The Awesomeness of Individuality, and Non-conventions turned Convention in America

“In this age, the mere example of nonconformity, the mere refusal to bend the knee to custom, is itself a service.  Precisely because the tyranny of opinion is such as to make eccentricity a reproach, it is desirable, in order to break through that tyranny, that people should be eccentric,” (page 520).  In the excerpt entitled,“Of Individuality, as One of the Elements of Well-Being,” John Stuart Mill discusses the importance of individuality to both the individual and to society as a whole.

‎"He who lets the world, or his own portion of it, choose his plan of life for him, has no need of any other faculty than the ape-like one of imitation. He who chooses his plan for himself, employs all his faculties,” (page 518).  Here, Mill states that blind conformity is sub-human.  The human capacity for logic and reason is too great to never be used.  “But it is the privilege and proper condition of a human being, arrived at the maturity of his faculties, to use and interpret experience in his own way,” (page 518).  Everyone interprets  life differently because of gender, socio-economic status, race, and religion.  Perspectives are further diversified by factors like personality, upbringing, friends, enemies, mentors, and so on and so on.  Every perspective is valid, but limited.  John Godfrey Saxe (this wasn’t in the reading, but I was reminded of it) wrote a poem called, “The Blind Men and the Elephant”.  In the poem, each of the blind men makes a valid observation about the elephant, but each one only experiences one part.  Separately, their observations are incomplete.  Together, they can put together the whole picture.  Mill echoes this sentiment when he writes that, “It is individuality that we war against: we should think we had done wonders if we had made ourselves all alike; forgetting that the unlikeness of one person to another is generally the first thing which draws the attention of either to the imperfection of his own type, and the superiority of another, or the possibility, by combining the advantages of both, of producing something better than either,” (page 520). 

“Persons of genius, it is true, are, and always are likely to be, a small minority; but in order to have them, it is necessary to preserve the soil in which they grow.  Genius can only breathe freely in an atmosphere of freedom,” (page 519).  Living in the Land of the Free, I had to ask myself a question.  Does this atmosphere exist in modern America?  Arguably, it does.  With the internet, anyone can start a blog, post a video.  Everyone is their own publisher.  Any opinion or idea can be expressed at anytime.  Freedom of expression is something Americans are extremely proud of, and this is reflected all over the culture.  Burger King advertises food made YOUR way.  TV ads tell viewers to express themselves through how they dress.  But all the clothes look the same.  How much selection does Burger King really have?  With a special place in the heart for the Greenwich Village artist, being unconventional has become a convention.  And what good is a blog if nobody reads it?  This atmosphere of freedom doesn’t just entail allowing people to express themselves.  It also involves people with open minds who are willing to listen to each other, learn from each other.  So it seems to me that America has come half way.  When politicians can come out from behind their political parties and discuss policy instead of politics, when discrimination against the, “weird kid” on the playground stops, when people learn to dialogue instead of debate, then the atmosphere of freedom is achieved.