How to Avert the Downside of Individualism on a Community

It’s not complicated to start a community wherever you interact with a moderate to large number of people buzzing around over the same topic and/or interest. And it would be unchallenging to start a community that built upon the same identity, citizenship, or residency since there is one thing that weaves them together.

However, starting a community is one thing, keeping its members feel belong in it is another. Why would you join a community when you don’t enjoy being part of it, wouldn’t you?

Such a community, in the end, will stuck in the middle of its journey since it fails to figure out why it has to exist in the first place; something that needs a consolidated decision, rather than one’s personal vision (aka the leader).

The weightiness of individualism

Individualistic culture values personal achievement, self-direction, and individual liberties. In times of trouble, such a culture expects people to solve their problems by themselves, be self-reliant, and not bother others with their difficulties.

These are good, with regard that one will learn how to grow and develop his or her full potential to be the best version of themselves. However, a drawback persists.

Given that individualistic culture appreciates autonomy and personal identity, society tends to prioritize its own convenience above the common good. Somebody raised by an individualistic culture will likely undermine how their decision affects others, as they assume that others will do the same.

Illustration: lalesh aldarwish

As a result, they're more likely will have to deal with more stress due to a feeling of loneliness and lack of support, tend to be more anti-social, all of which bring unhealthy impacts to the community. Suggesting a-my-way-or-the-highway approach is somewhat inhumane as it refuses to look at any community members as ordinary men or women with their plus and minus.

A disconnectedness of a worker from the whole team may lead to a declining sense of collectivism among them since none of the sides are willing to turn down their ego and start to reach out to each other.

An experiment

If you have tasted or are currently dealing with such situation above, rest assured. Instead of perceive individualism as a bad omen for your community, take it as a challenge that awaits for your answer. There will be a new level reached as you and your community manage to overcome such challenge, still, the question is ‘how’.

Most of people in the managerial roles are usually giving more spaces to the individualists, so that they can grow their potentials without sacrificing their precious privacy, which at some extent may drive them even farther from the collective goals.

 What about trying a different approach?

Instead of putting these individualists where they choose to be, let’s detach them from such comfort zone.  Delegate specific roles for the individualists where they will have to teach others to do something. This role will put them in particular situations where they interact more with others and bear the responsibility to empower them, therefore, the thickness of individualistic mindset can be reduced.

You will likely have to face their strong dislike when forcing them to go this way. But, hey, we are already familiar with more and more extreme situations day by day around us, due to economic hardships etc. A little complaint won’t ruin your day since the mutual good is above all.

With that being said, a constant communication is needed to build common understanding why they have to endure such inconvenience. Moreover, when it comes to online communities as it has different dimensions than traditional communities.

All in all, emotion makes us human, as well as the basic reason some employers prefer delegating human tasks to AI. Something that makes us feel alive has been scapegoated as the cause of unemployment in most of countries. Nevertheless, for centuries, it's humans’ ideas and passions that solve every problems they need to deal within their respective societies, magic charms that will make us become happier and find our meaning of life.