Look, at history everything. We have every, great achievement has. Come from the independent. Work of some independent, mind, the, individual. Against the collective. Our. Country, the, noblest country in the history of men was based on the principle of individualism, well. Hey what's up. We. Are, bored. We're, cyborgs. From the Delta Quadrant buddy. No. Single, individual. Exist, within the Borg collective. But. With. The exception, of the, Borg Queen oh. You. Guys let's. Go swimming one, you have here no oh I, kind of decided I look better with hair so fork and happier no you. Could. Have said something I don't have to if I don't want to. Right. Otherwise. All, Borg, are linked into a hive mind our, ultimate, goal is the forcible. Assimilation. Of sentient, species all, the technologies. And knowledge. Buddy. But. All. That shit is bad right, I totally. Get why you don't want to be a part of it right and then. You, believe it individualism. Bro gem and or all and that's, the exact opposite, of this right. Right. Right. What. Is. Individualism. Well, through the years it's been conflated, with individuality. Which, is the acknowledgment that we are individuals, with our own wants, needs and, tastes. Individualism. Sounds, very much like it could be that but. Here's the thing it's. Not the. Individualism. Is an ideology. You, could take it as philosophy, as a moral, stance or just, an outlook, on life at the center of individualism. Is, you. Might be able to guess this one, the. Individual. Individualism. Holds, the individual, as the highest moral or intellectual, authority, in society, the interests, of the individual, should always take, precedence and, actions, taken by society. Or its institutions. Are regarded, as interference. That, boy claimed do you think you could do the collective, a favor no. My god I just got a new game on my phone and it gets me, individualism. Is often, defined as the opposite, of totalitarianism. Which is also oftentimes, conflated. With collectivism. Collectivism. Itself, is often missed defined as well used in reference to collective, characterizations. Of certain, groups for instance black. Lives matter is often collectively, described, as some, kind of terrorist organization. And they reject, that and rightfully. So they're. Protesting, police brutality, and violence which, is the, right thing to do ba. This. Collective. Ascription. Of means and motive happens. Externally. And not, by the choice of the group in question again, that's not collectivism, that, being said BLM, is actually, a kind of collectivism, because, it is attempting, to look out for the rights of black people, collectivism. Focuses. On societal, interests, it, prioritizes, the greater good now, that doesn't mean that there's no such thing as an individual, and collectivism. But that's individuality. Not. Individualism. But. We're. All unequal, no. One thank heavens, is quite like anyone, else however much the socialists may pretend otherwise and, we.
Believe That everyone, has the right to be unequal, that right there is an example of how individualism. And individuality, have, been conflated over, the years it's, actually fairly brilliant, what it does I mean total, trash but brilliant, trash it, takes the idea of inequality. And redefines. It as referring. Specifically. To what makes you unique as an individual. This actually, stigmatizes. The idea of equality, around here we don't flaunt, our special, talents because we, don't have any special talents, to flaunt is. That why you all have those cutie marks it, makes it sound like something that's going to end with you in a jumpsuit eating, beans in a 4x4 room, right next to the other seven. Billion. 4x4. Room's containing. A person in a jumpsuit eating beans and we're meant to believe that collectivism, causes, that after all China, is super, communist, and communism, is collectivism, right you know with their stock market, in their private industry. They're. Different classes. They're. Businessmen, let, their private jets and their factories. That exploit, the labor of its citizens, who literally don't make enough money to have a place to live so they, live in the factories, in dormitories. Which are small 4x4 rooms where, they eat beans, in jumpsuits, that's, communism, right. Well, actually what I described, to you is capitalism, with a little bit of feudalism mixed in but hey they call it communism, so it's collectivism, and that means it's bad now, if the individual. Is the ultimate, moral authority, than, the individual, is where the buck stops this. Is about individual, responsibility. Which you don't have enough of collective, Oh get. Off our ass, no. You get off your ass time to hike up those bootstraps, when I got started I only had a small loan of a million dollars and, I'm not talking about like keeping your house clean and paying your rent I'm not talking about your culpability, in a crime I'm talking, about your, situation. Individual. Responsibility. Is the idea that your situation is, 100. Percent entirely, of your own doing if you've done well in the world, because you've worked hard, and did a good job and no systemic consideration. Should be made such as your privileges, and he inherited wealth or lack thereof, etc, etc you, did it we, aspire. To be, like you, that's. Why we want to absorb you. Number. With the boy this is just. A shitty costume, or boy remember. His. Board now the trade-off of there being no systemic, factors in your successes, is that your failures, are also entirely. Your. Fault if you don't succeed you didn't try hard enough you didn't work hard enough you didn't bother to become educated, in fact it's your fault that you haven't seen all of the information despite. The fact there is no reliable guarantee, you'll ever get exposed, to that information, and there's also no guarantee that when given a choice you will be given a good choice, you may never be exposed, to a good option, and you'll be blamed for it because, you're ignorant and being, ignorant is a GREs, of, misdeed, in the world of individual. Responsibility how, dare you sounds, about right to me you leeches, we. Serve you we do your work so, what I innovate. In. 2017. Two psychologists. By the name of Nicole Stevens and Sara Townsend, published a research paper on how people feel about individualism. As influenced. By their social class their, research indicates, that people from working class backgrounds. Tend to understand, themselves as interdependent. With and highly connected to others in situations. Where there is no economic safety, net to fall back on values, such as solidarity. Humility. And loyalty, end up taking precedence within, their lives this, is different than with people of middle and upper-class backgrounds. Who tend to understand, themselves as independent. And separate, from others parents, teach kids the importance of cultivating their personal preferences, needs, and interests, common, sayings include the world is your oyster and, your voice matters, values. Such as uniqueness. Self-expression. And influence. Take precedence, and I don't know about you, but we the, Borg we're, really poor growing up you, gross. Speak, for yourself you nasty ass hive mind I've never been poor get a job and take a loser. I. Was. Kinda a, necessarily. Hostile. In the United States individualism. Is looked at as an ideal, self-reliance.
Is Next to godliness, individualism. Is one of the ideas that feeds into American, exceptionalism. An idea, that holds the United States in a unique place among nations to, Americans, in a positive, way to other, people throughout the world not necessarily, so although the actual technical definition. Of American exceptionalism is, just that it's different in the United States of America, exceptional. Is more often used as a means to say very. Good different. But above, different. With a positive, connotation. Superior. Because, different this, national, ideal, both feeds and is fed by individualism. And if you're an individualist, by gosh by golly you're one of the good ones according, to a man an individualist. Is a man who lives for his own sake and by his own mind he neither sacrifices. Himself to, others nor sacrificing. Others to himself he, deals with men as a producer, ain't, ran tended to hold production, as an incredibly, individualist. Trait and if you aren't producing, something to ain't rand you're a parasite of some kind like a tick not. Like the, tick like. A. Tick. See. Parasites. So. Would you like to clean the board toilets. Yeah. Didn't. Think so these. Amazing. Producers, take their product to market but, a market, isn't just merchants, customers, have to exist and the customer, is always right, individualism. Makes, that phrase pretty, fucked up people, like to negatively, associate. Participation. Trophies, with collectivism, or equality coaches, a patient's. Forever. But. Tell me something are all those people sharing, one trophy, did, the collective, achieve, a goal and collectively, receive, a reward is, that. One, trophy, for many no. It's. One trophy, per. Individual. A participation. Trophy is the customer, is always right. The event stops being about competition. And starts being about the individual, and their validation not. That competition, is the most healthy thing in the world but it's, the thing that sports, are usually, stated to be about a, participation. Trophy is the individual. And their parents, consuming. The event the, event is a product. It, is an experience, and, it, is the means to monetize. All, the, individuals. And their parents. Validation. If you want to criticize participation. Trophies talk about the commodification, of, experience, and realize, that it is capitalism. And, individualism. The event organiser, buys the trophies, and money, is made it's, bullshit. And it's, not left-wing, bullshit, in, neoliberal, capitalism, the system that the United States of America, runs on everything. Is a market, everything. Is meant to be seen as a transaction, meaning. You're always the customer meaning. You're. Always right and therefore. Always, acting, in quote/unquote rational. Self-interest. Which the gist of is that actions, can only be rational or, logical if. They act in the interest, of the individual, performing, them which sounds pretty good actually until, you consider that it was contextually. Used to criticize the idea of altruism, which is kind of like would--we the, collective, do you. Know work. In benefit, of others, without expecting, anything. In, return. Nice. Passive aggression you. Know what do that be. Happy it's not a labor strike it, was all part of a book in Rand authored, called the virtue of selfishness in the book she holds rationality. Is society's, highest virtue but it also diluted, the idea of rationality, by defining it as only, working in the interest of yourself, it's, actually pretty shitty if you ask man if you agree with this standpoint, it is irrational to help people I mean, unless you can get something out of it which nobody, who wants to be considered credible, would say yeah that's, a good way to do things you know it doesn't matter if they mean that or not it means that that is not something somebody would want to be known as having said selfishness.
Does, Not benefit. The many it doesn't, even benefit, the few it benefits. The individual. It. Is not good as a societal. Virtue in fact it is quite the opposite, and yet we have a system, that rewards it, if you're not acting, in your own rational, self-interest, if you are not putting yourself before, other people you. Often can't get anywhere so, from the perspective of getting anywhere, in capitalism, greed, is good however perspective. Is a very individual. Thing, and when I say individual. I don't mean individualist. I mean. By, nature, every, single person's, perspective is slightly, different our perception. Of the world is the result of our ocular, nerves transmitting. Data to our brain which is interpreted, and formed into an image that, system, in of itself is imperfect, lots of people see a blurrier, version, of reality whereas many, others see, it without certain, colors and that's, biological. Difference in perspective, there's also sociological. Difference in perspective, whereas, someone from a poor background may, not see the benefit in pure unchecked. Greed Scrooge, McDuck has, already, received it I mean, do you know what's swimming around in a pool of gold coins is like because. I do not between. Biological and, sociological differences. In perspective we have to acknowledge that people. See things differently, and this, isn't a comfortable, thought but this, is why there's no such thing as objective, reality, oh so. You're delusional postmodern. Fools who, think words mean whatever you want at the time that gender is a social construct and. You can believe your own personal, truth it's, all about you and what you want. The. Wouldn't. That, be, what an individualist. Was of. Course not all of that is degenerate, horseshit, it's, not about what other individuals. Want it's, about what I want. Yes. There is most certainly, a universal. Commonality. Outside. Of human perception, the, universe, is as it is whether we are here or not, however, truth is a concept, invented by humanity, just as facts, are and all other, words not, only is our perception, of reality colored, by our own person effective our recollection, of reality, our memory, the, way that we retain a grip on reality is.
Astoundingly. Imperfect. As well memory, is not stored in ones and zeros like, a computer, it is not definite, and nor, is the person with the most photographic. Memory in existence, perfect. Memory, is analog, and in flux it is fluid and in every way unlike, how computers, store data it's also not persistent, the ink on the pages of a book doesn't, change every time you read it memory. Does keep, in mind this is a simplification, this, ain't no brain class the takeaway, is that not only is perception, imperfect. But your ability to go back to that perception, is, imperfect. This, is why your, perception. Of facts. And reality, cannot. Be called, objective. Because, it's not this. Was a typical assertion. Of postmodern, philosophers. For instance Michel Foucault, however. The damn French say it presented. His ideas, and theories, on modernism. As a critical, history of he, didn't like being called a post modernist one bit but the, critique of modernism. Is, basically. Post modernism, now this is simplifying, but modernism. Presented, an objective, truth an objective reality and perspective. Kind, of makes that impossible this, idea advocates, acknowledgment, for the historical, and cultural construction. Of the concepts, that we power our societies, on but, also advocates, for ongoing criticism. To continue, in normal people terms this means being, skeptical of everything, but only if you understand, all of the historical, and cultural context. As well as its implications, so basically like YouTube, skeptics, but with, information. All of the information and. Acknowledgement. Of culture, and in, truth pretty much every, postmodern. Philosopher. Has something, different to say but ultimately. It's rejection, of empiricism, and objective reality, with the understanding, that human perspective makes, that impossible in. Perhaps, the most amazing, feat of irony ever, objectivism. Ain Rand's philosophy a. Philosophy that. Has guided some of the primary economic actors, of modern society, including alan greenspan also. Understands, this one, of the central tenets of objective, is that reality exists, totally independent, of human consciousness human, beings only have contact. With reality through, perception, which. I think is pretty correct, actually however, where post-modernism. Uses, this to frame critique, of human, perception. Objectivism. Asserts that you can attain objective. Knowledge through, perception. And the application. Of inductive. Logic this, is effectively, self aggrandizement of. The human race at, least in my opinion objective. Knowledge would require humanity's. Imperfections. To not be a factor, through, evidence, and standardized. Process. That acknowledges, evidence, skeptically. Of course applying. Scrutiny, when necessary we. Can create collective. Reality, but that requires, more than one person's, perception. Not, just perception, of an event or object, but their perception, of the evidence, regarding, it the more people who understand, the historical, and cultural implications, and, context, of these things the, more likely, our collective, reality is to be accurate.
Which By the way, accuracy. Is another, human concept, it, does not mean, perfect. Perfect. Is, impossible. So keeping all of this in mind what. Does an individual. Do when they believe themselves to be the highest moral, and intellectual, authority, in society, do they apply scrutiny. To the thoughts that they have upon, acknowledgement, of evidence, or, do. We simply view our thoughts as, correct. In several. Previous very, important documentaries. I talked, about the underlying need for validation that, we all have not, only is it important, for our own comfort, to be right about things but it is also important, for us to get and retain, employment, the, more like an expert, we appear to others the better and the, more like an expert we appear to ourselves the, easier, it is to appear, as such to others through, this and the lack of acknowledgement, that objectivity, is impossible, for the human race we've, managed, to conflate opinion, with fact and taste. With. Merit a person's. Viability, within, a system they must compete in order to exist, is almost, entirely, dependent on merit. And I promise, you that merit means different, things to. Different people so, does. The collective, even need, to ask your ideas on merit Queen well. None of your arguments, have any I choose, to ignore them, yeah. It sounds sounds about right when. The individual. Is the highest authority then. Agency. Is the highest, ideal and, when, agency, is the highest, ideal the, rights of the people are not. Having. No choice is no fun that's, why at Wendy's every, hand order isn't dressed the same you'll, get your choice the right to choose has not the right to any specific, choices at least, not in a system that seems to need loopholes, to exist, for, instance abortion. Unless, the very specific, right to get an abortion is both guaranteed, and delivered, on the. Right to choose doesn't, really matter and this, is how individualism. Functions. As a means of control, to. Force the will of institution. Whether public or private upon, an individual, is viewed, as an infringement on one's right to choose but. To control the environment to, ensure that any choice that could be made feeds, into the various agendas, of those with power allows, the individual, to retain agency. To, ensure that individuals. Believe, that that's all they require in, order to be truly free, then, all you really need is for, people to accept individualism. A man, that you may not have heard of but a man that has had a deep lasting, effect, on you, and everyone.
You Know is, a man named Edward Bernays, he. Was born November 22nd. 1891. And lived 103. Years he. Was Sigmund Freud's nephew we. Won't go too deeply, into Sigmund Freud on account well most of his work was bupkis, though on an essential, level Freud was incorrect, he had ideas that led Bernays to create highly effective, marketing, theory that worked, when applied practically, in, not just marketing, theory though he did start specifically. In the realm of marketing, he wrote the book on propaganda. And no I am NOT using that as a figure, of speech he. Wrote a book entitled, propaganda. That is essentially, how, to propaganda. Step. One don't. Call it propaganda, call. The stuff that the bad guys do propaganda, we, do public, relations here. Thanks. Among. His ideas, were attaching, a product, to a person's, inner self, including. Their desires and preferences, or what, you and I today might call identity. Character. Interesting. Characters. Always. The same the same hats, the same coat I'm, sure all of you were interesting. And have wonderful things about you, they're, looking at you in the street. You. All look so much, the same and. That's why I'm talking to you about the psychology. Of dress try. And express, yourselves, better, in your dress, he's. The originator, of the idea that, consumption, was an expression, of the inner self despite. Not personally, believing, it instead, using it to help create a controllable. Populace. As it, turns out some affords other ideas, such as everyone, holding dark internal, desires that they have no choice but to act upon and less redirected. In some way led Bernays to believe that the theories he created, should be used to control the populace, as, Bernays, put it in his a famous. Book of his called propaganda. Late. 1920s. Anything he. Said that we have learned that, the. Intelligent, minorities. Can. Engineer. Consent, through. The use of. Manipulation. Propaganda. And control. And we, should do it for the benefit of the public it's. For the benefit of the public that we should control. Them an engineer, their consent, because, the public, should. Not be participants. In the democratic process. They should be spectators, not, participants. They. Are ignorant. And meddlesome, outsiders. As he put it and for, their own benefit. We, the, intelligent. Minority the, responsible, men must. Control, them Bernays, believed that the masses, were unable to be informed. And rational actors. And thusly. Needed, to be controlled he, believed the best way to do this was to create atmosphere. Or what I have talked about as controlling. The environment coupled, with the idea that consumption. Was expression, of the self this, makes purchasing. Or whatever kind of consumption, we're talking, about and I say that because consumption. Can mean a pretty wide range of things it makes consumption, into a validating. Action, and that, validation, being, the ultimate means, of control, in a society where people resist, all attempts, at control, it sounds. Outside, the realm of possible. Except, it's not just possible it's, what we live in Edward, Bernays was not called the father of public. Relations for no reason, in fact the more that you believe you are above it that it is impossible, for it to happen to you they, pretty validated. Sounding, position, to take the, more likely that it is already, happening to you well. This, sounds a, lot. Like what people say collectivism, results, in quaint but. Aren't, you kind of just co-opting. The fact that people are all different just, to make the boogeyman out, of equality. Solidarity. And, cooperation, hell. Isn't, the board collected itself is a work of pop culture, at least partly. Working, to stoke fears of that very bogeyman, I mean, wouldn't. You say that, it all feeds into an ideology, the lies about choice, to minimize. Resistance, to control. We're. All individuals, but. There's a difference between being a, unique individual. And, individualism. No, shit we're all different no, shit we all want and need different things. Individualism. Is not the acknowledgement, or encouragement, of any of this it's, the co-option, of it it, uses, the fact that you are well, you.
As A form. Of justification. For every systemic, injustice you. Experience. It's, your, fault, because you didn't. Try hard enough never, mind the hurdles you just. Didn't jump high enough it, also places you, at the center of the universe making. You the highest moral authority, and the arbiter, of your, own personal, truth it's not post-modernism. That encourages, individuals, to define reality for, themselves, it's individualism. Post-modernism. And other forms, of skepticism. Our acknowledgement. That human perception, is flawed and the things should not be immediately, accepted, at face value if, you, were perpetually, correct about all things you wouldn't really need to learn, individualism. Makes you feel as though this is the way of the world your, decisions, are always right so when presented, with choices you, always pick the right one and if you are the ultimate authority in what's real and your agency, is the highest, ideal then. It's just a matter of ensuring that every, option is profitable, either economically. Or socially speaking. The, easiest, way to do this is to limit choice to a binary but, capitalism, can make it seem as though you have too many choices as, well either, way by, co-opting or, prefabricating. The options available to, people and ones agency, is affected, you are free to choose whatever. You want. Looking. For you you're. Being chased by the Empire. And it's super dizzying. Brah I know I, know, but. You got to remember it's not just you it's us, we. Could. Do amazing things together brah. But, more importantly, we. Can be here for each other you can. Be stopped. But, we we. Can get by with a, little help our. Friends. What, would. You do em for saying. Attitude. Would. You stand up and walk out on me. Let. Me. Your ears, and, now sing. You a song oh I. Will. Try not to, say Aniki.
2017-12-01