I like to believe we live in a world were we can all be who we truly want to be. However true this may be it often poses one difficulty when trying to "just be ones self". See there's a great consensus that says it is ok to be me, when It's me were talking about, but you over there! What are you doing with your life? It's amazing and horrifying at the same time to see someone who will defend there beliefs, lifestyle, and choices to the bitter end proclaiming their righteousness and in the same breath curse another ones. I honestly think individuality is beautiful, it just disappoints me that when our differences should be the common grounds that bind us together, because what makes us different truly makes us one in the same, it tears us further apart.



The stone that the builder refuse..
Will always be the head cornerstone...
Much love.

It's like this. If were all special and unique, doesn't that make us all the same? When I was a child I was told both, that I was special and also I was no different from anyone else. So my theory is individualism is beautiful, but we have to recognise that in others and see that were no different. We have to respect that there is no one single truth. Is my individuality an asset? Or a liability. If I don't respect you as an individual, then what gives me the right to be free myself.

I like to think of individualism as something like an orchestra or a jazz band. All the instruments are distinct, different, and are even playing different melodies often, however together they harmonize and create something beautiful. Of course if there is no order or if one instrument does not WANT to harmonize with the rest then the music will not sound so good. Even if the musicians al improvize - i.e. have personal freedom, they can do it in a way that is harmonic or in a way that is chaotic and disharmonic. This is part of the freedom of course, but what I mean to say is that individuality CAN lead to really great harmonies and dynamics and can result in utter chaos. it's up to the individuals what they make of it, and I DON'T mean that they should all become equals and do the same thign, because that's just plain boring and leads to stagnance IMO.

Personally I don't see why we should all be the same only because we share the property of all being different. This seems like it's a categorical error....
if you have 5 objects that are all blue, that doesn't make them all the same in every respect. Only in their color are they the same.

I mean like I said individuality is not bad, but if all we see is ourselves and those like us then it turns us away from love and truth. I've always been extremely accepting of differences and I find I can get along with most people. Just that growing up in the south bigotry is still so apparent here. I have a really close friend who can be somewhat anti gay(among other things as well), and doesn't feel they deserve the rights their fighting for. I kind of relate this to entheogen use, considering it can be a very closeted lifestyle. So with all that's happening in the world I find myself wondering why It's so hard for us all to get along. It seems like now is a good time for people to fight for their rights. People are standing up for what's right all over the world. I mean if we all stood together for each others rights and not just our own we might make a bigger impact. I know it sounds incredibly disorganized but I just feel like we could be using our individuality as common ground, and I see so much of the opposite here. It's got me pondering lately.

There´s a difference between believing in rights for everyone, and rights just for me. Emancipatory values in our society are more and more being transformed into:'me, me, me!!!'.

Someone´s motivation to believe in individual rights is just a different motivation from the motivation to believe in personal entitlements.

One belief is driven by a sense of justice...a universal sense of justice.
The other is just selfishness.

It really perplexes me, thanks for the input. It was well put.

Well put indeed! I would like to stress that the "me me me!" thing is called narcissism (rights just for me); individualism, on the other hand is all about right for everyone and is no obstacle for beautiful cooperation and strong human bonding.

I once heard it described as this:

Think of consciousness as a sheet suspended in the air. Then think of an "individual" as a fist thrust up into the sheet with an elastic band around its wrist. The fist makes a distortion in the consciousness/sheet that is "different" than the surrounding area. But it is still part of that sheet.

Exploring ones individualism is important as far as I'm concerned. The trick is not letting our ego's take over. Ego however is a completely different book in and by itself. A very interesting "read" though!