i'm not sure about my understanding of individualism,plz help me with this issue

[azurel0422]

i'm not a native speaker, and i'm not confident with my writing. plz correct me if my understanding is wrong.:)

Issue 141

Most people recognize the benefits of individuality, but the fact is that personal economic success requires conformity.

 

I agree with the speaker that conformity is sometimes beneficial for one to achieve economic success. A contrary view will reveal a naivete about the notion of cooperation and the theory of supply and demand. Nevertheless, overemphasis of conformity might lead to the lack of originality, which is deleterious to personal success.

First, it might be tempting to think that individualism helps us to establish original creations and the sense of independence, thereby leads to personal achievements. After all, individualism stresses self reliance, which is a necessary character in almost every successful person. However, in our society where the problems confront us are increasingly complicated, it is almost impossible for a single person to create any products of utilitarian value, therefore, co-operation becomes indispensable. Even designers, who are usually known for their independent thinking and creativity, require working in teams. Jonathan Eves, the designer of Ipod and Iphone, claims that there is almost no personal space in their studio, and the Apple design team always works in collaboration. Common sense tells us that conformity is the basis of co-operation. If a team member never conforms to others' ideas and always insists on his/her own, then there will always be quarrels in the team, which impedes effective working-- let alone meeting the common end.

At the same time, to achieve success, an individual needs to confirm to the society's needs. A person merely focus on his/her own interest regardless of the situation of the country and the world risks narrow mind, and is not likely to fulfill his/her wills. To the contrary, it is along with the process of meeting others’ needs that an individual demonstrates his/her ability, and eventually achieve success. For instance, we all see the success of Bill Gates and his Microsoft, and it is clear that both DOS and Windows are aimed at the consumer's needs, that is, a friendly and foolproof system. What if Bill Gates did not conform to the public's needs, but simply programmed for fun? It is clear that we would lack a good system, and he would by no means achieve tremendous success. It is clear that we would lose a good system, and Bill Gates would lose his entire success.

However, the notion of conformity should not extend to the absence of independent thinking. There are those in our society who think just as the mass media dictates, imitate their neighbors, and never make decisions on their own, it is obvious that this type of people who are lack of the air of originality are least likely to succeed. Just imagine a student who majors in business merely conforming to wealth, regardless of his/her talents and interest. How can he/she concentrate on his/her study without even a little love for studying the relationships of people and commercial phenomena? It is most likely that such a student will be ordinary both in school and in career. In sum, conformity, although necessary, is deleterious if not accompanied with independent thinking.

In conclusion, adequate conformity is the basis for co-operation, and is indispensable for one to make a difference in the society. Consequently, conformity is necessary for one to achieve economic success. However, independent thinking, as is highly regarded by individualism, is also essential for anyone to succeed, after all, mere conformity can result in the lack or originality, and impedes one's achievement.