I feel as though a shift is taking place, where we are seeing more of a rise in the Eastern approach of collectivism over individualism in popular culture. People appear to be more interested in fitting in than standing out. The goal is not now how different are you but how well do you execute a collective ideal. It still underpins the idea of reward but the goal has most certainty shifted. Where as the old guard eho underwent the idea of the invidual being number 1 during the second half of the 20th century. Many still think it important to announce your invidualism to the world but its clear that thise rewarded at the moment are those that achieve perfection of group ideals. Im not sure if collectivism puts an end to narcissism.. it just defines a different route in order to achieve reward.
However inviduals like Bowie and Prince...begin in my mind to look dated, even celebrities today aren't typically held up as inviduals of extraordinary differences more like accesible figure heads for collectivism.
Last edited by Bop (2016-05-10 00:33:12)
The need to be in a tribe has always been there, you can blame the baby-boomers for a lot and I do, but they had their collective love-in with the hippies and that ended quite badly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJodOyZBZGA
Attempts at collectivism have historically ended in famines and in the case of the hippies, Charlie Manson and his family:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uopmr4sBNM4
It's nice to be part of a group, but the herd, never!
Last edited by 4F Hepcat (2016-05-10 08:20:06)
Tom Wolfe wrote an essay in the 70s called the 'The "Me" Decade and the Third Great Awakening'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_%22Me%22_Decade_and_the_Third_Great_Awakening
Here's the essay:
http://nymag.com/news/features/45938/
Last edited by formby1 (2016-05-10 11:57:10)
Individualism has nothing to do with standing out, but carry on.
With virtue signaling, one can straddle individuality and conformity.