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I think and believe that we are becoming more individualistic and more independent. This is a positive, but also a negative factor.
I see around me that we want to do a lot by ourselves. We want to be independent to show that we are able to organise our lives by ourselves.
But do we really want this?

How is individualism present in our day and age?

“Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology or social outlook that emphasises the moral worth of the individual.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individualism

Radical Happiness, moment of collective joy - Lynne Segal

- Segal proposes that the power of true happiness can only be discovered collectively.

- Segal believes we have lost the art of “radical happiness”—the liberation that comes with transformative, collective joy. She argues that instead of obsessing about our own well-being we should seek fulfilment in the lives of others.

This is a picture of the scale of Hofstede. Geert Hofstede is a dutch social psychologist. He is well know for his pioneering research on cross-cultural groups and organisations. He describes national cultures along six dimensions: Power Distance, Individualism, Uncertainty avoidance, Masculinity, Long Term Orientation, and Indulgence vs. restraint.

SCROLL more down for FIELD RESEARCH

https://clearlycultural.com/geert-hofstede-cultural-dimensions/individualism/

- 1972: the family of the future manifesto
- values
-"...living in this overly organised efficient work based system of welfare and personal autonomy."
- "The state cannot provide you to be with other people, among people. You have to do it yourself."
-"Independence strips you of the ability of negotiating."
- online / offline - connecting / disconnecting
- Independence = emptiness, not happiness.
- Zygmunt Bauman, sociologist

Illustration by JR Bee

https://www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/is-individualism-a-good-thing/p05t8hct

In general, individualist cultures tend to conceive of people as self-directed and autonomous, and they tend to prioritize independence and uniqueness as cultural values. Collectivist cultures, on the other hand, tend to see people as connected with others and embedded in a broader social context – as such, they tend to emphasize interdependence, family relationships, and social conformity.

INDIVIDUALISM VS. COLLECTIVISM

Does individualism equals loneliness?

We don't become more individualistic, because of social media we know more about each other and do we have more to talk about

Popculture has influenced to place importance on one's image /character and has become more so over the decades.

Jazeker, in de huidige Westerse cultuur ligt de focus steeds meer op de mens als individu. Je wordt 'afgerekend' op je eigen keuzes en prestaties.

Yes, because of social media we already know everything about each other and we don't bother to ask anything.

Wanneer iemand echt luistert.

When non-superficial matters are being discussed.

Wanneer je echt contact maakt met iemand (in de vorm van oogcontact, lichaamshouding,
het oprecht interesse tonen, echt luisteren naar iemand.)

When you are not distracted by your phone.

When both sides listen and speak without interrupting each other.

When you speak to each other in real life and not via Whatsapp.

Interesting articles:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-brexit-globalization_b_58c02d18e4b0d1078ca2fc3d

higher incomes, more education, urbanization,
and a shift toward white-collar jobs

https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2018/02/05/581873428/could-a-more-individualistic-world-also-be-a-more-altruistic-one?t=1557064286486