McQuade 1

Amanda, McQuade
Mr. King
English I
26 May 2016
Argumentive Essay
The world. Is there any order, or utter chaos? Is it impossible for us to keep order? In a perfect
world run by collectivists, everything is neat and orderly, and everyone relies on each other to do
their jobs. Problems are solved using Divide and conquer systems, and everyone has their
place in their own groups. In an Individualist world, people are self-reliant and personal
achievements are most commonly recognized. Individualism is better than collectivism because
when people only depend on themselves to get things done; they become a more independent,
hardworking, and unique individual.

Individualists are often happier, because they are more likely to be respected. Therefore, they are
more likely to respect others. It is a simple way of looking at the world, when you see billions
of individuals, instead of various groups of people separated by race, nationality, gender,
religion, and social status. (JG Vibes). Collectivism has been a major cause behind many
political and social problems. A theme present in George Orwells Animal Farm. In the beginning
of the story, the animals stick together to form a social structure that is efficient and works very
well. However, when Snowball is chased off the farm, the head pig begins grouping the animals
by skill. The animals worked like slaves, but they were happy in their work (Orwell Ch. 6).
With successful propaganda and a cult of personality, he puts himself above all others. Since the

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beginning of time, people separated by groupings have faced prejudice, and it still goes on;
religious groups face persecution in the Middle East, and an ongoing war persists over Civil
Rights. An individual needs self-actualization, realizing personal potential, self- fulfillment, and
seeking personal growth and peak experience. (Maslow). Individualism is not only important
for self-made identity, but there is also importance of respecting others. People are more
accepting, and are happier to others, because everyone realizes they are different. Individualists
are not only unique, but individualists are also responsible for their own actions.

Individualists recognize the importance of freedom of choice. Often times, it takes the selfdetermination to motivate people to do well. Your brain against mine. Your woodcraft against
mine (Connel). In The Most Dangerous Game the ideas of individualism are explored. As
people are able to think for themselves in rising competition. Even in collectivist societies,
individualism is needed for goals to be reached. In China, a country with the ideals of
collectivism, requires a college entrance exam, that requires students to compete against each
other to get into college. One Parent, Zhao Xichen, stated, The competition for a prestigious
university seemed to start when my son went to school when he was 6 years old. Individualism
is vital in the world today, when people are constantly competing against each other for the most
positive outcome. When there is more freedom, there is also more responsibility. Individuals
have more freedom to make their own decisions, meaning it is easier to fix problems. In a
collectivist society, more wars are caused due to both prejudice and the inability to blame one
person for a mistake. A whole group must be blamed for the mistake of an individual, causing
dysfunction.In the past, most people who lived in countries that were involved in the allied
powers during WWI, would say that Germany was to blame. Fingers were pointed, entire

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peoples were blamed for problems, and then this caused years of war. Followed, blame caused
new problems that could have been avoided. Individualism has nothing to do with selfishness
when the individual is able to be honest about their actions.

Despite the evidence, many people believe individualists are selfish, and are unable to get things
done, but fail to see that individualists can do a lot in a small amount of time. Individualists
have more opportunities to make an impact (Ghram). The power of teamwork can often be
unreliable, as it is often seen that the most intelligent person is left with all the work. Groups
can argue, resulting in an unfinished project, and broken friendships. Another problem with
collectivist group projects, is the credit being earned by everyone, when one soul person was
working on the project the entire time. People can be credited with work that they didnt
complete. People are often taught the concepts of Black/White with no in between (J.G Vibes)
Individualists know that it is not a simple world, and there are many complexities and
complications. Although the argument is enticing, it fails to be strong, because people are
difficult to trust.
Individualism drives people to become more independent, hardworking, and driven. No one is
exactly alike. We are not machines, we are men (Charlie Chaplin). The world is full of so
many different people. Everyone has the freedom of thought, and the freedom to do. Everyone
may be following the rules, but there must be someone who is questioning these rules. Can
everyone have the potential to be their own person, and not be able to be molded by society?

Orwell, George. "Chapter 6." Animal Farm. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1954. N. pag. Print.

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McCloud, Saul. "Social Identity Theory." Simply Psychology. Saul McCloud, 2008. Web. 26
May 2016.
Graham, Stedman. "Your Identity Matters." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 21
Aug. 2013. Web. 26 May 2016.
Vibes, JG. "Why Individualism Is More Compassionate." Activist Post. JG Vibes, 2 Mar. 2012.
Web. 26 May 2016.
Kristof, Gregory. "China College Entrance Exam, Gaokao, Being Reconsidered." The Huffington
Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 3 July 2012. Web. 26 May 2016.
Biddle, Craig. "Individualism vs. Collectivism: Our Future, Our Choice - The Objective
Standard." The Objective Standard. Craig Biddle, 2012. Web. 26 May 2016.
Bibliography
. Graham, Stedman. "Your Identity Matters." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 21
Aug. 2013. Web. 26 May 2016.
Kristof, Gregory. "China College Entrance Exam, Gaokao, Being Reconsidered." The Huffington
Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 3 July 2012. Web. 26 May 2016.
McCloud, Saul. "Social Identity Theory." Simply Psychology. Saul McCloud, 2008. Web. 26
May 2016.
Vibes, JG. "Why Individualism Is More Compassionate." Activist Post. JG Vibes, 2 Mar. 2012.
Web. 26 May 2016.