Americans Have a Problem with Individualism - Editorial
"Men and families out on their own, acting self-sufficiently, were something to be lauded as the country expanded. Now that the wilderness is subdued, however, there appears little need..."
Americans have a problem with Individualism.
What little of an American culture we have is dominated by tales of “rugged individuals.” Johnny Appleseed went out alone into the Ohio Territory; Paul Bunyan was alone in the forests, and John Henry took on the steam engine alone. An attitude of veneration for strong individuals was helpful in the pioneering stage of the build-up of America.
Taming the wilderness of the American continent was done by individuals, for the most part, alone and far from society. Men and families out on their own, acting self-sufficiently, were something to be lauded as the country expanded. Now that the wilderness is subdued, however, there appears little need for an assertive sense of individualism.
The impulse of American Individualism has been corrupted into a selfish philosophy of what would better be called license and not the liberty Americans typically like to brag about. There is no expectation of duty or self-denial in America, which is necessary for proper liberty. What we get instead is a permissiveness that degenerates character.
A fur trapper in the backwoods of the Virginia territory or a farmer in the Kansas territory need have little concern for society, as there was little society to be had. Today, with nothing to conquer, rugged individualism and lack of concern for society are now expressed in odd proclivities that are expected to be endured by everyone around.
What is proclaimed as “good manners” is an appeal to “be nice.” What Americans—especially White Americans—need to do is start to realize that the old heroes of America are no longer relevant. The Great Plains and Rockies have been settled. Now it is time to make a society. New heroes are needed who are respected for their sacrifice to the Society. A society needs norms and a code of conduct.
Just “being nice” is a philosophy that encourages atomization. To simply “be nice” is to reject any possible bond you might have with the other person.
Better than being nice is to confirm the social norm with the other person. Today, the social norm is to look over the other person in order that you might find all the ways they are different from you, which is to say there is nothing normal. The outcome is to stay isolated in your own home, order groceries online, and buy takeout.
Start thinking of the world around you with larger thoughts than what is peculiar about this individual or that one. Think about your People. There is a common bond of shared ancestry that can be awakened again with a little effort. People naturally have an affinity to their kind. There are many shared attitudes that we don’t even think about in day-to-day life that only become noticeable when we are separated from people like ourselves.
Try to stop thinking of yourself as an individual. You will not melt into the herd, as some will tell you. You will shine like a beacon and attract others to you. You may start to get a community together that is bound by something more significant than commercial interests promoted to Americans. The closest we get to a Society today is finding people who share our interest in a common sports team or niche hobby community.
Try your best to promote shared values that can lead to common respect. Not a shallow “respect” for other people’s differences, but the respect of one large family for another that is bonded with tradition and values. The entire world cannot be so. With no outgroup to compare the ingroup to, there is nothing to bind anyone together. We are left to be individuals desperately fighting against our human nature to be part of a collective. That rebellion shows itself as someone screaming about their idiosyncrasies with the intention of getting others to like them. However, there is nothing to offer but a beaten-down obeisance.
Look outside of yourself, practice charity toward your own group, and be generous and forgiving to your own group. There is no need to harm other groups, but the extreme effort to force disparate groups together has little benefit. Oil and water will mix only with regular agitation. If there is any chance of living in a multi-ethnic empire, the different groups will have to stick together and advocate for their own interests.
White people in America are the only group that refuses to do this. If there is any hope of America remaining a first-world nation, White Americans will have to start recognizing themselves as a distinct group with common interests and not spend all their time soliciting from other groups or apologizing for their success.