Jessica this is a well articulated hypothesis that I will adopt as part of my vocabulary for attempting to understand my society and culture. I am in agreement with several other responders that your effective characterization of “individualism” is to me systemic and not the purview of any particular group, sect or organization.
I’d like to riff off your essay combined with several other good ones I’ve read lately. America as a culture tends to be individualistic and outward focused (a good example is the myth memorialized in the traditional Hollywood western). As a native Texan from West Texas (it looks sort of like the pictures from the Mars landers) who was raised on a ranch …my rural upbringing did not have much Jungian reflective discussion or intellectualism but it was anything but “High Noon”. Interdependent cooperation, generosity and helpfulness and trust in “the system” were traits highly regarded. When I go there now there is a layer from some that has a toxic feel and I’m in agreement with some fairly credentialed people that our technology and changes to our global economy and relevancy in post-modernism is fueling a substantial amount of the dystopia.
Social media, machine learning, curated guidance into echo chambers and the associated fueled “them/us” seems to me one source of fear based dysfunction and individualized group formation. When “fact” or “truth” becomes subjective where does reason or logic get a toe hold, a lighthouse reference? I personally know otherwise sane, kind, normal folks that now participate in QAnon theories and seriously announce to other church members that Donald Trump will again be US President in March of 2021. There is no response I can think of.
Lest someone reading this think I’m headed to a one sided diatribe (a more popular approach on Medium) — I’ve listened to the alternative narrative from equally otherwise sane, kind, normal folks that what they label as “fundamental evangelicals” or “racist” or “Trumpers” or “conspiracists” are irredeemable archetypes wholly bent on destroying the saintly goodness for which the preach against from atop their pedestal. None of it feels like kindness, healing, honesty, humility or open minded willingness to me.
I’m no saint. On any given moment I’m guilty of every single defect I’ve listed above. My aspiration is to get outside of my own head and going to being in the moment and putting my attention into a place of “unknowing”. I believe kindness is one of the attributes of that place. I can think offhand of other attributes such as humility, acceptance, restraint, honesty, patience, tolerance, modesty and gratitude. I don’t believe fighting anything or anyone is as helpful as me being part of the solution. And, for me, that is an action infinitely more easily said than done.
