What Does Individuality Mean

The definition of individuality states a total character peculiar to and distinguishing an individual from others. In a society a person can chose to take the easy way out by following the crowd or, do the hard thing and be an individual and embrace the characteristics that make you different from others. Being an individual and standing out from the crowd might be hard at first but, it can lead to a better society for everyone. In Anthem, by Ayn Rand, the theme of the book is individuality outweighs the expectations of society. This theme is clearly shown throughout the book through the protagonist's internal conflict, the introduction to conflict and the climax. In the beginning of the story Equality 7-2521 introduces himself and he says, “Our name is Equality 7-2521, as it is written

In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance,” Emerson calls for each person in society to be wholly true to themselves. He claims that it is most rewarding to the individual and the society for people to believe in one’s own thoughts and not in the thoughts of others. Emerson believes that conformity will ultimately lead to an individual’s demise because by living for others, people are not being true to themselves. Therefore in order to have a well-formed society, citizens should focus inward and have confidence in their own ideas before beginning to look towards other individuals; moreover, Emerson calls individuals not only in “Self-Reliance,” but also in numerous essays to act independently from conformity and to live for themselves.

It allows people to flourish as individuals instead of forcing them to be identical in every way. Individualism celebrates differences such as levels of creativity and ability or interest in certain areas. Because of this, individualism moves society forward and allows for advancements (unlike in Anthem, where science and technology had in fact regressed).

Every person should be able to think for himself or herself. It is the only way a person be content with his or her life. When a person is prohibited his or her unique identity, it is up to him or her to retaliate against collectivism. For instance, when Equality met the Scholars, he exposed the truth: Freedom

One can believe that this quote is telling the audience that everyone is unique in their own way; therefore, everyone should think individually creating unique ideas. Without the individual thought process, we would not have electricity, light bulbs, telephones, computers, or medical vaccines. Our world would not be advanced as we are today! Our world falls into the standard

Individualism is the idea that a person’s life belongs to them and that they have an absolute right to live it as they sees fit. The people of modern society have the right to pursue the values of their choosing. As an individual we have our own opinions, this gives us the freedom to expand our life in ways we couldn’t

In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay titled “Self-Reliance” he speaks on the topic of the individual, creating the idea that an individual being independent leads to greatness. Emerson’s writing within this memoir is relatable to young individuals who are looking for themselves, an individual must avoid conformity and false consistency while following their own thoughts making themselves an individual. Within the essay, Emerson uses a range of rhetorical devices to prove that every individual can do great by being an individual and not like everyone else, something that young people everywhere should hear while growing up with the heinous act of peer pressure.

The concept of individuality is one that has been debated over the decades. Each person holds their own definition of this vague idea, but no one truly knows it at all. The theory of conformity versus nonconformity is based on how a person reacts to society. To be a nonconformist includes questioning society and going against the norm. Society as a whole is typically at odds with others who reject the standards. They are seen as weird or freaks and shamed for being themselves. Logan Feys “The Sociology of Leopard Man” is an informative article that touches down upon this subject, written in 2016. He states that individuality requires individual tastes, value, talents, and goals. Along with that, he expresses how society weighs down upon people and forces them to change. To a degree, Feys is correct. To be an individual and truly unique person one needs their own values, however not their own tastes, and society does put pressure on people to change.

Individualism is not selfishness. However, individualism helps people stand on different position and try to make changes in the society. These changes bring the America new ideas, push the nation make progress. There is not too much emphasis on individualism at the expense of social unity in American culture. Instead, individualism needs to weigh a higher status in this nation.

Do you stand alone as a unique and special individual? Since the beginning of American history there have been struggles for individualism. The American Revolution, the American Civil War, and the separation from family life are all examples of individualism in American history. Individualism is an American paradigm designed by the modern societal structure that is an altered idea of the foundation by immigrants. In today’s society the struggle for individualism is more personal and represents how American values have shifted since the beginning of American history.

Everyone should have their own views and opinions that contribute to a better society. “Who so would be a man, must be a non-conformist… Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind,” explains the late Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay, Self-Reliance. This quote is perfect in explaining not to underestimate the power of the mind, and not conform to a society that is not striving to be unique. We all have the power to be individualistic.

Individuality is the quality that people that makes each person unique and distinguishable from each other. It is important to remain distinct from others, even among groups of people that are classified as either the same or very similar. While individuality is a concept that many people agree with and want to ensure, the pressure from most people’s lives, including their environment and the people around them, forces individuals to lose who they truly are and morph in order to fit in. I strongly agree that individuality, while important, is difficult to keep because of outside factors, a concept that was presented by Logan Fey.

While all people conform to society to some degree we all develop aspects of individuality from our different experiences. Individuality is what makes the human race as successful as it is. It adds creativity and change in an otherwise idle society. Without it there would be no change.

Imagine people who do not know who they are because they never had any individuality when they were younger. Do you agree or disagree with Emerson’s statement about individuality? I believe it is a great accomplishment to be ourselves in a world that is constantly trying to change us for the following reasons: it allows a person to establish their identity, it helps people get used to making decisions for themselves, and it helps us surpass all of the obstacles that are in our way. To begin, people discover their identity when they are given individuality.

1) An individualist is considered to be someone with personality and character, someone who is not easily intimidated by social pressure or customs, someone with a personal opinion and a singular view of the world. Because modern society finds it important that people think independently, decide autonomously and take personal initiatives, the concept of individualism has acquired a positive connotation. However, individualism is also linked with the tendency to withdraw from social life and turn in towards oneself.