View at Medium.com

‘https://medium.com/for-everyone/the-dark-art-of-individualism-the-rise-of-the-individual-and-the-decline-of-the-collective-905d3e3afd72

We have lost control of our political system and confidence in our institutions. I offer some root cause reasons for this situation in this series of posts.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/647303/confidence-institutions-mostly-flat-police.aspx

We have embraced radical individualism.

Republicans have driven economic individual extremism, and Democrats have driven social individual extremism. We are unable to balance the individual with the community, morality, culture or religion.

Only the Individual?

The Rolling Stones in 1969: “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you need.”

https://genius.com/The-rolling-stones-you-cant-always-get-what-you-want-lyrics

Queen in 1989: “I want it all, and I want it now”.

https://genius.com/Queen-i-want-it-all-lyrics

Summary

After WWII our leaders worried greatly about the extinguishment of the individual by our culture, religion, businesses, government and universities. These large organizations were so large, effective and results-oriented that they could not encourage or allow individual freedom. They would necessarily enforce social conformity, even in a capitalist democracy. The 20th century’s totalitarian societies, George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World greatly disturbed thought leaders. Liberals and conservatives worried about different aspects, but the core concern was universal. Consider The Organization Man, The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit, The Hidden Persuaders, The Road to Serfdom, Atlas Shrugged and The Lonely Crowd. Very surprisingly, the “individual” was unleashed in the next half century and became God.

Mick Jagger struggled with the conflict between competing powers. He embraced the tension and moved ahead. Freddie Mercury simply declared victory. Complete victory.

The individual alone as God is not a solid base for our society or any society.

We are polarized because we all “know” that we are right. We don’t have solid experience working with others in community or government to resolve differences. We don’t reach our goals, and then we look to blame someone else or claim victim status. We lock into media sources that reinforce our views. We only connect with individuals just like ourselves. We pursue only individual goals and are frustrated they are not affirmed. We emphasize consumer and producer goals and complain about “the rat race”. We don’t participate in civic life, complain that politics is ineffective and look for someone to solve our problems. We are not experienced managing complex situations, so we look for simple answers to complex questions about politics and the meaning of life.