Response of University of Buffalo Students on Individuality

Hello Garry,

I bet you thought that I had forgotten you. Not at all. Because of the lateness in the Semester and the already full agenda, the involvement and response of my students took longer and is less in depth than I had hoped for. Sooooooo after a good deal of Class discussion and all the students reading everything that had been posted on the WAAS site to date, following are the individual comments of 14 Freshman in the Honors College of the University at Buffalo. Hopefully, they are at least somewhat meaningful. If so and if something comes up in the future that you think would be appropriate, let me know and we'll try again.

I hope all is well with you.

Very Best Regards,

Sheldon

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Individuality is rebellion with an open mind. Think of one person you  would consider an individual, do they follow every social convention?  Individuals often are not afraid to break away from they way things are supposed to be and to do what they want regardless. Some people  think that they are individual on their social networking sites but I  do not believe that this is true because they are doing nothing different then everyone around them. Whether it’s dressing against  the norm, making a new form of art, or speaking theirs minds,  individuals are there to try to make others think. That is another  requirement in my eyes; they have to be able to command an audience. They do not have to have fan though, negative press is just as good  as good press. As long as what they do is on people’s minds there is the ability to influence them and to make a change.

Individuals must have an open mind. If they cannot see the world around them from many different angles they cannot begin to think out of the box, or to be individual. Also if they refuse to listen to the opposition, how can they truly debate their viewpoint and make themselves seem valid? They may be stubborn but individuals do not  hide away and refuse to hear from those around them. If someone has these qualities and can think creatively then they could easily be considered an individual. 

In college it is hard sometimes to get a good view of the world because many end up on a college track that they devote their time to. As students we should reach out and take different classes because then we have even more information to use in every aspect of our careers and courses.

Amanda Adams

amandaad@buffalo.edu

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When I hear the word individuality, I think about how people stand out from one another. Growing up it has always been instilled that everyone is unique in their own and that no two people are the same. Now there is another train of thought that says people are actually more similar and that we aren't really individuals. I think that is wrong because no matter what you do there will always be something that is going to separate you from the person standing next to you. There are too many variables in what makes a person themselves that anyone else can be exactly like that person. I don't understand how people can be thought of not being individuals. When just thinking about the meaning of the word it means one person or thing from a group. So just by that definition every single person is already an individual. Its not right for society to not consider people indivduals just because one may not be as talented as another. Its true that in the world we live in today being creative and outstanding is what makes us stand out but even if we aren't as creative as someone else doesn't mean we worth less than someone else.

I believe that today there are more ways for people to develop their individuality even more. Technology has definitely made expressing oneself a lot easier than it used to be. Now you can go on youtube, or facebook, or twitter and just tell everyone what you think without anyone stopping you. By having more freedom and more ways of expressing ourselves society is becoming more creative and people are becoming more and more different from each other. Other than technology I think individuality is definitely affected by the environments in which we grow up in. If people are exposed to more arts than someone else than maybe they would be more creative than the other person but nonetheless both people are still individuals. Everyone is an individual but the amount of individuality in each person is different.

Shelly Bendit

shellyb91@gmail.com                    

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Many of the people participating in the forum are older, professionals. We would be able to offer a new and different perspective then what they have already. They haven't been in school in some time and therefore do not remember it completely, and times have changed since then. We would be able to discuss both individuality in high school and college, major parts in a persons life when they find out who they are going to be. College is a time when students begin to discover themselves and decide where they want to go with life. It is a major component in a person's individuality.

Therefore, I think since we are currently living through such an important time of growth and discovery we should talk about that. We should tell our stories, about what we think individuality is in this point in our lives. Our generation has new issues which may have an influence on  individuality is technology, reality television, and the influence on of celebrities. With technology our generation uses Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and the Internet in general. Facebook and Twitter allow for people to say what they want and post comments and pictures, which may show their individuality. With reality television and celebrities this may take away from individuality because people are trying to be like these people they see on the TV or the Internet. Instead of being themselves they try to act and dress like others because they think that if they do they will be able to have their lifestyle. This takes away from a person's individuality because their trying to be like others.

In the end I don't think the forum should even come up with a set definition of what individuality is. Individuals are people who are themselves. They act and think originally and are who they are. By giving a set of characteristics of what makes someone an individual you are taking away from the whole concept. An individual is someone are act as themselves and therefore cannot be described in a list. First off because there are so many different traits and aspects that would make up the definition of an individual that it would be impossible to finish. Also because people start changing in order to become what the characteristics tell them. A person will look at what makes someone an individual and then think that they have to make themselves into the person described in order to become an individual. But by doing this they are actually becoming less of individual because they are being the person a list criteria says they should be rather then being themselves. That is the reason I think that if we are going to contribute to the forum we should tell our own stories. We should tell of why, at our age, we are individuals and what makes us an individual. Everyone's characteristics will be different because everyone is different. We are all our own person, with our own emotions, beliefs and attitudes and therefore we are all individuals.

Paige Bouley

paigebou@buffalo.edu   

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I do not think that it would be necessary for us to have a class consensus on what individuality is. Because of the generation gap between us and the older contributers to the WAAS, we probably have a slightly different view towards individuality than they. Perhaps if they see our views they may think about the issue from a different perspective. Everyone is an individual.  Everyone has certain strengths and weaknesses, they like and dislike certain things, and they act differently.  Many people misunderstand individuality as appearing to be different from everyone else, usually by having a different physical appearance.  Individuality should be about being yourself and not trying to be like everyone else.  It is not necessarily related to physical appearance.  If you everyone shares similar interests however that is not a bad thing.  People who are truly individuals are confident and not self-conscious about themselves.  Individuals are open to new ideas.  They are willing to fight to achieve their dreams. Technology can assist us in expressing our individuality but at the same time may pressure some into giving up their individuality.  It exposes us to new ideas and an almost unlimited amount of information.  It may help us discover what we enjoy doing and are interested in.  At the same time, websites such as Facebook may cause some people to be pressured into conforming.   They may not want to be seen as different from everyone else.

Nikita Butakov

boutakovn@gmail.com                  

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I think that individuality is a slightly misunderstood topic.  It is important to think about what makes us individual, how we express it, and how it affects society.  In this way, we can do some self-reflection and decide if we are putting our best foot into society.  Many leaders and innovators often break free from many of the norms of society and take their own approach.  This can be beneficial.  Those who are not afraid to step into the unknown and take risks, even if it makes them different or they are judged are generally the people who change the world. However, that does not need to be everyone.  Some people are meant  to fit into society, otherwise there would be no cultural norm. These people are not inferior in any way.  In fact, it is degrading to ask the question, "Is this person an individual?" Yes. Everyone is an individual, by definition.  No one is truly a faceless, idealess, member of society with no personal thoughts or aspirations.  Therefore, although someone may not act out of line or be particularly boisterous or revolutionary, they are still valuable as an individual. The question we should be asking is how can we capitalize on our individual traits in a way that stays true to who we were meant to be and benefits society.  We should be confident of the fact that we are individuals and then from there decide if we were meant to stand out and be an agent of change, which we should not be afraid to do, or should carry on as we are.  There is no point in sticking out and going against the grain for no reason.

I think what the WAAS forum wanted to discuss is what made us individuals--what forms our personalities and makes us who we are. That is greatly influenced by our upbringing.  Major factors are family, religious upbringing, culture, and friends.  Something slightly paradoxical is that society shapes individuals, but is also made up of individuals.

Jennifer Cockrell

jlcockre@buffalo.edu

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We had an interesting discussion on how we can contribute to the Project Individuality as college freshman. First of all, I think we can definitely contribute to the project in our ways. I don't think we should be intimidated by the intellectual responses that we read from the 'professionals'. The reason that they agreed to have our participation is that they are interested in our perspective. I think we should appreciate that and try to make the best of the limited time we have. I agree with what David said in class, that we tend to all focus on how individualist we each are, and overlook what makes us similar. Some people have made a conscious decision and chose to live their lives by obeying the social norms. Are these people not expressing their individuality by doing so? I believe individuality has to do with one's attitude towards life. To be able to become whomever you want to be, the average Joe or a social outcast, requires lots courage and being comfortable with yourself. To me, that is individualism. One way we can explore this topic is using new social networking media on the internet such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Many Youtubers put themselves out there on the internet and shares their stories and beliefs despite numerous cruel comments. I think it will be interesting if we are able to contact some of the top video makers and have them talk about what they think about individuality in forms on video skits or rants. Many popular Youtubers are young, and are from different backgrounds, so I'm sure their ideas will be valuable to the overall project.

Lin Feng Guan

lingfengg@buffalo.edu                                   

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With the semester winding down, I don't think that we can manage to do much as a class. I think the best way to contribute to the World Academy is to just input our ideas. There were a lot of good ideas brought up in Tuesday's class. I think that we should make a post with all of our suggestions to the Academy to see what they think. Below are some ideas that I have for the World Academy. From childhood we are all told that we are supposed to be individuals. To learn to be unique and stand apart form our peers. If we all are individuals, then why do we only choose to identify individuals as those that have made major accomplishments, achievements, or contributions to our society. I think that the World Academy is taking a flawed approach to addressing the problem of what is an individual. I think that the Academy should take a closer look at the common individual, what makes us each unique, as well as the notorious individuals.

To examine the individuality of the common person, requires the input of people from a broad range of society. Currently, most of the participants are professionals in their respective fields, educated people from mostly modernized countries. This is but a small percentage of people in the world. How does the average middle class American distinguish himself in society? How does a poor farmer in Africa express his individuality. Does a Buddhist monk see himself as an individual? To find these answers we need to get these people involved somehow in the discussion.

I think that the World Academy also need to look at the individuals who were considered notorious and harmful to society. They too were individuals who expressed their individuality in a way that did not benefit society. While being an individual has its benefits, we should also examine the harm that individualism brings. For example, Adolf Hitler was a unique individual. Some call him a genius in the way he was able to conquer almost all of Europe. He swayed massive amounts of people to believe in his ideas and support his cause. He was steadfast in his ideals and forced society to conform to him But his individualism led to the outbreak of World War Two, to the death and suffering of millions of people world wide. By expressing his individuality, he brought pain and suffering to a whole generation of people. Is this to be admired? No, but we must acknowledge the fact that individualism is not always beneficial. Knowing that individuality can be both positive and negative, we should look to identify the individuals in our society who are shaping it. They may be unknowns, some crazy inventor working in his mom's basement, a lab researcher in China, or even a school teacher in Tehran. All of the great and evil individuals were not identified until after they did something miraculous. But is it possible to find them before they do something that can change the world. Is it possible to find future Hitler's and stop them from becoming notorious individuals? Is it possible to help the next Edison create the next life changing invention? Is it possible to help inspire more people to become the next Einstein? It may be true that we are all individuals, but what makes an individuals stand out amongst his peers? Is there some factor that we can zero in on to help us find the great individuals of the future and to help nurture their development?

Here are just a few of the ideas that I have on the topic. Hope that it makes sense to all of you.

David Huoh

davidhuo@buffalo.edu                

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Individuality is an extremely broad topic.  There are many things that can be encompassed into this topic, including, but not limited too:  The propensity of a person to differentiaite themselves from a crowd based on personal beliefs, the cultural, parental, and religious effects upon one's feeling of differentation or one's pursuit of individuality, The extent to which all persons are differentiated from one another, and are therefore "individuals", and the effects of the individualization of a population on the general well-being of said population. It is my personal opinion that it is impossible to say that all people are not to a certain extent individuals.  Everyone has their own thoughts, their own opinions, and their own style, despite , what the powers that be would prefer.  The human condition would be nothing without the ability to deviate from the norm.  Imagine a world such as that, where their is not deviation...how incredibly dull and meaningless it would all be. This is what seperates us from the animals. It is also certainly true that different individuals, as well as certain groups of people, seek to radically deviate themselves from the normal confines of society.  While many may signal out the great inventors, philosphers, musicians, and artists as well crafted individuals, it is important to point out that those termed "less successful" by the socially accepted definition of success should also readily be considered individuals. It is easy by those "intellectuals" of a higher social standing to denounce the punks, the anarchists, the Dungeons & Dragons obsessed basement dwellers, the gothic cliques, the Dead Heads, or the Ed Woodian B-film directors and aficionados as "nihilistic losers", "privy louts", or "the everyman".  I would like to express that what makes these people individuals is their personal definition of success.  There are those who find happiness and success by finding unity among similarly inclined individuals.  Others who wish escape from their oppressive environments, or acceptance in a life devoid of such a simple pleasure.  Then there are those who find success by doing what they love and foregoing outside opinion of the matter.  This deviation from the intellectuals, and similarly the publics at large definition of success, is what makes these people individuals.  Therefore we are all individuals, poised to obtain our own goals in the crazy whirlwind that is the human life. It is important the the WAAS consider the collegiate perspective on individuality.  As a college student, I have been thrust into a situation where the decisions that are made about my life are my own.  Given this position of power which up until this point, did not rest solely upon my shoulders, the newfound freedom can be overwhelming. Acceptance is still sought after, the comfortable normality of home a gentle reminder during breaks, and at first, these may seem a hinderance to one's individuality.  However, once one grows accustomed to this freedom, the individuality of youth is reestablished, and is further expounded upon by the feelings that one's future is truly and ultimately in one's hands.

Thank You.  My speech is finished, and the soapbox is being removed from my feet.

Charles Lavallee

charlesl@buffalo.edu   

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Subject: Matthew Leibowitz on Individuality

Individuality is about being yourself no matter if it is accepted or not.  I think individuality is having the courage to not follow other peoples thoughts and ideas if you do not agree with them. It is necessary to do whatever you think is morally right in order to be an individual.  Otherwise you become the opposite of an individual; you become the person whose ideas you are following. It is not necessary to always be a leader to be an individual, but it is essential to formulate thoughts based on what you believe and not based on what others tell you to believe. I think as a teenage college student that individuality is more important than ever.  What we do and think now will formulate the rest of our lives, not just academically, but socially and physically.  Of course we are at the time of our lives where we get to pick the career we want to go in but we also get to choose the type of person that we want to be for the rest of our lives. The habits we make now will carry with us.  You may ask what this has to do with individuality?

The merriam webster dictionary definition of individuality is  a : total character peculiar to and distinguishing an individual from others b : personality.  Most people think that it takes a distinguishing achievement to be an individual but I do not think this is true.  If you are following what you believe, that is enough of a distinguishing achievement in my mind to be considered an individual. I hope we can help the WAAS with our responses, but besides formulating our opinions on individuality I do not think we can be of much help.

Sincerely,

Matthew Leibowitz

mgleibow@buffalo.edu                            

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It seems that their process of researching and delving into individuality is going rather slow and the three weeks we have left will not be sufficient.  If we were to reply and send in our thoughts, we would not have enough time to respond to everyone else's thoughts and opinions.

I think that everyone is an individual by nature. Everyone is their own person and has their own individual characteristics. Even if a person were to make themselves exactly like another person, they would still be an individual, just maybe not an original individual.  I think maybe the World Academy should be looking into more of how people show their individuality and uniqueness and how a society perceives it.  Each person chooses to express this individuality in their own ways, it may be through their clothes, hair, piercings, tattoos, make up, actions, music choices, or decoration choices (room decorations).  These choices can reflect ones mood or views on life or personality. Each society in this world can be receiving of an individuals expression of uniqueness in a positive or negative light.  What is acceptable in one society may not be acceptable in another.  Some societies outcast people that don't fit into their "social norm."

Other societies may embrace this type of expression. Some may really like one's type of expression and end up copying it, this happens a lot with celebrities.  Fans see their favorite actor or actress wearing a certain style, and then they copy it to try and look just like that person.  This is an expression of their individuality also, since it shows their interest in that person and/or their taste in clothing. Individuality is something that is key to a good society.  If everyone was the same, the world would be boring and monotonous. Expression of individuality makes for a better world, it can lead to new friendships, inventions, and new expressions of emotion through art, music, etc.

Christine Lundhahl

cmlundah@buffalo.edu

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Individuality is made up of a person's thoughts, appearance, values and choices. Everyone has something special about them that makes them unique from others around them. Individuality is important because when many people contribute to a conversation and give their own perspective each person is able to grow more. Each person is able to take in many viewpoints when everyone else shares their own perspective. For example in class when someone simply restates what someone else has just said, this is not stating their view, this is agreeing and the class cannot grow from this type of response. In our class your opinions matter, so it is important to state them, not simply agree, and although you may agree with someone, I'm sure you have something better to say than "I agree."

Individuality is important because a big part of life is standing out, whether this is for a job, a promotion, acceptance into graduate school, it is important to have something that makes you you. It may be an experience or a talent or a passion. Finding what makes you happy and will help to make you an individual. It is easy to look at someone's life and try to guess what makes them happy, then try to obtain this, but whatever makes them happy may not make you happy. Since we are all individuals we all have different needs and wants, we all need to find what makes us a whole happy person.

Some people find it scary to be an individual and to be independent. It may seem easier to follow the crowd. But in order to grow up and be an individual, you must learn what makes you happy and what makes you unique, and then you must set your goals for it and embrace it.

Jeannette Russell-Shepherd

jeannett@buffalo.edu

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Individuality is defined as the aggregate of qualities and characteristics that distinguish one person or thing from other; identity. By this definition everyone is an individual in certain aspects and not in others. Being an American college student has a lot to do with distinguishing yourself from all the others, whether it be by getting to know your professors or by having the most well- rounded resume.

All of this is an effort to compete against everyone else for the jobs and opportunities. I feel like a lot of people don't have a developed sense of individuality when they first come to college. A lot of this comes from the fact that in high school, most people tried to fit in not stand out. This is a major teenage ideal, as a teen we all just want to be accepted. The portrayal and reinforcement of this thought comes from society, any teenage movie will be a struggle for acceptance from peers. Upon coming to college, students will slowly realize the importance of standing out but for some it may be too late. Once something is drilled into your head for years it is hard to change. And nothing about college helps those students. The classes are larger, the teachers care less about students and the societies (like fraternities and sororities) continue to put pressure on "following the group." Overall what I'm trying to say is that, sure it's easy to have a lot of individuality once you are an established professional but what about while you are trying to climb the professional ladder? Before we are established, we really have to fight to keep our individuality from being stomped out of us.

Steffanie Rydzik

steffani@buffalo.edu

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Based on what I heard in class on Tuesday and what I have read on the forum, I have decided that my opinion on this matter is that the World Academy’s task is impossible. There is no general way to define individuality. It cannot be done. Why do I say this? The way you feel and express individuality is completely different from person to person, so how can something that is so different with every person be defined in one singular definition that applies to everyone? Either it is completely impossible or it is going to be a very long definition. What is individuality to me? To me individuality is the pride I take in the qualities that make me a unique person in this world. It is all of the things that I participate in, and just my general personality for that matter. For example, I am an honors student with a 4.0 GPA and a double major that also competes in athletics at the division 1 level. I am an eagle scout and a black belt. There are very few people in the world I would bet that could say they have done all of that. The sense of pride I get from that is what I feel is my individuality. Now that is probably different for other people. They probably have different definitions for their individuality.  That is why it would be cool to ask everyone in class how they define their individuality. I would bet that it ends up that there are so many varying and different responses that it will be a very hard task for us to generate a unified response as to what individuality is for just a typical college student! Imagine doing that for an individual that is one out of the entire population in the world like they are trying to do in the World Academy! They can try to do it, but it sounds pretty near impossible if you ask me.

Paul Garman

paulgarm@buffalo.edu

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In regards to the world academy project on individuality, I do believe that this type of class can give a meaningful response simply due to our different perspectives and age group. However, I do not believe that we will be able to formulate together as a class a well developed thought to convey to these professionals. Without the proper time and effort, I believe that the current contributors to the project will disregard a quickly formulated unsophisticated thought from us. In the future, I believe that a class filled with freshman at the age of eighteen or nineteen can show different perspectives on individuality and how people may apply it just to stand out or represent something. For instance, it seems as though teenagers more often than adults try to identify themselves within certain cliques, thus wearing certain clothes or acting a certain way. Some people seem to think of this as individualizing themselves, but really they are just conforming to a specific group’s ideals. Consequently, we can share to the forum that different age group’s view and express individuality differently. An older group of professionals such as those on the forum would relate individuality more so with success since someone is trying something different in their respective fields. Since their background contains success in their fields, they think back on how they initially became successful.

In my opinion, the world academy responses simply revolve around how people become successful due to breaking boundaries and being “themselves”. However, I think that this class can elaborate more on the negative side of individuality and how one’s individuality may lead to transgressions that don’t promote success or the betterment of society. For example, colorful characters such as Mike Tyson who is certainly an individual and not afraid to do whatever he wants as he bit an opposing boxer’s ear off once and got arrested multiple times. Also, we can bring in the examples of extreme figureheads of their respective regimes such as Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Osama Bin Laden. We can explain how their individuality relative to the world brought about negative change on the international society as a whole. Additionally, we can say how specific aspects of their cult of personality attracted members into their regimes. Thus, they drive people into their own ideals and get people to do what they want for them. Overall, I do believe there are many different aspects of individuality that we can talk about on the forum. In doing so, we can even expand on the topic of individuality and not only help define it, but refer to how people apply it to do what they want.

Ravi  Budhan

ravibudh@buffalo.edu

This new article raises a number of questions about the difference between individuality and individualism. Ayn Rand may have confused the two concepts by assuming that the mature self-reliant person who thinks for himself and according to his own highest values is necessarily at odds or cut off from society at large. The author of the article appended below takes a view closer to that of Jung, Maslow, Rollo May and other psychologists referred to in the CEI when they affirm that mature individuals live in positive relationship with society. Individuality seems to be frequently confused with a form of rugged, self-centered, selfish Individualism – the person who lives for and by himself because he feels in some way superior to others. That seems a better description of extreme egoism rather than mature individuality.

Roy

Ayn Rand and the limits of individualism

By Will Munsil

Published on Feb 22, 2010, statepress.com

Conservatives have long loved the image of the lone, individualist hero.

As David Brooks has written, the reassuring Western hero — craggy, stalwart, self-sufficient — has a particular resonance for conservatives. Republican leaders from Barry Goldwater to George W. Bush have filled the same space in the public consciousness, and conservatives even now look for the next cowboy hero, the next rogue leader.

Given this predilection, that the Objectivist, free-market philosophy of Ayn Rand would make a resurgence was perhaps inevitable. Rand’s gift was always in the conjuring of sinless worlds and flawless heroes.

In this political moment, when government seems on the march, and when free enterprise is disparaged and regulated, Rand seems to many a prophetess of individualism in a reckless age.

The Randian ethos is particularly invigorating to college students. As Adam Kirsch pointed out in a review of a Rand biography, Rand’s appeal often stems from the sense that the reader is given entrée to a secret world, a sort of initiation to a more enlightened state.

For young people, Kirsch writes, reading her works promises “that they could distinguish themselves by the ardor of their commitment to Rand’s teaching.”

While Rand’s philosophy is in the end a cold and lifeless one, her supporters are right to oppose the ravening leviathan of statism that she saw as the inevitable end of modern liberalism.

To the extent that Rand’s writings open the minds of young people to a worldview outside of the predominant leftism of the campus, they are valuable.

But hers is not a philosophy to build a political movement around, or to build a life around.

The Randian, individualist myth rests on a fundamental mistake. Markets without morality, individuals without community, liberty without order — none of these are enough.

The project of conservatism should be the nurturing of an authentic community. Capitalism, as Brooks writes, is simply a means to the good life, which is the neglected end.

The good life, or in the larger sense, the good society, depends on individuals, certainly. But more precisely, it depends on individuals willingly giving of themselves for the common good. The common good, in turn, depends on cultural memory of common virtue, the kind that can’t genuinely exist in a world where each man is an island.

As the conservative thinker Robert Nisbet (a far better influence for young conservatives than Rand) often argued, liberty is only liberty within a social and ethical context.

“The individual alone is powerless,” he argued, and it is the reinforcing power of a shared tradition that gives individuals the ability to make something of their lives.

A human life has dignity wherever and however it appears, but it is only in community that it can fully mature. A life without friends, neighbors, and family is empty, no matter how enlightened an individual feels.

The real hero of the American story is the individual who, despite the power and wealth his or her gifts bring, chooses community both in large ways and small, and chooses to give freely of those gifts to bring order, virtue, and relationship out of the wilderness. 

Source: http://www.statepress.com/archive/node/11082

 

 

The fully functioning self-actualized person is fundamental to Carl Rogers' conception of Individuality. Individuality is the ideal human condition. It is represented by the fully functioning Individual who is open to experience, makes conscious choices fluently without being inhibited by restrictions, refuses to conform to the collective urge because he doesn't feel the need to fall into familiar patterns, and takes total responsibility for his actions.

The Individual is unique in the sense that he has a harmonious relationship with the collective and a genuine social responsibility, yet chooses not to wear a socially acceptable façade by refusing to accept the prevailing standards . He trusts his own inner urges and intuitions, daring to express his uniqueness. In other words, he is less prone to conform to the roles dictated by societal norms, if he feels that his choices do not reflect his own values and interests .

The fully functioning Individual fulfils his potentialities by making his own decisions with self-reliance, autonomy and courage, and persists in working towards the accomplishment of goals. The Individual's capacity for self-awareness makes him realize his innate potentials so that, on the way to Individuation, he regulates his own behavior, rather than seeking external authority.  This ability to guide his own life in a manner that's both personally and socially constructive and face the consequences of his actions courageously, makes Rogers' Individual distinct from the collective.

Individuation is an ongoing process that is an end in itself. Rogers considers it the most profound truth about man. The Individual maximizes his potentials by accepting everything about  himself. His autonomy in belief and action gives him an individual responsibility that makes him lead a sociable, cooperative, creative and a self-directed life. Further, the formed Individual avails of all the opportunities that life offers him and strives relentlessly to develop further. He lives wholly and freely in each moment, responds to life's challenges with confidence and psychological freedom, not getting influenced by the collective's conventionalities. 

The Individual does not accept society's conventional attitudes, but he is neither selfish nor egoistic.  The unitary actualizing tendency, as Rogers calls it, is not seen in the formed Individual though the society, especially the Western one, fosters an ego-centric behavior and culturally conditions people at large. Individualism or the unitary actualizing tendency is a result of differentiation that makes a person separate himself from the society. While Individuality fosters a social responsibility apart from individual responsibility, Individualism is overly concerned about meeting life with false fronts.

The Individual views himself and the society, objectively. This objectivity, Rogers says, permits the Individual to take his own decisions and makes him aware that his life is largely determined by the choices he makes.

 

 

Carl Jung's conception of Individuality

 

According to Carl Jung, Individuation is the development of consciousness. It is the process by which an unformed person develops into a unique Individual. The Individual is one who chooses not to be limited by collective norms. Transforming his/her personality to reach a higher level of consciousness, self-realized Individuals become aware of their own unique innate potentials, that which distinguishes them from the collective. Jung conceives of an Individual not as an isolated, separate existence but as a pre-eminent member of the collective .  

 

Society is essential for human existence and for the flowering of Individuality. In Jung's conception, the self-realized Individual's very existence presupposes a positive relationship with the collective. The Individual lends himself to express the subconscious aspirations of the collective of his time, giving conscious expression to the needs and aspirations of the society through his actions. The Individual is indispensable for human accomplishment and for the development of the society.

 

Society inhibits the formation of Individuality by conditioning its members in school and even at the level of the university. The formed Individual rejects conformity for the sake of conformity. Individuality can develop only when a person chooses to do what he thinks is right, consciously. To cling to what is familiar, acceptable and comfortable is to take refuge in conventionality. Individuality requires self-confidence, responsibility and courage. Development of Individuality is possible only in freedom. In the absence of freedom, people do not accept responsibility or adhere to high values.

 

In Jung's understanding, everything needs its opposite for its existence. The indivisible, whole being that the Individual is, is made complete when he accepts and integrates all aspects of his personality, realizing in the process that contradictions are complements.

What are the distinguishing attributes of Individuality?

Individuality is the possession of characteristics that help to set an individual apart from others and thereby make him unique. It can also be defined as the ability to act along lines that one believes are correct for oneself. That is, if one’s convictions and beliefs and outlook on life appear correct to him, he or she proceeds to shape his or her life on that basis even if others do not approve of it.

Individuality, creativity, original thinking, scientific discovery and social innovation.

So long as an individual conforms to the general beliefs and usages prevailing in the society, he will not think in a way that is out of the ordinary. Only when he has his own unique point of view and has a keen perception that does not conform to the regular pattern will he come up with a creative understanding.  For example, when everybody around him believed that the sun was going around the earth, Copernicus had a unique perception that convinced him that the available evidence shows the earth to be revolving around the sun and not the other way around. That unique perception is his individual trait and without that he would not have come up with such a radical idea. Individuality helps original thinking in that it gives the original thinker the courage and bravery to speak about what he has seen and discovered though it be contrary to established beliefs. For example, Darwin had an original insight about the nature of life and discovered the process of evolution. This was in direct contrast to the creationist views of life held by the church. Had he been intimidated by the power of the church, he would not have spoken out. But his individualistic nature gave him the courage to speak out what he felt to be the true state of affairs and he held on to his beliefs even after he faced strong opposition from the conservatives.

Individuality and leadership

Individuality encourages self-reliance, initiative, persistence and unique perceptions and new visionary ideas, etc. All these are very useful to leaders and therefore it is not surprising that many leaders are highly individualistic. For example, Gandhiji was a great leader of modern India. He saw India under British occupation. He wanted to free his county without much bloodshed. He came up with his own unique concept of civil disobedience and non-violent resistance. It appealed to the generally peaceful disposition of the Indian population and they responded en masse. It is the persistence born out of his individuality that gave Gandhiji the strength to go ahead with his unique method to secure freedom and survive all skeptic and pessimistic comments and British persecution.

Individuality and entrepreneurship

Individuality is very much necessary for the flowering of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs are men who take new and fresh initiatives and individuality is very helpful for taking new initiatives. Entrepreneurs may be discouraged by others around that their new venture may not succeed and that they are venturing into unknown areas with no certainty of success. Only an individual with a firm conviction in the truth and soundness of his beliefs will persist in the face of discouragement and opposition.

In the 1983, Dr. P.C. Reddy gave up his medical practice as a heart surgeon in USA, returned to India and established the first 150-bed, private, world-class corporate hospital in the country, he faced lots of skepticism and criticism from other doctors. But he was determined to proceed with his venture, because he was an individual who believed in the soundness of his conviction that such a corporate hospital will succeed. Today Apollo Hospitals operates 46 hospitals in India and overseas with more than 8000 beds along with a national chain of medical clinics, pharmacies, and allied medical businesses. His pioneering effort has become the model which countless others have imitated to bring modern medical facilities and therapeutic capabilities to India.

Individuality, egocentricity and selfishness

Individuality is the capacity to competently deal with any new situation other than what one is trained for and what one is familiar with. We describe F.D.R as a formed individual. He was a politician running trained for routine administration. But when he took office the country was not normal and functioning routinely. It was in the midst of a severe depression requiring emergency measures and he rose to the occasion and managed to bring it out effectively.              

When suddenly war descended on the nation, he tackled that too very effectively and would have brought Japan down on its knees had it not been for his unexpected demise. Such facility for tackling depression and war which are very different situations demonstrates that Roosevelt was a true individual.

Since their abilities far exceed that of the average individual, it may be natural for many of them to become vain and egoistic. But it is not the case always. Gandhiji was also a true individual who was adept in politics, religious matters, tackling foreign occupation and dealing with social reforms inside the country, etc. But he was totally unegoistic. He did not seek power though he could have easily become P.M or President of the country. The only thing he wanted to do was serve the people and the country.

One may argue that Gandhiji is a rare phenomenon and that he is not typical. Americans are very individualistic in general but also very egoistic and self-centered.  They have developed physical and vital individuality only and therefore it is not surprising that their individuality is accompanied by a strong self-centeredness also. Gandhiji’s individuality was somewhat spiritual and so it escaped the egoistic accompaniment. So one can say that when spiritual individuality emerges, it will be free of egoism and selfishness.