Understanding Society
Individuality is one of the most important aspects of American society. It plays an important role in creating our identity and defining who we are. It is what fuels our beliefs and drives our creativity, making each of us one of a kind. But when we think of individualism, we actually set ourselves apart from others. We compare ourselves in hopes to be unique through our personality, choices, style, image, and dreams. Another way of thinking about individuality is that we often focus on ourselves and only pay attention to the things that directly affect us. Overall, the emphasis on individuality is what makes the people of the US “American”.
However, we fail to realize that at times, we are too focused on ourselves that we are not able to clearly understand our surroundings. We cloud our heads with our own self-interests, only seeking what benefits us and not aware of the things that may benefit us can cost others. Although we do take others into the picture, it is not only them that we affect but others. Or even the same person but on a larger scale. Sometimes, we lack the thought and consideration of others. But we can only predict a small portion of the choices we make, never knowing the full extent of our actions.
During one of my tennis practices, my friend came up to me asking how my day was. I responded casually to her and we continued to practice. She then later continued to ask me questions and tried to start conversations. I appreciated her trying to do so but that morning was not the day to talk to me. It was the type of morning where social interactions would not benefit me, but rather make me irritated. Each question she asked me felt like an interrogation which made me feel uncomfortable so I responded to her in a dull tone.
I immediately regretted how I responded to her. She did not do anything to deserve my morning attitude so apologized to her soon after. What made me do this was my realization that I never considered her feelings. Maybe being her outgoing self, she wanted to start a conversation and be sociable. Maybe she was going through something and needed comfort through interactions with friends. Another possibility was that she saw me look not like myself, so she checked up on me to see if I needed her support. I will never know her real reason for talking to me that morning, but the way I acted was without fully considering her. I was too focused on how she affected me that I allowed it to cloud my judgments; thus, responding to her in a poor way. Because of this, I gained a greater sense of how I should act and how the little things I do can greatly affect others.
We are all connected by our interactions and which makes up a web of cause and effect relationships. But our idea of individualism in today’s society heavily influences the way we think and act. This allows small things to pass by quickly without us realizing their presence. I think individualism is important to a certain extent. It is important to express yourself, to be unique, but it is necessary to understand our surroundings as much as possible. Society needs to or at least try to comprehend the environment that surrounds us. Although individuals define themselves, their surroundings are just as important. It is beneficial to adopt a more understanding attitude in a society filled with individualistic views. But if we are taking into consideration others' feelings or actions, there is actually no right way to act. It’s just doing what is in our moral compass that directs the decisions you make.
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