Goal
Today, I analyze the hatred toward individualism and virtue.
Table of Contents
- Understanding the Power of Individualism and the Pursuit of Virtue
- Why Is There Hatred For Individualism?
- Individualism Frees The Individual
- The Terrifying Reality Of Owning Yourself
- How Should You Respond To Such Hatred?
- Always remember the hatred of individualism is hatred towards your most virtuous self
- Focus on your most virtuous self but don’t ignore the world
- Your Respond To Hatred By Embracing Personal Excellence
- Actionables
Understanding the Power of Individualism and the Pursuit of Virtue
“Individual rights are the means of subordinating society to moral law.” – Ayn Rand
Individualism is a social theory that values the individual above the needs, wants, and desires of the collective and the state. Politically, it is expressed through libertarianism, minarchism, and anarcho-capitalism. Economically, it is expressed through capitalism.
Virtue is moral and personal excellence. By living a virtuous life, your actions, thoughts, and behaviors align with what is right, productive, and sustainable.
Individualism is a personal philosophy about self-improvement through the rigorous pursuit of virtue. Only the individual can pursue virtue. Thus, we must think about virtue as an individual’s concern. To think “globally” or “collectively” about the good is externalizing moral responsibility.
The uncompromising pursuit of virtue helps individuals improve their lives by overcoming their vices, helping their community, and accomplishing their goals.
Why Is There Hatred Towards Individualism?
People will always oppose virtue. Pursuing virtue frees you from society, manipulators, and your vices.
No matter the political, racial, or cultural makeup, most people despise any philosophy that promotes individual excellence, responsibility, and freedom. Why is this?
Individualism Frees The Individual
Firstly, when an individual is responsible, he is free. He does not need abusive, manipulative people if he curtails his vices, controls his emotions, and clearly defines his goals. Furthermore, he isn’t led astray by such evil forces.
If I can show you how society takes and takes without giving much in return, you will reduce your participation and become more skeptical of governments, families, and corporations. Virtuous organizations can survive such skepticism. Vice-ridden, evil organizations cannot.
A man of great emotional control, empathy, and integrity will not join a mob that burns down cities over false narratives and half-truths. He won’t blindly vote for politicians and defend their evil actions. Lastly, he won’t waste his money on knick knacks to soothe his damaged soul.
He will be free and of no use to evil.
The Terrifying Reality Of Owning Yourself
Secondly, individualism highlights a painful truth: only the individual acts. Only the individual can pursue virtue. Thus, individuals cannot externalize responsibility or morality. If we commit evil, it is our fault. If we fail to act, that is our burden. If we wish to succeed, we must work.
If I show how your vices limit you – not society, not the government, not race, or whatever – but your vices, then you have a solution to your pain. However, personal responsibility, while successful, is painful. You will have to forgo comfort. You will have to pursue your ideal self relentlessly.
But individualism is clear. There is no other long-term, consistent solution to your suffering than to be more responsible. And everyone is terrified of this reality.
How Should You Respond To Such Hatred?
Overall, hatred of individualism will persist. As society further splinters and fails under the weight of its delusions, there will be no introspection. Even now, we constantly see people blaming individualism for the current downward trend of our society.
I have two techniques to help maintain your sanity as you endure a clown world determined to steal your sovereignty.
Always remember the hatred of individualism is hatred towards your most virtuous self
People despise individualism because it promotes personal excellence. If you can become the most virtuous version of yourself, you know evil and have the power to remove such evil from your life.
So, if your family has insulted and belittled you for your whole life, you now have the power and self-confidence to demand respect, or you will leave. If you have self-respect and power, you don’t have to cower before the government and kiss its boots. You can live outside the ruling class’s edicts while refusing to delude yourself into the fantasy that these psychopaths care about you.
People hate individualism because it grants you power; this power is achieved through becoming more virtuous. You don’t gain control through stealing, social manipulation, abuse, or addiction. You gain power by strengthening your mind, creating opportunities, meeting the virtuous needs of others, planning, being selfish with your resources, and focusing on yourself and those you are loyal to. Such power grants independence that angers the ruling classes, mobs, and elites.
Focus on your most virtuous self but don’t ignore the world
The world will not change. The average man has no interest in stemming the tide of his madness. Save yourself, support your community, and be virtuous; you will survive what comes next.
It’s worthwhile to know what’s going on. Vote when appropriate and have discussions when you can, but recognize that virtue is the only way out of this madness. Additionally, you must accept most people want to be enslaved, whether to their vices or a grand leader. Nothing will persuade them away from such slavery.
And lastly, accept collectivism is completely unsustainable and cannot work. Our current political and societal structure will collapse.
Therefore, you must become the best version of yourself. You can never reach true self-sufficiency, but there are a few things you can do:
- Collect your own water
- Power your home with generators so you are free from the government’s vulnerable power grid
- Grow your own food, so supply chain issues aren’t a concern
- Get in better shape so you don’t need the healthcare system for preventable ailments
- Learn new skills, so you can diversity your opportunities and financial options
You can only control yourself. The world and the men within it will pursue the worst path they can find. Don’t fret over them. Keep the focus on your most virtuous self so you may excel while the world crumbles.
Your Respond To Hatred By Embracing Personal Excellence
“Only the self-sufficient stand alone – most people follow the crowd and imitate.” – Bruce Lee
The fact that self-worth is earned, and only the individual can earn it, always puts the individual in more power than people want him to be. But you cannot have a beautiful forest with dead trees.
Become an individual and embrace your responsibility; the world be damned for opposing you.
Actionables
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” – Carl Jung
- Throughout your life, who has criticized individualism? What were those people like? Did you respect them? Where are they now?
- When did you first encounter individualism or philosophies very similar, such as objectivism? What was your first reaction? How did you become convinced of the trueness of the philosophy?
- What’s one aspect of yourself you wish you could improve? I would like to be more self-sufficient. Is there something you wish you could be better at? How does pursuing this goal help you and those you are loyal to?
Please remember that it’s important to do the actionables. You’re not on this earth to simply read but to do. To become an individual, you must act more than you consume.
*Image credit to Unsplash.
