadequacy to form and run rampant.

Individualism breeds egocentricity where people are intolerant of one another and lack the social skills necessary to form harmonous relationships.

In examining the extreme ends of collectivism and individualism, it is evident that both have a lasting impact. Extreme collectivism instills a sense of blind obedience and conformity, hindering self-reliance and critical thinking. The dependency on external validation stifles creativity and limits the exploration of diverse perspectives, ultimately suppressing personal growth and innovation.

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Conversely, extreme individualism prioritizes personal autonomy at the expense of communal bonds and collective well-being. The emphasis on independence leads to social isolation, fragmented relationships, and a diminished sense of community. Moreover, the relentless pursuit of individual success often leads to stress, burnout, and mental health challenges, undermining holistic well-being and hinders the ability to navigate adversity.

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Unchecked manifestations of either come at the risk of neglecting crucial aspects needed to flourish: A sense of autonomy or a sense of community. In next week’s article, you will learn more about the strengths in both and how we all can leverage these beliefs harmoniously to build a better and brighter future.