There’s a big debate over the individual and the group. Whole philosophies have been developed in an attempt to explain why one is more important than the other. It wasn’t until earlier this year that a realization gave me a different take on this subject that I’d like to share.
Asking which should be valued more, the individual or the group, is the wrong question. It assumes that one can be more important than the other. If you remove all the individuals from a group, the group ceases to exist. This is why some people say that the individual is more important. Without group effort, however, individual living would be almost impossible. A great example of the interdependence of modern life is how many people it takes to make something as seemingly simple as a pencil. Plus humans are naturally social beings. Even shy, reserved, introverted, or otherwise selectively social people need others for both survival and well-being. This is why other people say that the group is more important than the individual.
So where does that leave us? Well, seeing the issue as a battle between the individual and the group assumes that the two are separate. That’s similar to asking whether the heads or tails side of a coin is the more important side; the fact is that without both sides, there would be no coin. This is why, when deciding what courses of action to take, it’s important to keep both the individual and the group in mind. Just as the individual shouldn’t be sacrificed for the sake of the group, neither should the group be cast aside for the sake of the individual. Looking for outcomes that prioritize the well-being of both is the best approach. That heals the imaginary divide between individual and group, reminds us all of our mutual interdependence, and gives the best chance for everybody to flourish.