August 11, 2012
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Individualism vs Collectivism
Assuming that the growth of civilization throughout the planet has led to a more friendly and humane life for most of its inhabitants, which of these basic philosophic attitudes to you favor? Why?
Real Economic, Social, and cultural development has been the result of the actions of notable individuals throughout history
The rise of world civilization has basically been the result of members of different cultures collective action
Please respond below or write a longer comment at your site and mention it below – I’ll link you
Comments (25)
100 years of capitalism has done more for mankind than 100,000 years of everything else. Further, without Christianity the entire world would still look like Afghanistan.
Clearly, religion and individual liberty rule a New Age.
Since it was not until people were not hindered by their rulers to say/do/worship the right things that human kind saw the momentous leaps and bounds in technology, and this resulted in a higher standard of living world wide – I’d have to say it has a lot more to do with the environment people are in than whether it was individuals or a collective. Not everyone can invent the iphone, or discover a better way to grow crops. But all the great minds that could have done that in times past were strangled silent because there were much more important things pressing them. But because not everyone can invent the iphone or discover a better way to grow crops, the ones who did were in fact individuals, and they deserve credit for their achievements. And whether collectivists like it or not, it was not the drive to make the world a better place that caused those individuals to pull us here, it was the drive to make their own lives better and more prosperous. And it was NOT an environment that told them they were obligated to share the fruits of their labor with the collective – it was an environment that told them if they worked hard they could rise to the top. And that’s what they did.
@PrisonerxOfxLove - I really hope you’re not as stupid irl as you come off as on Xanga.
Whether a person is a Christian or not, he has to admit that man is primarily selfish and self-serving. Capitalism and the US Constitution operate better for the benefit of humanity that the so-called altruists socialism. When a man can profit not only from work itself but the betterment of the production process all of humanity benefits.
@Celestial_Teapot - Do you want to give him credit after saying “100 years of capitalism…..”?
@Celestial_Teapot - Sorry but couldn’t help to laugh at that comment! LOL
@Celestial_Teapot - Facts are facts. People like you and @SolidStateTheory - , the junior college drop out are just going to have to learn to deal with it.
DEFINITELY number 1. Believe it or not I have written a post with the EXACT SAME TITLE! I kid you not. The majority are literally like seagulls. One strong mind and the rest fall into line behind the one.
@LadyboyRevolution - You are joining in on trolling with a Xanga’s only paid psychotic. He’s a member of Xanga’s staff.
@PrisonerxOfxLove - LOL now that is funny too!
@PrisonerxOfxLove - You know I’m from L.A.– like you were. Xanga is based in New York.
I’d have to say that both build up each other. A brilliant individual builds upon already established knowledge to create something new. But, the collective culture benefits from the march-to-the-beat-of-your-own-drummer way of thinking of the individual. So, I guess that what is best is a free individual inside a nurturing culture that supports the endeavors of the individual.
@angelwingfive - Collective means that everything you earn or accomplish, in addition to your mind, body and soul, belong to the state.
Being part a collective means that you are a slave since you do not own yourself.
I suspect that both are necessary. The number of truly brilliant people who can change the world is fairly small. It’s also true that some of them do not change the world in positive ways. True brilliance can point the way for others, though. Innovators carry others with them.
Cultural groups show us lifestyles and give us patterns to emulate in a way that individuals do not. Groups can also give us a sense of belonging. Many people crave that. I think that is one of the reasons that church membership is so popular in this country. It’s a place to belong and to have contact with others. It’s also a place where we are influenced by others even if we do not think that is happening. Clubs, college communities, and many workplaces can offer the same opportunity for being part of something.
Ha. None of you annoying dill-snips (like PrisonerxOfxLove) can follow directions.
@mtngirlsouth - Well said.
@PrisonerxOfxLove -
You should really learn history. You can make fun of me for going back to college later in life. That’s fine. But you are really, really inept at coming close to historical facts or arguments that make sense.
Like capitalism being around since the 18th century and all Curtis.
@SolidStateTheory - Calling people stupid and inept is not an argument.
If you don’t like 100 years of capitalism change it to 300 if you’d like. The point is that capitalism and American society produced riches and technology never before seen on Earth.
Christianity produced science, also.
So what I said is correct. Without Christianity and capitalism the world would look like Afghanistan.
@PrisonerxOfxLove @SolidStateTheory - You would do well to learn humility
Sigh, Soc misses this site for a couple of days,and look what happens.
I would like to remind all you potential flamers about this site’s policy which is plainly stated above. If you disagree with a statement, disagree and say why – don’t waste our time telling the person how stupid, etc, he/she is.
As usual, Nance1 has the idea,IMHO. Technological advances is always based on previous technology – and not too far ahead, or it isn’t accepted. While Marx’s ideas were mostly based on insufficient data, he did have a fairly good grasp of economic history – his basic problem is that he saw economic goals as paramount – which simply is not true – despite what all you libertrians say.
@LadyboyRevolution - – I scanned your site looking for the post similar to “Real social, economic, and cultural development has been…..” that you claim to have posted there, so that I could link it here,but could not find it. Could you provide the link, please.
@Socrates_Cafe - Unfortunately I think that was was on my old blog. I don’t think I have it anymore. Maybe on my main website.
Without individualism, there wouldn’t have been technology that we have today or the inventions we use daily to go to work or and continue our lives. Though it is difficult to be an individual in this New Age because religion controls everything. Collectivism has done more harm than good because of religion and racism and ita been time that ppl realize thay they could be more if they just be themselves than be victims of culture
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