In Many Societies, There Is A Growing Emphasis On Individualism

Sample essay

People are no longer willing to adjust or sacrifice anything for others. It is all about I, me and mine. Individualism has become the way of life in many societies and I personally believe that it is a negative development.

No man or woman is an island. We are social animals who thrive in the company of others. The growing emphasis on individualism encourages each person to withdraw into their shell where they think they are happy. The rise of nuclear families is one of the main causes of this development. In many families now there is only one child and parents are more than willing to cater to every need, want, whim and fancy of this child. Children raised like this will grow into selfish individuals who do not care for others. Social media is another factor promoting individualism. People especially youngsters now barely interact with even their family members. They have no friends in the real world. They spend all the free time on their digital devices connecting with the virtual world.

Too much individualism hurts individuals and societies in many ways. While it is important for everyone to stand up for their rights, if they only care about what they want they will fail in life. Such people have difficulty forging meaningful relationships. This trend is particularly rampant in western societies where the family unit is crumbling because no one wants to ‘adjust’. Deep within our core, however, each person has a need to feel loved and valued. The individualistic individual is no different. They too want to be loved. Because of this reason, when relationships fail, it is common for people to fall into depression. To fill the void in their life, some people may turn to drugs. Others develop anti-social tendencies.

For a society to exist and thrive, it needs individuals who care for others. If everyone puts their own interests above others’, it will lead to the collapse of families and societies. We can already see this happening in societies where there is too much individualism.

In short, the growing levels of individualism do not help either individuals or societies. Humans are social animals and have a need to feel loved, accepted and valued. When they care only for themselves, their relationships fail and they lose all emotional support systems. It can lead to higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression and anti-social behaviors.

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