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Individualism versus collectivism psychology debate
The relationship between society and individuals
Individualism versus collectivism psychology debate
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Draft: Odd One Out
You are backed into a corner. Your peers are pressuring you to do it. Do you do it. Yes. No. Why not. Everyone else did it, so why don’t you. What. Are you scared. Do it. Good.
Readers do not see a short story like that very often anymore and for good reason. The stories of people who conform are everywhere. People are everywhere, but people are individuals. They are unique yet there are people that are considered “normal” and people that are considered “the odd ones out”. But that begs the question, considered by who? By the reader, the author, society? I am getting off topic. The point is that there will always be people that are odd in some fashion because each person has their own perspective on what is normal. Many
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The ending of The Swimmer is a cliff-hanger but it would be no stretch of the imagination to have the continuation be the hanging scene from Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Neddy is left with nothing but the bare piece of clothing on him. No family, no possessions, it begs the question why live? The situation is less grim in The Barnhouse Effect. The narrator has inherited a power to destroy anything he wants on demand with his mind. If he stays in the open, likewise to his predecessor Professor Barnhouse, his power will be exploited for military interests. Because of this, he is forced to go into seclusion after publishing The Barnhouse Effect. With the pressure of keeping the world safe, how can the narrator truly live? In Twenty Six Men and A Girl, Tanya is the only outsider that visits the twenty-six men. Even though her intentions may be purely on exploiting the unfortunate she provides the men a reason to live. Hence, when Tanya leaves them, she deprives them of the only connection to the outside world the men had. Even though they live (biologically speaking), they live imprisoned forced to do the same thing over and over. What purpose do they have to bake that loaf of bread the next day? What kind of a life is that, repeating the same task day after day until you die? I bet Bartleby asked himself that exact
That is why I chose Guy Montag, Clarisse McClellan and Mildred to show non-conformity and conformity. Those three are perfect examples of the two ways, Clarisse being a person who thinks, looks around. Montag being someone who wants to read, be able to understand books. Mildred, doing nothing, not thinking, just enjoying simple minded entertainment. Clarisse died for being how she is though, Montag was forced to flee from the city, and Mildred only moved, though none of that matters with what happens in the
“The Swimmer” is an allegory that is narrated in third person point of view as someone who is observing Neddy’s journey. This enables the reader to discover the reactions of friends and neighbors as Neddy arrives at their homes while still revealing the shift of the round character’s own attitude and feelings as his journey through life continues. Cheever wisely tells the story from a perspective in which the reader can still be connected to Neddy from the beginning to the end of the story while learning how his actions have disappointed others and not just himself. It also uncovers the involvement of each character and their relationship with Neddy before and after his mid-life crisis. If this story was told from any other point of view then the reader would only be obtaining one sided, in a sense a close minded, version whereas with a third person point of view the reader is approached to the entire situation given all perspectives. It guides the reader from one meaningful piece to another on an even level without any bias impressions while the story is being delivered.
As highlighted by the author, Mary Louise Adams in her article, “Excerpts from The Trouble with Normal”, ‘a norm’ “can be defined as something that is usual, typical or standardized” (Hacking, Adams, 2003). Norms are often already so established that most individuals do not realize how much they have shaped society and the people who live in it. Audrey Lord tells us that being a “White, thin, young, heterosexual, Christian, male” defines the characteristics of being “normal” and “privileged,” in which she calls “the mythical norm” (Perry, 2011). We use our sexuality, race and class as a way of giving ourselves an identity for the world to see. This identity will ultimately allow us to understand our place in the world and give
Many people have heard the old phrase “if one jumped off a cliff, would you follow them?” that concerns conforming into society and following other people’s actions. In “Stargazer”, by Dara Weir, being a conformist is seen to be a negative way of life for one to pursue. Upon initially reading “Stargazer”, I was overwhelmed with the depth of the poem. I had a strong sense of the poem being about society, but I had it had taken a few readings to get a stronger background of the meaning. After doing so, I felt more positive emotions throughout the poem, as it thoroughly describes opportunity that an individual is given throughout their life. With this, though, conformity can be a factor that may affect the opportunities one receives. Although
...ther, and nearly kills an innocent woman. In a broader perspective, conformity can leave people walking aimlessly down the beaten path with no real direction except conformity, doomed to live yet another meaningless life in a society based on archaic principles.
As each decade passes what implies and defines 'conformity ' changes as societies norms grow and transform yet the strength of its influence remains constant when stood against the wall of rebellion. Individuals such as the artist in Kafka 's Hunger Artist who craved to be adorned for hid differences of normality were seen inhuman by the audience 's eyes. While people like the cashier from A&P by Updike; tried to cross the boundary of social class are view by society as momentarily confused in need of guidance to remain where they rank in class status. And those who indeed bend to the advances of norms that are acceptable may end up like the unknown citizen in Auden 's poem whose identity was forever lost by mass grouping with the another unknowns who never did anything special.
While the changes may have been caused by different factors, we can see that both of these men never wishes to return into their communities once their view changing experience occurred. Bartleby removed himself from his work, and from life, by not doing anything which required effort, and Goodman Brown removed himself from his community and his own wife, by no longer interacting with any of them. The problem with the stories of Bartleby and Goodman Brown is they both end with one very dark ending, the death of the main character. Light needs to be shined on why, as this is a writer’s way of saying to the readers that we should not allow ourselves to become distant from our society, otherwise, expect your death to not affect the world. Both of the men in these stories affect those around them, while remaining unaffected by others once their minds had been made. Hawthorne and Melville share a similar view in this case, as they both have the idea that our sense of purpose is to give purpose to the world we live in, and if we do not do so that we will end up like the men in the stories, alone at death. Bartleby and Goodman Brown set themselves at an impasse, never willing to change again, once their situation changes. They both become so mysterious to the outside world that it eventually it gives up on them, just as they did
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” stated Ralph Waldo Emerson. Mr Emerson is claimed that most people in a society solely purpose is to fit in. The human race decides what it wants, what it needs, and what it uses. We all want to “fit in” because we are all afraid of getting judged, and be the weird one of the group. We all focus on the fact how people are different and not the same When I was in Middle school, conformity was everywhere with an exception of a couple people. But then when I came to High school I've seen about 75% conformity and 25% individuality this show when people get older they get the more individual people get. Because when they grow up they finally realize that
people conform to things that everyone else is doing so they don’t seem like an outcast unless it
In today's society, people say that they want to stick out and want to be different; but do they actually want to be individualized and not conform to society? In some instances, there are those few people that do “stray from the path”, but most are too scared to be different from everyone else and face ridicule. The film Powaqqatsi by Godfrey Reggio and the book
Conformity: (n) action in accord with prevailing social standards, attitudes, and practices. People are faced with the pressure to conform to social standards in their everyday life. In “Sociology of Leopard Man,” Logan Feys critics the choices of a nonconformist. Do they do things differently because they want attention, or is it because they simply like different things compared to others. Feys also states that “Conformity can be seen as the world’s most common but dangerous psychological disorder” (Logan Feys, “Sociology of Leopard Man”). Feys argues that the desire to “fit in” has lead people to acquire self-inflicted diseases such as alcoholism, eating disorders, and panic attacks. Feys is accurate in asserting
Hence, conformity is only acceptable when others are not hurt and their thoughts are their own. In The Giver, conformity cannot be tolerated, because innocent babies and seniors are being killed for the sake for their society. In “The Pedestrian”, conformity has gone wrong due to the fact “different” people, like Leonard Mead, are being punished for their uniqueness. Prisoners are currently conforming to an unacceptable degree in North Korea, believing their horrible dictators are gods, instead of the causes of their misery. This matters because as seen in the article “Life in a Labor Camp”, overboard conformity is currently harming others. Thus, humans must learn to stop conforming when conformity alters one’s thoughts and actions and/or harms them.
Indeed, this idea of conformity promotes individuals to act based on other’s actions in order to be associated to some form of social group. For example, a child tends to emulate the actions of their parents and peers due to his or her relationship with them. Therefore, many individuals seek social inclusion and a feeling of normality, in opposition of being held as an outcast to society. On the contrary, certain individuals seek social isolation in preservation of their values. Charlie is a prime example of staying solitary in social obscurity in coping with his personal dilemmas and
Here we are, unique, eternal aspects of consciousness with infinity of potential, and we have allowed ourselves to become an unthinking, unquestioning blob of conformity and uniformity. A herd. Once we concede to the herd mentality, we can be controlled and directed by a tiny few. And we are.” (David Icke) I find conformity very unusual. In America, we say to everyone to be their self and not change them selves to be other people, but we tend to follow trends and be someone we are not. We want to be unique and special but in the end we conform to whatever we see and hear. Conforming in our world today is mostly people afraid to stand out. You see conformity most in life, school, work, and today’s generation. Conformity in teenagers, mostly people wearing the same brands or just acting the same way, and forgetting about there moral values because they are afraid of what others may say. People usually give in to conformity because it’s the easiest to do, rather then go up against something that they feel is right or do what they want. People choose to just do what everyone else does because they are afraid that other may not accept them or their values. I feel myself as a conformist from sticking with the trend by wearing certain types of clothes, listening to a genre of music, or believing in what other people believe. I soon think why would you want to be like everyone else in our society today not many people have the courage to do or say what
To be considered normal or abnormal has been just a label society places on you to explain individuality. When we are younger, we were given a mixed message that being different and unique is acceptable, however growing up in a society that wants you to blend in and adhere to the norms and usual customs of that culture is difficult. Being dissimilar often leads you to be judged and considered deviant. What you perceive not only defines your idiosyncratic judgment, so does your culture, prejudices, upbringing and generation you belong to. In our modern day society a universal normal has not, nor ever will exist. We think, look and all act differently and the reality of it is, no one is normal.