RT: https://www.amerika.org/?p=63892
I view it this way: you either have goals beyond yourself or not.
Individualists think only of themselves.
Others have goals, some good and some bad.
@amerika @sj_zero Not quite... both individualists and egoists can have goals beyond themselves, if and only if, those goals end up in feelings of pleasure, achievement etc. for the individual.
The main thing for the individual, is that it is my happiness that counts first and foremost, and if having goals beyond myself, increases my happiness, then that's all fine for the individualist.
This is an underdetermined scientific hypothesis that is sadly beyond science to prove. Finding the "ultimate" parameter ,individualism or altruism, is not possible, since it seeks to explain all behaviour. We can of course infer, and speculate, but empirical proof is difficult.
When it comes to doing it for "feelings" I disagree, and I argue that it is in fact the most healthy way to look at things. We have feelings of happiness, and
@amerika @sj_zero unhappiness, and that is just a fact of nature.
Disregarding feeling, in favour of an ideology, religion, ism, and doing what the leader says, despite that it making you unhappy, is extremely unhealthy, and if pursued long enough, will cause severe mental illness, depression, and might ultimately cost you your life.
Not to speak of wasted opportunities.
So a core _strength_ of individualism, is that it focuses on your feelings, and teaches us to
And I tend to think that the healthiest way to look at things is that nobody owes you anything, whereas you have a duty to yourself, immediate family, extended family, community, region, or Nation. Of course you still want to carefully choose your allegiances so that your contributions are positive in the world, but being thankful for everything that you get and giving whatever you can without being forced to by a tyranny is ultimately quite healthy.
I really need to get my next book out, it's basically in the can just needs one final review.
I think viewing it in terms of "owing" is probably self-sabotage.
The point is what makes the best life, and the answer is the transcendental, which gets us out of the ghetto of ourselves.
Forgive the Pollyanna stuff
I think humanity had to learn the lesson of this time
We are moving on to something much better, but nothing is written in stone yet
The dirty secret of individualism is that it decreases individuality; the essence of transcendentalism is that it helps us escape our lonely boring selves!
@amerika @sj_zero Lonely boring selves is actually a symptom of anti-individualism, it is people who are empty shells needing to be filled from without. This is caused by an overdose of collectivism.
Individualism is actually the antidote and yields wonderful, meaningful lives.
As for the transcendental, in the words ordinary meaning, this is beyond the empirical domain, and better treated as psychological comfort blankets, but must not, at all cost, be misunderstood as
@amerika @sj_zero anything related to reality.
A great starting point for breaking out of the collectivist strait jacket is Max Stirners classic the ego and his own.
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34580
Another classic is Epicurus Vatican sayings, as well as the science of positive psychology.
https://archive.org/details/lettersprincipal00geer
Enjoy!
"Not quite... both individualists and egoists can have goals beyond themselves, if and only if, those goals end up in feelings of pleasure, achievement etc. for the individual."
Suggests they are the same.
There is no altruism; we all act to do what pleases us.
But doing it for "feelings" is individualism, narcissism, solipsism, etc.
It is not a healthy psychology; in fact, it is inverted