Individualism.

I am an Individualist.

Recently, I found a bunch of words by just googling random things, and one of those words was "individualism". I was like,
WHOA! That is me!".

So now, I am here typing to tell you what an individualist is.

An Individualist is basically somebody who does things within their own interests, and acts as their own person. An individualist generally values goals and things such as relying upon yourself. We usually do not care to be influenced by external forces, IE family, friends, school, etc. Basically, wanting/having/believing to have the right to your own life without influence.

It can be connected to Sigmund Freud's theory of the "Id and the Ego" if you are familiar with it. A lot of people try to connect the individualist to the ego in his theory. But there are different types of "egos" I think the ego you are probably thinking of, like feeding off of compliments and being really self-proud etc. is not exactly what his theory says. ALTHOUGH some individualists are also not egoists.

But truthfully, I am an ethical egoist, which means that I act within my own interest without care to others, EXCEPT in harm. So for example, if there is something I really want for the benefit of myself, but I have to kill a man to get it, I wouldn't do that.

I know I am an individualist because I don't really care about others in retrospect to myself. I do care about others, and I want to be a psychologist, but I don't care with others in the sense that I don't want them to influence me unless I want to be influenced by them. So frequently I pass away any comments they make that I don't believe in. Something else I know I am is not the type of person to "give in" easily. I am very set in my ways and morals, and there is nothing that can stop that.

But I believe in individualism a lot in thinking about gender socialization (how children are raised for a girl to like pink and play with barbies and for a boy to like blue and play with trucks). I am not going to raise my children as much as they are going to raise themselves. Of course I am going to raise them and put them to bed and feed them. But I will allow my little boy to wear a dress if he wishes, or I will give them opportunities to make decisions on their own, and give them opportunities to learn about new cultures and foods etc.

The only thing I do not like about that style of raising is that it leaves it WIDE OPEN for them to become influenced by anything. People get influenced by everything around them, which is what I don't like.

But I also believe that if we were influenced by nothing, we would not have a life.

I guess my overall point is I am an individualist, an ethical egoist with strong morals and values and I think you should take your morals and values and CHOOSE what influences you. Tune out any negative sources, and tune into any positive things. Its easier then it sounds.

I hope you find this blog informative and educational and so you can learn a little more about me. :)