Sic Semper Tyrannis

Individual Vs. Society

I was reading on Sweet T’s blog about her humorous account of not being able to distinguish between the girls in her classes because they all look alike and it got me to thinking. The last philosophy book I read, Archetypes of Wisdom, I think it was called, by Douglas Soccio, said that this has been the trend throughout history. He said that society places great pressure on people to all become clones and conform. And I remember the picture that supported it-Britney Spears standing next to Christina Aguilera at some awards show and they might as well have been twins. Individualism is supposedly a thing of the past, he said, and then talked about Kierkegaard’s determination to be an individual.

This all gives me pause today.

1) I’m tempted to say that pop culture and the entertainment media force these images on us: “The Fabulous Life Of…” and pretty much anything on the E! Channel. I’m tempted to say that all of these shows would have us conform to their standards of beauty and success by making us feel bad about our current circumstances. But I think what’s more subversive is advertisers’ attempt to tap into this vestigial idea of “individualism” to sell you something you probably don’t need. I’m thinking in particular of some of the iPod and Napster ads of recent history- where some hip, cartoonish character that looks nothing like I do is shown dancing their way down the street, grooving to THEIR music. The subtext is that, if you buy this product, you will be “expressing your individual tastes.” When in actuality, if you buy their product nothing more than a simple exchange has occurred: your money for their product. But if these manufacturers’ dreams were fulfilled, the result would be a world of clones using their product.

2) I’ve always been told that America is a country of “radical individualists.” We supposedly love the archetype of the cowboy. We supposedly view ourselves as choosers. But Sweet T’s blog today makes me wonder. But are 17-year-old girls the place to look for America’s identity values? Probably not, but I think they might be an excellent reflection of what is being pushed onto all of us.

3) I wonder if the pressure to conform extends into areas other than just how you look or what you buy. Are we pressured to even think a certain way? I’ve always thought that sounded a little paranoid, that we are even dictated how to think. But I guess if our “values” are dictated to us, it would follow that our thoughts are not safe. And of course, standards of behavior are not always of our choosing. We are free to act however we wish in public, but we are not free from the consequences: the horrified looks, resulting fisticuffs, or a night in jail.

4) All of this talk reminds me of Nietzsche’s Übermensch-the “super man” who rises above all of the ordinary and is irresistible, compelling and powerful. Do we have an “Übermensch” today?

That’s enough musing for today. Thanks, Sweet T, for the mental exercise.

posted by Mike @ 9:12 AM