Shekar 1

Aditi Shekar
Mr. King
English 1 Honors
27 May 2016
Freedom Exists
The world is a novel of ideas and customs. From Russian dances to Asian family
gatherings, there are many different views. Two of them have been in a fight for many years.
Individualism and Collectivism. Now, what exactly are these? Well, Individualism is believing in
personal goals, interests, and rights. A great example of this is Americas independent thinking.
Collectivism on the other hand is putting the good of a group of people ahead of the individual.
Asia finds this ideal. Collectivism has a strong emphasis on togetherness, effecting in no
originality and expression. Individualism is the better form of thinking because it offers personal
freedom, identity, and self-goals.
Individualism allows for identity to be found, leading to happiness. Identity can help
identify passions. Working to focus on becoming an expert today will make a world of
difference when it comes to your happiness(Graham). This quotes central point is that only
by knowing ones true self will one be able to make choices and fulfill goals. Identity is crucial
for gaining knowledge on what a person wants to do in life because without it, internal feelings
and desires cannot be recognized. Imagine this: going to a tedious job to work. Not fun, right?
But, knowing what to do in life will help form a path in life and set goals.
Individualism brings personal interests into hand, which helps in identifying and
achieving goals. Giving time to ones own self, aspirations, and ideas can determine what to do
in the future. With information on what needs to be done, self-goals can be made. Self-esteem is

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considered to be fundamental to happiness and the achievement of personal goals
(Steinhardt.nyu.edu 4). This article describes how important Individualism is as it is the key to
having faith in ones self. Feeling good about ones self will increase the chance of success in
dreams and goals. It all comes down to self-esteem because without it, there is no confidence.
Confidence from self-esteem can help in attaining goals. Working for a common goal, contrarily,
may cause a miscommunication in what the goal actually is, which is not very fortunate.
Individualism ensures personal freedom because compromise is avoided and there are no
sacrifices. With only one mind, there are no other factors to take away personal ideas. ...when
the terror caused executors died down the Sixth Commandment decreed No animal shall kill
another animal (Orwell Chapter 8). In Animal Farm, Napolean, the leader of the animals, had
made rules along with the other animals, but Napolean broke one of the rules by having a mass
killing of animals in just a few minutes. The main goal of the animals was freedom, but it was
compromised for Napoleans idea of a tyranny. The Collectivist idea that had first been sought
had been replaced through Napoleans idea for everyone. It was a backfire because Collectivism,
which the animals had thought was practical for society, had failed them in the process. In an
Individualistic society, this can all be avoided. Goals are self-made, therefore, conflict over the
common goal is prevented. No rights can be taken away when only one person is present, so
ultimately, through an Individualistic society, personal freedom exists.
Despite the evidence against Collectivism, many people believe that collaboration creates
happiness, but they fail to see that Collectivism increases the need for acceptance. Those who
believe in Collectivism think that There will be an emotional significance to your identification
with a group, and your self-esteem will become bound up with group membership (Tajfel).
Collectivists believe that when a person is attached to a group, their feeling of acceptance will

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rise. Many people try to gain acceptance in society. In a Collectivist environment, there is no
need for this pressure because everyone respects everyone. This behavior will increase selfesteem. Although aspects of this argument are enticing, it ultimately fails to be a stronger
argument because worth is gained through self-esteem. More than others acceptance, liking
ones own self is important because confidence sparks only when one is happy with their self. A
serious effect of not having acceptance from others is depression. Problems such as social
isolation due to other mental illnesses or being cast out of a family or social group can contribute
to the risk of developing clinical depression (webmd.com). The bullying frequency today is
vivid. Bullying on weight, race, and gender are just a few of the topics of concern. In an
Individualistic society, bullying can be avoided because acceptance is not an aspect that is
wanted. Without Individualism, the world would be chaos.
Individualism is the wiser idea because it helps find identity, set goals, and it ensures
personal freedom. Individualism is a big part of America because the American dream itself is
succeeding in a personal goal. Individualism is better for everyone because goals that have
success prompt new discoveries and inventions. Also, conflict is reduced, so, the atmosphere
becomes more peaceful too. Individualism creates an optimistic and hard-working society
because of independence in work and personal goals, whereas Collectivism, although quick for
getting ideas, can form disputes and laziness easily. Individualism is the ideal thinking for many
of the western countries today. As the future nears, hopefully Individualism popularizes. After
all, it is just a personal belief... right?

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Works Cited
Connell, Richard Edward. The Most Dangerous Game. Mankato, MN: Creative Education,
2011. Feedbooks.com. FeedBooks, 1924. Web. 27 May 2016.
Goldberg, Joseph, MD. "Causes of Depression: Genetics, Illness, Abuse, and More." WebMD.
WebMD, 27 Feb. 2016. Web. 26 May 2016.
<http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/causes-depression>.
Graham, Stedman. "Your Identity Matters." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 21
Aug. 2013. Web. 26 May 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stedman-graham/selfidentity_b_3790845.html>.
McLeod, S.A. "Social Identity Theory." Simply Psychology. Simply Psychology, 2008. Web.
26 May 2016. <http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html>.
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. N.p.: n.p., n.d. , by George Orwell. 17 Aug. 1945. Web. 27 May
2016.
Tamis-LeMOnda, Catherine S., Niobe Way, Diane Hughes, Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Ronit
Kahana Kalman, and Erika Y. Niwa. "Topic Review."Linguistics 17.9-10 (1979): n. pag.
Steinhardt.nyu.edu. Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2007. Web. 26 May 2016.
<https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/scmsAdmin/uploads/002/712/Parents%20goals%20for
%20their%20children_The%20dynamic%20coexistence%20of%20individualism%20and
%20collectivism%20across%20cultures.pdf>.