Table of Contents
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Introduction
Everyone wants to be an individual. To be known as a singular person. To stand out amongst other people. Celebrities are known as singular. They are branded to be recognized by anything linked to them. Individualism as a concept emphasizes the moral worth of an individual. It focuses on independence and self-reliance, but I am using it to portray the authenticity of self. Authenticity is something that is now strived for. Individualism is believed to free the individual from the collective mind and expectations. With the age of social media and easier access to stardom, many people try to stand out as best they can to get attention. “Be yourself,” is advice many people have heard since their younger years. But those with personalities and images outside of societal standards know that the advice doesn’t apply to everyone equally.
Individualism, at its core, is supposed to celebrate the uniqueness of all and pursue a person’s own goals, desires, and beliefs. Individualism can mean freedom and with this freedom, it can bring solace to a person. Being authentic to ourselves and detaching from the judgments of others can be easier for some than it is for others. The world generally promotes individualism but the people it praises are typically the same. We notice that when we analyze social media influencers and celebrities.
How can people become comfortable enough within themselves to embrace their authenticity and individualism? There are always going to be aspects of our personality that we don’t like and wish that we could change. Looking at the images of others we find ourselves trying to match them. Portray ourselves in a similar manner in which they already exist. It is easy for us to imitate a collective group, especially with the rise of aesthetics. To buy all the ‘right’ things that make it easier for us to fit in. Societal standards make it hard to connect with our authentic selves and be comfortable with self-expression. How can we get comfortable being our authentic selves?
The Will to Accept Our ‘Flaws’
I believe it’s important to recognize characteristics of ourselves and to observe them without judgment. If we stumble over our words when speaking, a picture that we don’t particularly like, or how we slouch when sitting. We cannot accept ourselves if we constantly judge ourselves. There can’t be authenticity if we operate in shame. We can find solace in our individuality if we work to change our self-concept.
It doesn’t mean excusing negative traits but working on them without judgment - acknowledging them when they happen without shame or embarrassment. Exercising kindness to ourselves lets us become more comfortable being ourselves. When we become comfortable with ourselves it becomes easier to display our attributes in public. Focusing on internal validation keeps you detached from the potential judgments of others. Detachment is an art form that takes just as long to master as self-concept.
We also don’t want this step toward authenticity to be performative. We don’t want to act in certain ways to get the approval of others. There are traits that I want to adopt, be more communicative, and put more effort into my appearance but I don’t want my intention behind these actions to be the validation of others. To have success in this modern world it relies on the acceptance of others. I no longer want to abandon and loathe myself for people to pretend they like me. I don’t want to ignore my feelings and be fake when I don’t like someone. But I want to be successful. I want to be comfortable and proud of the person I am and the person I’ll develop to be.
The Struggle with Individualism
Comparing ourselves to the ‘perfect’ images we see from others forms an internal struggle when we try to be our authentic selves. Becoming a singular individual when comparing ourselves to someone else is impossible because we are masking ourselves as someone else’s shadow. Often, we see so many people try so hard to be ‘unique’ that anyone can see that it's performative. We get caught up in the idea that we need to be unique and different, and in the process, we might lose touch with who we truly are. The pressure to stand out and be perfect makes it hard to accept that we are all flawed and to display those flaws. This can lead to anxiety, depression, and overall dissatisfaction. Pressure to stand out can also lead to a paradoxical situation when everyone is trying to be unique that everyone looks the same. Performance individuality is truly just societal conformity.
Authentic Individualism
Authentic individualism isn’t promoting being different for the sake of being different. Authenticity means embracing who you are - both limitations and strengths. There is no way of becoming a better version of yourself is impossible if you don’t know who you are right now. Outside factors like family, society, and expectations make us act a certain way to gain support and understanding. We need to focus on internal validation and exploring who we are internally. We cannot escape ourselves. We have to forget the narrative that we created for ourselves to fit in or avoid judgments. A part of embracing ourselves authentically is confronting the parts of ourselves we don’t like - insecurities, jealousies, anger, and similar emotions. These emotions tell us deeper meanings about ourselves that we can’t ignore if we want to be authentic and comfortable within ourselves. Acceptance of ourselves doesn't mean complacency. We can improve ourselves with love. Authenticity and individualism are about making your path and not being swayed or limited by societal expectations or the desire for approval. It can be our greatest strength and lets us understand the most important relationship that we have: ourselves.
We can’t shame ourselves into change, we can only love ourselves into evolution.
Some hardships that come with embracing our truest self includes disapproval from family and friends making it difficult to feel comfortable being ourselves. Criticism from classmates and coworkers can be so intimidating to deal with. It can be lonely when people do not understand who you are. But for those you may lose, you can also gain people who understand and love you. The approval of others shouldn’t mean that you have to pretend. You always end up hurting yourself more.
Conclusion
Individualism can bring solace to a person stemming from authenticity and self-acceptance. It can become a source of agony based on comparison and the desire to meet societal standards of 'uniqueness'. The key is to find a balance - to celebrate our individuality without losing sight of our authenticity. In a world that often values conformity, it's important to remember that our worth is not determined by how different we are perceived by others, but by how true we are to ourselves.
