The world has transitioned into a state where culture has morphed into a hybrid of what it once was and is today. I am a fan of change, but this change brings about many problems for our minds. We can have a belief and hold it as truth, but then in the same turn, abandon that belief for some fame or wealth. What will this do in the long run? The short answer is anarchy, but that path is far from near. This means that we can become aware of the shift in the world and use it to our advantage. Today I will be breaking down the premise of individual & collective culture. 

When we look at how we once were, it might not seem like we are much different. There will be areas where we focus on ourselves as individuals and when we will look towards the group/family and then make a choice. That choice is simple, what do I do? The problem with the choice today is that many people have clouded perceptions of themselves and their environment. We now live in a superficial world where being honest and speaking the truth is taboo. If you do not follow the crowd, you are outcasted and canceled, even if the crowd is going in the wrong direction.

The main focus of individualistic culture is that you do not need to worry about the needs of others overall. I say overall because if you are a parent, you will naturally have a little human who needs you to have them in their mind. An infant, let alone a child is helpless for the first many years of their life. There will come a time when that child will no longer need support and begin to live how they believe they should. What has happened at that junction of changing from collective need to individual need is a mix of hormones and societal standards. The mix of the two has caused many people to think one way but act differently.

Society has stated that being alone is terrible and that you should find a group of people to consort with. Though this might not appear to be you at first, you must look back at your years in school and work. Were you a team player? Do you have a group of friends or colleagues with whom you would associate more? How about the people you didn’t speak with frequently, what is the reason for that? Those answers will give you the clues to tell you where you lie on the spectrum. I can tell you from my life that I used to be a collective culture member, but I abandoned that ship once I saw where it was leading me.

The most significant benefit of individualistic culture is that you get to place your needs first. There is an analogy of filling up your cup first. If you fill up your cup first, you can get to the point where it overflows, and those around you will benefit. The other side is if you give from your cup first, you risk emptying your cup and being without it. There is a saying that a taker will take until there is nothing more to take, and a giver will give until there is nothing more to offer. The problem with giving until nothing is left creates a void in your life that can take time to recover from.

Often when clients come to me and tell me they are not happy or feel stuck, it is due to the lack of a full cup. Many expect to be treated the same way they treat others, but that is not the reality. People will smile at you one day and stab you in the back the next. Though that way of thinking is pessimistic, it offers a great talking point about the benefits of individual culture. When you do not have to worry about anyone else but yourself, then life can be easy. Though life is more straightforward, it doesn’t mean it is fulfilling. 

I know people who have it all! They have fame, wealth, admiration, and, you would think, happiness, but they do not have joy or fulfillment. We have come to live in this material world where our possessions speak for us. If I drive a Mercedez, I am wealthy, but if I drive a Nissan, I am a commoner. Though these labels mean nothing to a strong mindset, a weak mindset sees this as status. That status is driven by the collective culture within and around us.

Collective culture will deal with the values and interests of groups and others around us. Someone weighted more on the collective mindset will look for peer acceptance, meet societal standards, and conform when told to do so. This has been given many different names, such as following the herd, mob mentality, or mob psychosis. These factors weigh heavily on a person’s ability to think clearly. I am not even talking about critical thinking; just regular thinking of cause and effect is skewed in the collective mindset.

Having a collective mindset is not a bad thing. Many good things can come from a collective mindset, such as a strong family. A family that fights and struggles together will make it out safely together. The problem with our society is that we have assigned gender roles to what a person should and should not do. For example, a man should protect and provide, and a woman should stay at home. Today a woman can go out and provide while the man stays home. The roles have reversed, but that isn’t the problem.

The problem is mixing the two cultures and believing that you are operating in our best interest. For example, how important is your happiness in a relationship? Does or should your partner make you happy? I do not have a solid number yet. Still, I can confidently say that many people want to be happy in their relationship, and often, one or both of the people in the relationship ties happiness to their partner. What that does in the long wrong is take away the cultural way of thinking from the family and insert your way of thinking into the equation.

The problem with mixing the two is that you will eventually begin to look at your interest before the groups. So even if you are in a team environment, you might want to shine brighter or find out ways to get ahead or the advantage. It seems harmless in the scheme of things, but what it does to you mentally is another story. At that shift in your way of thinking, you will go from making sure others win to making sure you only win. It will not appear that way at first, and you are shaking your head in denial, but it is the aftermath.

When I was in college, my first-year phycology professor Mr. Sopchak told us that all men are dogs. Of course, I was in denial, and the whole class was in a civilized but headed debate. That class was great because it opened my eyes to my truth vs. the absolute truth. Yes, all men are dogs, but all men choose whether to act towards those tendencies. Similar to how all people are capable of immense violence. It doesn’t mean people will start walking around punching people in the face for no apparent reason. Times are changing, but are they for the better?

I could sit here and talk about individual vs. collective culture, but it would not get to the point of which one is right for you or which mindset you are in. For that, I would recommend getting a coach to help you through the process of where you are today and where you would like to be in the future. We indeed go on this journey of life mixed with individual and collective culture, but how our mindset formulates depends on how we see the result. Do you know what is happening in your groups in the world as well? Do you favor one thing over the other? Also, how and if something benefits you versus what other people are doing.

We live in a world where our beliefs and opinion have the power to drive truth. What you believe in your bible might not be true for me. Who would be wrong in that situation? I can say from experience that defeat awaits you if you go off and fight the world before you fight your internal battles. We all have inner work that needs to be done and or maintenance that needs to be unkempt. The work to mindset is a long journey; as you age and grow wiser, so does your way of thinking and how you will present yourself to the world. Your path will be unique, so do not be afraid to walk alone or together if that is your destiny. 

 

Until then,

Michael Rearden

Founder of Reven Concepts