1

Julian Numa
Mr. King
English 1
May 22 2016
Individualism vs. Collectivism
What if the world was nothing but peaceful and all humans worked together in perfect
harmony with no violence or corruption? Red, white and blue were built upon the self-reliance of
Americans citizens and a policy of isolationism. This policy is also known as individualism, the
habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant, focusing on their own goals rather than
the group. In the other corner there is collectivism, which is giving the group a priority over the
individual. While it is important to know what makes these different, it is also important to know
that a person can be both individualist and collectivist. Which one of these is more beneficial for
society and for the person? Because of human nature as social creatures, easier cooperation
through ideal thinking and a stable, safe, society, collectivism is better than individualism.
One reason that collectivism is better than individualism is safety in numbers. Since the
stone age, humans have long been wanting to join and stay in groups, as demonstrated by a study
by Joseph Cesario and Carlos Navarrete of Michigan State University in 2013, when compared
two different threats, humans perceived threats to be less larger when in groups. Like wolves,
and other pack animals, humans feel safer and more confident when surrounded by other people.
This group like mentality stretches far back to the beginning of mankind and has created some of
the greatest empires and colonies in recorded history.
Another benefit of collectivism and being in a group is the actions of the collectivists
benefit the group and the individual. In a collectivist society, people are less selfish, so it's less

likely for an individual to hurt the society. For example, a person who wanted to pollute a river
for his or her own good would likely be stopped by their group members who would be harmed.
A collectivist society also realizes that no man is an island, and helps that individual with their
problems, like financial struggles. Since everybody assists each other, the society can only grow.
But what about the other side of the spectrum? How does individualism stack up to
collectivism? Most people believe that collectivism forces people to give up their freedom and
individual ideas but they fail to see that the well being of the individual is what keeps the society
going and that collectivism benefits all individuals. For the individual, the only thing that matters
is the benefits of the person and only the person, this often leads to deceit, selfishness, and
hurting other humans. Another belief of individualism is that the collectivists at the top of the
chain reap all the rewards, but in reality, it shown that collectivists society are shown to have the
most equality, while individualistic countries, like the United States of America, are shown to
have less equality. In fact, according to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2014,
upper-income families are seven times wealthier than middle-class families in America now than
they were in 1984.
Our social human nature and tendency to stick to groups makes collectivism a more
viable option on how to run a society. With humans working together, peace for all, and benefits
for all, wouldnt collectivism be the more efficient way to run a society? Finding a balance for
collectivism and individualism just may truly be the best but until a perfect utopia is formed we
will stick to one or the other.

WORKS CITED
Salles, Joaquim Moreira. "The Wealth Gap Between Rich And Poor Is The Widest Ever
Recorded." ThinkProgress RSS. Center For American Progress Action Fund, 18 Dec. 2014. Web.
23 May 2016.

Henion, Andy, Joseph Cesario, and Carlos Navarrete. "Whether Human or Hyena, There's Safety
in Numbers." MSUToday. Michigan State University, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 23 May 2016.