Is Individualism Making You Miserable?

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If you ask the average young adult in America what they think of our individualistic culture, you will be met with mixed replies.

For some, individualism is a leading reason why America is so great.

The fact that you have the freedom to choose who you want to be—from how you dress, to how you act, to what/who you identify with—allows you to not be so tightly constrained to a strict set of rules.

And there are plenty of instances I can think of where more freedom of expression is a good thing. (Think of creative pursuits like art, or innovations in fashion.)

But if you ask others, an increase individualism marks the start of the downfall of America.

If there are little morals to abide by, and you can pick and choose from a plethora of tribes to connect with, disagreements unfold more rapidly.

So what does the alternative look like?

Well, I’ve had the opportunity to get a small glimpse into it this past week. 

And it might surprise you what I’ve come to find.

Roughly a week ago, I took a 14 hour flight to one of my dream destinations: Japan.

It’s absolutely beautiful. 

The cities are much cleaner, the rural areas feel like something out of a Studio Ghibli movie, and the food quality blows America out of the water. (See below.)

But something that stuck out more than these characteristics, is how much more conformity and politeness is present within the Japanese culture.

Standing out here (at least, based on what I’ve observed) is kind of frowned upon.
Most people wear the exact same clothing, in the exact same colors—only black, white, or grey.

Everybody is radio silent on the subway.

Respect and politeness is the standard. And I think we could learn a lot from that.

But I can feel this unspoken energy here. 

One that screams, “Let me out.”

While the standards are rigorously held, I’m sure most of the young people of Japan would love the opportunity to express themselves more and pursue their own passions, instead of the conventional path laid before them.

And I think the expressions I see on most of the faces here reflect that.

I say all of this because sometimes, you need to experience the opposite end of the spectrum to get a clearer picture.

We as Americans might think we want to live in a country like this, caging ourselves into rigid collectivism, going back to past traditions.

And to an extent, it would definitely help with our lack of trust and social cohesion. 

But like all things, there’s levels of nuance needed to realize that we might not want EVERYTHING that comes with a stricter culture.

America doesn’t shun you for breaking norms. And for the things I wanna build and innovate upon, that’s a beautiful thing.

Most of Japan’s innovation occurred decades ago. And their suffering economy exemplifies that.

We need to improve our cleanliness, basic human decency, respect and politeness towards each other, in a similar manner that Japan does.

Just without the rugged, enforced conformity that doesn’t incentivize evolution.

It’s just like I said in the last newsletter: Give unconditionally. Smile at your neighbors. Engage in small conversations at the cash register.

These are the small, unseen gestures that hold a society together. 

They don’t require you to give up your individualism.

And they’re things we can all do more often.

Quote of The Week

Thanks for reading, everyone. Hope you enjoy your weekend.

-Cole