D. W. Winnicott said we start our lives as unintegrated beings, as a succession of impulses. In the beginning of our lives there is no psychological entity, the self.
The self is an accomplishment, family systems theorists tell us. The individuality force lies at the crux of the creation of a solid sense of self that leads us to follow our own directives, to think, feel, or act on our own behalf without worrying about what others think, feel or do, to be independent.
A person with a less strong individuality force can’t separate themselves from the emotional pull of the group. People with such a low level of differentiation are less able to contain their anxiety and more prone to act to relieve it. The more anxiety there is in a situation the more togetherness fusion there will be. Nothing binds anxiety as much as relationship. Being an individual – knowing one’s principles and living by them helps bind anxiety, too.
Instead of denigrating individuality, I would agree with you if you denigrated Egoism. To me Egoism is all about putting your interests Above the interests of others through control, domination, dehumanization of the other.
If you want a world without control, domination, dehumanization, authoritarianism – domination by an elite, then I would be on that side.
It’s time for the Crusade of the left to stop their religious war and engage in I-Thou dialogue. That requires affirmation of those you talk to. That requires not treating the other as an object of thought, but getting to know them concretely. That requires two individuals who make a commitment to listen to the other. What is your experience? What suffering has made you who you are? That requires listening to what concerns the other most, their apprehensions, their dreams. That requires surrendering our mental representations of who each other is and allowing the change that is the only constant to take place.
The group can be a tyranny, unless the individuality of its members is confirmed. I would go so far as to equate the ability to see others as individuals with mental health.
By Bonnie Calcagno – a Government Gang Stalking Target since 2006. Investigate U.S. Government Gang Stalking – http://www.StopGangStalkingPolice.com