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Ronan Fitts
Mr. Turley
English I
21 December, 2016

Individualism
Art is individualism, and individualism is a disturbing and disintegrating force (Wilde).
This quote perfectly describes why some people see individualism as counterproductive in
society. Individualism is the idea that everyone strives to make themselves happy and societalism
is the idea that everyone looks at what others need, without caring about their own well-being. In
all of the chaos of modern day life, many forget that happiness comes from within. If people start
focusing on themselves, work will be more efficient because people understand themselves better
than others do, and people can find more meaning behind their work.
People can work better if they focus on themselves because they can supply their own needs
better than others can. For example, if one person needs some time to themselves, and another
needs someones help, they can seek it in order to make work progress. Others simply cant fully
understand the hopes, dreams, wants, needs, and emotions of someone else. In The Scarlet Ibis,
the brother says Aw, come on, Doodle, do you want to be different from everyone else when
you start school. The brother does not fully understand Doodles struggles and tries, but fails to
help him navigate his problems. This is only partly why individualistic ideas should be embraced
by our society.
Another reason individualistic ideas promote more efficient work is that when people take
some time to reflect on themselves and consider everything, they will find meaning in their
work, giving them more reasons to work hard. Many people get caught up in working for money

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and dont have time to think of how they are contributing to others lives. As Jeff Cobb puts it,
[reflecting] can help us put all of our efforts into perspective. By focusing inward, people find
meaning in life and can get new hope and passion to create, help, build, and improve society as a
whole. This is why individualism is more useful than societalism.
Despite the evidence for individualism, some people disagree, and say that it is too selfcentered. Those who believe that individualism is self-centered think that in an individualistic
society, everyone will only worry about themselves and wont care about the needs of others.
Although this argument has some redeeming qualities, it fails to realize that it is human nature to
care for others. Caring for ourselves enables us to more easily give back to society. Therefore
individualism is the more generous approach.
Overall, if people focus on themselves, society will benefit because people will give the fruits
of their labor to the community. When people focus on themselves, they understand their own
needs and are more successful to build and improve society. Reflecting on yourself and your own
needs, even if for a moment, can benefit the greater good. Individualists should remember that
working for others gives life meaning. Everyone can live in harmony if we accept ourselves as
individuals.

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Works Cited
Cobb, Jeff. " 5 Powerful Reasons to Make Reflection a Daily Learning Habit, and How to Do It."
Mission to Learn. N.p., 9 Sept. 2009. Web. 18 Dec. 2016.
Hurst, James, and Philippe Dumas. The scarlet ibis. Mankato, MN: Creative Education, 1988.
Print.
Wilde, Oscar. The soul of man under socialism. Portland, Me.: T.B. Mosher, 1905. Print.