by Barry A. Liebling
How should you evaluate other people? What is the best means to appraise your own worth? While there are many possible ways, two methods are diametrically opposed to one another and are endlessly disputed in America today.
The method that receives the most attention is based on collectivism. How a person is supposed to behave and what that person deserves depends on group membership. Nearly everyone is familiar with the Neo-Marxist dogma that humanity consists of multiple opposing groups. People who are designated by leftist bosses as being oppressed, or under represented, or marginalized, or hostile to Western civilization are good. Groups that are assigned by the leftist elite as being oppressors, or being too successful, or having too much privilege are bad. Think skin color, ethnicity, citizenship, sex, and declared gender as some of the dimensions that the woke clerisy use to categorize people.
To the modern collectivist the more oppressed groups a person belongs to, the more that person deserves to be pampered with prizes, favors, and deference. And the more oppressor labels a person has, the more that individual should be taken down a notch, ignored, or shunned. It is generally agreed among woke enthusiasts that the worst oppressors are straight, white, American males. Of course, oppressors can partially redeem themselves if they become “allies” and publicly proclaim that they are ashamed to be alive.
The alternative to the collectivist approach is rational individualism. The basic premise is that groups count for nothing. You judge others and yourself according to individual actions. Everyone has the opportunity to do things right (or to perform badly). With this orientation it is virtuous to ignore – or discount to zero – the group identity labels that collectivists regard as essential.
Note well that while Americans are split on collectivism versus individualism, the cultural elite are largely collectivists. The most influential and prestigious educational institutions, professional societies, large business concerns, entertainment and media companies, and government agencies have been captured by progressive leftists. These are the people who push group-identity programs including DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion), critical race theory, social justice, and ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance).
Keep in mind that the conflict between group identity politics and individualism is not new and has been raging for a long time – well before Neo-Marxism or classic Marxism existed. In Western art created hundreds of years ago Lady Justice is frequently depicted as blindfolded while she holds scales. The excellent sentiment expressed is that true justice does not take into account the group membership of those being judged. There is one standard for everyone.
How should the collectivist versus individualist conflict be resolved? Are the two ways of conducting affairs just a matter of taste? People are split on which mindset they prefer and use. But are there objective reasons to embrace one and reject the other? The short answer is that individualism leads to human flourishing while collectivism is a dead end.
Consider what attitudes are cultivated with the individualist or collectivist mindset.
If you embrace individualism you are responsible for setting your own goals and achieving success. Yes, there are lots of factors and influences that affect what you do, and many are beyond your control. But you always have the ability (and responsibility) to make the right decisions. When you make mistakes, as everyone does, you can recognize them and correct your actions. Any pride you feel, or shame you experience, ought to be based on what you do.
And notice that what holds for you also applies to everyone else. You, and the people around you, have the possibility (but no guarantee) to accomplish your objectives.
Contrast that with the collectivist mindset. You act and try to do the right thing. But you believe you are a small part of various groups that you did not deliberately join. While your status can be enhanced or degraded by how you behave, you cannot escape your assigned memberships. There are no clean accomplishments. Everything in your life is evaluated in the context of the groups you are in. If you are an official oppressor and have positive outcomes it is largely due to the fact that you have “unearned privilege,” so you have no right to feel proud. If you are designated by progressive clerics as oppressed, all good results are insufficient because the system is always working against you. Your life would be much better if only the oppressors were gone, but they will never go away.
When humans flourish they have positive relationships and generally get along well. Of course there is no social system that completely eliminates discord. Some people will inevitably quarrel. Still, individualism and collectivism lead to markedly different ways people will interact with each other.
Observe how contemporary collectivists deal with others. While individual behavior counts for something, group identity is given a lot of weight. Who should get hired? Who should get promoted? Whose products and services should be purchased? Who should be ignored and sent to the end of the line? The collectivist starts with group identity and regards personal merit as a secondary and inessential consideration. Where social justice (collectivism) is salient, authentic individual justice is dismissed as outmoded and obsolete. Notice that this paves the way for universal bitterness. “Oppressors” will always resent that they are indelibly marked as bad actors, and the “oppressed” will endlessly be told that they always get less than what they deserve.
Contrast this with how relationships develop in an individualist setting. Everyone starts from scratch. What you do is what counts. Who your ancestors were is of no importance. People become friends, or do not become friends, according to how they act. The possibility of comity is always present, and is an achievable goal.
Do you want humans to flourish? Embrace individualism, and ditch collectivism.
See other entries at AlertMindPublishing.com in “Monthly Columns.”