The collectivist mindset

Since purchasing that Robert Frost book of poetry, I’ve been thinking more and more about the contrasting values of collectivism and individualism. Collectivism is the idea of group unity as seen primarily in Asian, Latin American, and African cultures. It is this notion that the individual should suppress his desires and sacrifice parts of it for the good of the group while individualism is, well, the opposite. Collectivism is also seen in the West in the form of major religious institutions that prioritize the importance of the family unity above all else. Family is not an unimportant component of being a functional individual in modern society, but I think there is an issue when individual needs are suppressed for the good of the group. I don’t think that’s a viable way to live for the average person. I don’t really know. 

In retrospect, I think healthcare is in and of itself a very collectivist mindset as well. Medicine is often regarded as a team sport and involves tremendous personal sacrifice in the service of others. It is inherently not an individualistic pursuit where a singular person’s needs can be elevated above those of others. Somehow, I think I’ve adopted a very individualistic mindset in my youth that is perhaps better fitted for the Western culture which prioritizes individual freedom and needs over group dynamics. At the end of the day, I think I would’ve been very unhappy in China: probably a functional citizen, but not a thriving one by any means. That’s just sort of my conjecture. 

Yet, the downside to the individualistic mindset is that I’m not a naturally strong person and to stand out from the crowd requires one to be strong in both the mental and physical sense. Strength is something one can work on, but there’s a genetic component to it as well. We do live in a society that is forged by Western men, who I think naturally tend to be a bit stronger than their Eastern counterparts perhaps because of the historic emphasis on sports over the intelligentsia. At the end of the day, one can only get by with what God-given talents he was bestowed with.