Divided we stand

By Michael Baillie

The idea of individualism is not new. What is new, however, is the importance and prestige attached to one’s individuality. We are constantly told to embrace it and to relish in our uniqueness. It’s a message pumped out by the mass media that is both insidious and ubiquitous: you are your own person with your own sense of taste and style — and you should dress, mould and adorn yourself accordingly. We are told that if we wear this, walk in those, drive that or eat these, we are embracing our individuality, that it is your right to do so. Standing out from the crowd is the single most important marker of a successful person and we are sold a million different products to help achieve that (deliberately) elusive goal.

The consequences of this ideal are dire. Here are three.

One. Our quest to differentiate ourselves results in a phenomenal amount of consumption. Through the power of advertising we are sold everything from cars and cool drinks through to shoes and cosmetics, they tell us you are worth it, invest in yourself. But the thing is that in our quest for differentiation, we are all sold the exact same products and so we all end up being increasingly similar. Shit! And then instead of learning, we go back for more! We return to the shopping mall, we go back to the car salesman and we stay trapped in the same cycle, all embracing our individuality in exactly the same way. Yes, perhaps you have a blue BM X5 while your mate has a silver Merc — same difference. What you really need is an iPhone, that’ll show them what an incredibly unique individual you are — and since you’re such an individual you can customise and choose your very own apps. Congrats.

Individualism results in rampant consumerism.

Two. The idea of individualism is underpinned by the notion that we are each a separate, self-contained entity. This worldview, in my opinion, is the cause of our seeming inability to comprehend and stop the disastrous effects that we’re having on our environment. Our individualism makes it hard for us to perceive ourselves not as individuals, but as beings that are fundamentally connected to, and embedded in, the earth’s ecosystems. We have come to see ourselves as apart from nature, rather than a part of nature. We are so invested in the idea of ourselves as separate entities that we underestimate the direct impact we’re having on our surroundings. You are one person and your impact may seem slight, but step back and you’ll notice that a multitude of slight impacts soon add up to a formidable force. Each time you climb in your car or you take another flight, you are having a direct impact. And as much as you are told that you deserve this luxury, you are not the only person affected by your choice to take that flight. To think otherwise is selfish, narrow-minded and, sadly, all too normal. Individualism blinds us to the cumulative destruction we are causing.

Three. The ethic of individualism has made us into an army of impotent drones. We are apathetic, disinterested and depoliticised. We spend most of our waking hours working to finance our individuality. The time left in our day is then spent shopping, resting and recharging for another day of work and we are told that this is freedom. Indeed, the great irony is that individualism is sold to us as a liberating ideal. It is hyped up as a way to break free from the masses. It tells us that by standing out we can leave our mark in the world. However for the most part the only lasting marks we leave behind are towering landfills. Aware of how many other individuals there are in the world, we feel incapacitated to make any real changes, as if any changes that we do make will become diluted and meaningless. What difference can I possibly make, I’m just one person. It’s far easier to just keep your head down and make as few waves as possible. Individuality creates inaction.

So, what’s the answer? Well for starters, we need to wake up. Turn off the television and stay out of shopping malls. Join a club, go to the botanical gardens more often and find some way of re-integrating yourself into society. Start a discussion group. Start taking public transport, it’s a wonderful way of reconnecting with people in your community and it lowers your carbon footprint too. We need to re-orientate ourselves and realise that there is a lot more going on out there than our deluded selfish goggles will allow us to see. Finally, make a conscious effort to become more aware of how you are enmeshed in the world and acknowledge the impact you are having on its systems. We have a lot of work to do and a long way to go. But there is no time like the present.

Michael Baillie, 25, is a recent graduate working his first job in the media industry. He believes that political action is a personal responsibility and that waiting around for the government to bring change is futile.