Preview

The Value Of Individualism In America

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2948 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Value Of Individualism In America
YiQing Ruan
Socy 201
11/19/2013

The Negativity of Excessive Emphasized Individualism In America Individualism is an ideal that most people have aspired to in America. The word itself has a very positive meaning in American cultures. Individualism is something that defines the United States; it is something that makes the United States unique compared to other countries; It is something positive, something good, something most people would want to obtain. Most Americans tend to over encourage the value of individuality. However, over emphasis and encouragement of individualism could lead to many deviant behaviors. That could eventually cause problems in the function and growth of the society. What is individualism? Using
…show more content…
Mainly because individualism plays a huge part in the history of the U.S. When the colonies were sent from Britain to this unknown land, they were treated with little to no respect; instead of heroes that discovered new land, they were more like guinea pigs, to test and die for the royals. As American fought for their rights and independence, the idea of making yourself free of controls and being able to do whatever you want without other people suppressing you became the most important cultural value to America. Even though these values might have changed throughout history, but the main idea is still remaining the same. That is the reason why phrases like “It’s a free country…” ,“I have the right!” are most used among …show more content…
And by just briefly looking over a presidential timeline, many people would notice that there is this rotation between political parties. (6) Most people think this is a great concept, because of the mind set of individuality, where everyone is a unique person, and everyone should be able to get a term in the office, because it is a person's right. Many people think that helps the opposite party to check and balance the other party. But I beg the differ. The only reason that concept of rotation of political parties is good, is based on the foundation that there are two or more political parties that is dominating the current government. While Republican and Democrats have totally different views. It seems that of each presidency, a president always has to clean up the mess for the previous term. George W. Bush and Barack Obama are a perfect example. But by having that process of cleaning up, and fixing issues, it costs time, money and effort to do so. If there was no excessive emphasis on individualism, where people are not always worried about their own position, their own party, where there is no political party system that will always oppose each other, instead work together as a whole team. I believe by then, the system itself will be much

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    3. Companies hope to lower their overall cost structure or improve the quality or functionality of their product offering which allows them to compete more effectively by engaging in…

    • 2069 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    What does someone who is motivated by individualism believes ? That each person should take responsibility for his or her own llief and when people fail to take responsibility for themselves, others should not…

    • 2836 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Individualism is the back bone of our country. The U.S was formed, because we wanted to be separated from British rule, we wanted to be our own country. The freedom to do what you want, and make your own life with your own actions is pretty much the motto. The people of the USA are responsible for themselves, and that may make a few people selfish, but it also allow those that strive for greatness to succeed without worrying about, or relying…

    • 744 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Individualism approach- the ethical concept that acts are moral when they promote the individual's best long-term interests, which ultimately leads to the greatest good.…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of Ronald Reagan’s famous propositions was the assertion that greed is good. The meaning behind the belief that greed is good, however, has been established long before the 1980s. While many individuals believe that America was founded on Judeo Christian beliefs through the coming of the Puritans seeking religious freedom, the heart of the American spirit lies in a more universal religion, a religion that began on consumerism and paved way toward the goal of economic freedom. American consumerism not only provided the basis of the economy in the United States, but introduced the country to cultural individualism as well. First and foremost, one of the driving factors that led to the discovery of the new world and colonization of the Americas…

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Individuality, ‘the quality of a character of a particular person or thing that distinguishes them from others of the same kind, especially when strongly marked’. Maintaining individuality and standing out from everyone else has always been difficult. Not just today, in the 21st century, but throughout history. Often the pressures faced from society and the fear of being cast as an outsider can cause one to conform to society and give in. This is apparent in the book ‘Brave New World’ and it has also been shown over many years in the past. All people, from celebrities to everyday people, the struggle that is to maintain ones individuality has always existed.…

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Sociological imagination is the abstract conceptions of social reality which is the "individual" and "society". "Individual function that reproduces larger social structure is only one of many possible roles, and is not necessarily the most important." This in a sense makes your question what individualism really is.…

    • 289 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    II. Individualism is the idea that life belongs to the individual and that they are free exercise their inalienable rights without restraint whereas Collectivism is the idea life belongs to society where the…

    • 2014 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Brave New World it shows many different advances and beliefs than what we’re used to. I will be stating a few of these examples such as the differences in technology and how different they live, and what they believe in.…

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this technological time, students more than ever are relying on the necessities of society in order to make their lives easier. But these “necessities” come at the cost of feelings, individualism, and the free-will of mankind, ultimately trading off free will for temporary gratification. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World expresses this transformation from the times of the past, relying on emotions to govern decisions, to the times of the future where technology has an iron grasp on the thoughts and ideas of society.…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    individualism is “a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control”. what this means is that the individual has control over what goes on in the society rather than a government or any one force controlling what the individual does, individualism could be shown in many different forms. examples of different forms individualism could be shown is through the way you dress, your moral beliefs, or even your actions.Individualism is shown through romantic, revolutionary, and colonial text in Sinners in the hands of an angry god, speech to Virginia conviction, and self reliance…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,” These are the principles and rights that founded America. These are the words of our Declaration of Independance. When the voice of the people is lost to the strength of a government, it is our right and responsibility to abolish those injustices and institute a new system. Why then, do we stand in…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Growing up in America one doesn’t really question our customs or the daily lives of the people here. Everyone kind of has a precedent for our everyday live and no one really tries to break the mold on that. Poranee Natadecha- Sonsel argues that Americans are unlike many other countries because they have a certain individualism about everything they do in their culture. In her article, “The Young, the Rich, and the Famous: Individualism as American Cultural Value”, the author reiterates over and over again that the way Americans value their individualism really impresses her. She names a few examples of American individualism such as conversational topics, privacy, and family life. Ms. Sponsel further evaluates each subtopic thus shedding more light on her argument.…

    • 915 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Democratic egalitarianism and individualism and how hypocritical society is in regards to the two are the subject matter of this essay. Various notable philosophers and authors have dissected these terms and their meanings relative to human life and society many times in the past. It is obvious to most how democratic egalitarianism and individualism can contradictory in many ways. The complexity of the two is not readily abundant due to examining the values of an American society. In society, these values do not hold up to the true meanings of democratic egalitarianism and individualism.…

    • 821 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    6. Individualism - Individualism is the philosophy that all actions take place for the benefit of the individual and not for society as a whole. Individualism also pertains to the pursuit of the individual rather than common or collective interests.…

    • 5943 Words
    • 24 Pages
    Powerful Essays