this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2024
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In my view I don't think teaching individualism is mutually-exclusive from teaching tolerance and acceptance of diversity. Sure I think conservatives have led the misconception that these are, but that's not my view. To the contrary my family turned toward diversity despite my own parents being pretty low-educated, rural, religious blue-collar Republicans. Empathy was highly emphasized in my household mostly thanks to my mother and as a result I'm ardent progressive-leftist fighting for everyone's rights. I do agree that at a societal level that we of course benefit from diversity; the "Melting Pot of America" — the huddled masses yearning to breathe free scribed below France's gift, Lady Liberty, is after all a part of our identity.
For my kids I'll get them involved in all sorts of extracurricular activities that will allow them to interact with all backgrounds; but I won't put them in a situation where they feel trapped in an inescapable hell, for some of our schools can be pretty brutal. We plan to get them enrolled into community college a bit earlier, too, allowing them to earn college credits and get used to a classroom environment ahead of university.
I don't think you get my point. Sure, you did educate your children the best you could, and for the best goal of humanism. But you did so beside your society. That means that, at your core, you believe you are better than your society, AND you think your children are better learned OUT of it.
This is individualism at its core. You go the lone wolf path if it means it can ensure the better for your own tribe. At the expense of the society as a whole.
This is a self feeding cycle. Society will get worse and worse while some lineages of individuals will get better. That's how the liberal neo-feudalism is born.
I'm not blaming you. You do what you think is the best for your children in a society that pushes for this choice with all its strength. I'm merely trying to explain where it leads.
Individualism and Collectivism can coexist in my view. Again, I simply do not buy the premise that this is an either-or situation whereby I consider myself above society in all things; simply that in this narrow domain, I do believe I can do better with my child. Is that always the case? Of course not.
Naturally both pure individualism and pure collectivism carry their own risks and it's an endless pursuit of perfection for a society to find the right balance between the two.