The Problem With Hyper-Individualism

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The "hyper-individualist" mindset runs rampant in capitalist nations, especially the US, where it's praised as "hard work" and "common sense." In this episode, we take a look at why the individualist mindset is counterproductive and an utterly absurd way to view the world.
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The Problem With Hyper-Individualism - Second Thought
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[@seafoam6119]

“The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.” Now that on a country wide scale.

[@5Genjoyer]

There is no war but class war. If you're not a combattant, you're collateral damage.

[@fnutarf2085]

Nothing wrong with a little fire to enlighten your surroundings

[@Dachusblot]

As someone who has been freezing in my apartment for the past few days down in Texas... Man I really feel that.

[@bradleyp3655]

"It takes a village to raise a child" - African Proverb. Another example as to why the human species is socialistic by it's very nature.

[@felixpotter6420]

@@bradleyp3655 a quote is an example of human behavioural biology?

[@user-jp7tw3sd3x]

"Pulling yourself by the bootstraps" is physically impossible. That's the original meaning of the phrase, that's been abused so much that people have even forgotten what it actually means.

[@daleburnhard1720]

You can’t pull yourself up because they’re literally beneath you.. but irony is lost on these people like lots of other things

[@crackedemerald4930]

It's one of my favourite type of cartoon gags.

[@questworldmatrix]

Which only shows the intelligence of the people who keep pushing it.

[@crackedemerald4930]

@@shotelco why not just ask them for a lift? They'd have an elevator, right?

[@Kharmitas]

Similarly, "Pie in the Sky" was invented by socialist unions to mock Christian capitalists (Namely, the Salvation Army) for insisting that people should put off living a life with dignity and a lack of starvation in this life to get into heaven - telling people to go without bread on earth in the hopes of getting a pie in the sky. It's now used to mock progressives for the supposed unrealistic character of their basic demands.

[@LobbeWOW]

Making money with money is a lot easier than making money through hard work.

[@LobbeWOW]

@@florianruhstaller1730 Rich families have rich descendants, not because these kids are fundamentally smarter, but they do have far more resources to assist themselves with.

[@LobbeWOW]

​@@florianruhstaller1730 I feel like you may have missed my point to begin with friend. I'm not sour or annoyed with people utilizing money to create more profits and in short "spending money to make money" - since that is the very foundation of the american system. My empathy instead goes out to the people who work extremely hard at low paying jobs because manual labor (despite its tough physical requirements) are not very well compensated because money simply makes money a lot easier than a low tier employee does. Telling such people to simply "work hard, that's the solution" is simply refusing to acknowledge that they are plain F'd in the vast majority of cases.

[@LobbeWOW]

@@florianruhstaller1730 You are living in a bubble my friend, and i'm sorry to tell you this, but the american society would break apart completely without people working minimum wage. Furthermore, fulfilling what the market wants, i.e supply and demand, does not mean you magically end up with a reasonable pay, if that was the case then school teachers in public schools would be way better off. Anyway, i suppose we gotta just agree to disagree on this one friend, i respect your opinion even though i do not share it and i wish you well along with a belated happy easter.

[@davidemmyg]

Yep you can read books and watch videos on the internet and upgrade to a fifty dollar as hour job

[@ronylouis0]

@@florianruhstaller1730 right because you think everyone can afford internet? and if everyone got high paying jobs who'd be doing the low paying ones? it's not normal that working jobs are paid this low. your idea of choice is to choose between bad and good jobs. our idea is that you can do whatever job you want or are qqualified to do, and still be able to live as comfortably as a low middle class. and don't tell me that's impossible because that's the most easily disprovable argument

[@kylexy1223]

“It’s all right to tell a man to lift himself by his own bootstraps, but it is cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

[@litheon1289]

That's such a great quote, i cant believe I havent heard it before!!! Thank you for posting that

[@briannem.6787]

I can't believe that republicans and such use "lift by the bootstraps", even though it's impossible to lift yourself by bootstraps.

[@briannem.6787]

@@ultraviolet7838 It seems to fly over the republican's collective heads, though

[@zodiacdana]

You can lead a person to boots, but you can't make them put them on.

[@blacklyfe5543]

​@@zodiacdanayou can lead a horse to water but you can't make the horse drink it.

[@QuestionEverythingButWHY]

"Anyone who has ever struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor" --James Baldwin

[@PaleGhost69]

@@waliddjema5442 So by your logic, you're parasiting this comment with your comment?

[@Dachusblot]

Reminds me of a quote by the late great Terry Pratchett: "The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example... A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time _and would still have wet feet._"

[@hello7032]

Poverty is heritable

[@jborrego2406]

@ThinkBefore YouType but a lot of rep are poor white ppl from rual areas

[@dar9430]

Yep. My late husband lost his health ins. at work. Couldn't go to a dr...til he couldn't swallow (stage 4 esoph cancer). 1st Dr asked if he had ins. "No" he said. "THAT'S gonna b a problem ". (Passed 7 months later)...it cost him his life

[@Jim89M]

I know a colleague of mine, we used to work in the same factory, now he is a millionaire.. first, he worked hard for 10 years in the factory.. then, a rich uncle of his died and he inherited 1million $

[@balkje]

Good for him

[@Lumberjack_king]

He was lucky i personally dont blame him i dont the guy but it is true that power corrupts.

[@Perroden]

And most people don't know what to do with $1000000 it is a lot of money but most people are too stupid to make it last

[@adamkalb1]

@@Perroden Just do what Noom and Raj do and share 5% with the less fortunate who need it more. Or use that singular million to make a captivating low-budget movie! That is what I would do.

[@mitscientifica1569]

More examples of Hyper-Individualism by White Liberal Supremacists: What do all these Privileged, Woke , White Liberal Supremacists have in common: -Jimmy Kimmel , Jimmy Kimmel Live -Jimmy Fallon, Tonight Show -Alyssa Milano , Actress -Ralph Northam, Governor , Virginia -Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia -Howard Stern, Famed Radio Shock Jock -Joy Behar, Host of The View -Sarah Silverman , Comedian All are Progressive Democrats, all support BLM , Critical Race Theory and…..wait for it…..all wore black face...... and yes they haven’t been canceled and/or loss their jobs.

[@XtarShoter]

"When you see yourself as the morally upright hero and everyone else as competition" Exactly, so many people walk around with the main-character syndrome.

[@jooot_6850]

I am the main character. You are all NPCs

[@clarkbruce_swe91]

That's why Trump pretty much became president, before he became president.

[@glasss-o-water5186]

@@jooot_6850 no you’re not, I am the only one that has a mind. You are all literal bots and only I exist.

[@Perroden]

Know a lot of people walk around with individualism allowed to be their own person and do what they want with their stuff being told what to do when that being told that they have to give their money to lazy people

[@adamkalb1]

Protagonist-centered morality really sucks. That is why I respect Admirable Animations #49 for having Herb Kazzaz tell Bojack Horseman that he is not really the good guy as which he likes to view himself, and why it was really brilliant for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend to have that horrific song where Rebecca realizes...she is the villain of her own story. She thought she was Jasmine in the tale of Aladdin, but she was actually Jafar.

[@josephabraham4058]

I was homeless for 4 years. I worked and was laid off 3 times between 2000 and 2008. I can easily outwork any man because I've had to eat out of dumpsters and wipe my ass with leaves, or other detrital. The idea that working your ass off will make you a millionaire, is somewhat of a joke.

[@Jimraynor45]

Why would you as a homeless man aspire to be a millionaire? Quite ambitious or even "greedy" aren't we? I was homeless once as well and I would of been happy just to have enough food to eat. Here's a free lesson for you, when it comes to richness, what matters is not so much how hard you work, but how much is your work valued? A mule can drag a plow all day and not earn a penny, yet an artist might sketch something in five minutes and be paid thousands for it. Should we endeavor to enrich the mule as much as the artist? That to me, would be the true joke.

[@jakekaywell5972]

@@notpublic8961 Ah yes, because as we all know, all working class people are required to not have a good vocabulary. They should all just be crude their entire lives.

[@jakekaywell5972]

@@Jimraynor45 The fact that he has more lofty goals than you did then is no reason to criticize him. Also, good luck having your hard work valued by anyone when you're homeless. A man can be employed and still be treated with unbridled contempt if he is homeless.

[@anthropomorphicpeanut6160]

@@Jimraynor45 he didn't say he aspired to be a millionaire lol

[@barrackobama2216]

@@Jimraynor45 You have proved the point of the video, it doesnt matter how hard you work.

[@muntherdoesstuff9615]

The politicians who say you have to work hard don’t work hard and are rich

[@burdicio2175]

Exactly...they love to just sit there and make demands of the workers while not facilitating

[@randomthings1293]

@@burdicio2175 While going to Cancun, Mexico...

[@lopoa126]

@@randomthings1293 Cancun Cruz needed that massive set of luggage for an overnight where he clearly planned to return early the next day. Totally planned. Totally not guilt tripped into returning early

[@josephkillman5979]

You have to work hard if you were not providing the same opportunity as them. It's not fair, but if life was fair, the horse would ride you half the time.

[@josephkillman5979]

Or you could complain and use it as an excuse as to why you can not improve your own life.

[@goofytuna6077]

And we wonder why nobody talks to their neighbors anymore, why everyone feels so lonely and tired all the time. Yet we fail to realize that these are all byproducts of our hyper individualistic society.

[@ontopp247]

Great point. I rarely see my neighbors. When I see one of them, they don't speak. Barely looks at me as we pass. Sad.

[@shareefpeoples5317]

The never ending race to rich hood. Its sooo superficial, i wish to never bring a child into this world.

[@ShinobiXRevived]

Then don’t. I got a vasectomy at age 23 at planned parenthood. I’d do anything to prevent my children from being born into this shit, so I turned my words into action

[@rymc420]

Go talk to them you loser. Lol

[@revatronprime4120]

@@rymc420 i talk to my neighbors but they're musty

[@jerzbouy1]

"It takes a village to raise a child." I think we all know we are what we are through a combination of society, environment, culture, nurturing, and individuality. We know it can't be done alone no matter how much egotistical "self made people" try to tell us different.

[@AbuBased731]

We live in a SuSiety😳🆘⭕⭕⭕🆘👌🏻

[@hopelesslyoptimistic8231]

I believe in altruistic Individualism. The reason to good things and care about others is that ultimately how we interact with the world will affect us and the things we care about. We should innately care about the world because we wouldn’t be able to care for ourselves without it. For example, complimenting someone while you’re walking down the street may seem pointless because you may never see that person ever again but by doing so you improve that person life which may improve someone else’s life and makes the world better affecting you. No matter how insignificant it may seem, you are making the world a better place and the world is your home-so you’re making your life better.

[@your-username-here2308]

Sorry, but i dont need the vast majority of People or a Mass Society. There is a difference between Groups and what we call ""Society"" today. And i would love to see it die. Even with all the convenience gone.

[@your-username-here2308]

@@hopelesslyoptimistic8231 compliments are usually something that annoys me and makes my day less good.

[@MezmerKaiser725]

Anyone with a child can confirm that it's impossible to raise one alone, especially in our society today

[@abigailgriffin-wc3fm]

Individualism as a philosophy has always been hilarious because it is the opposite of how we got to this point. Humans are the dominant species not just cuz we're smart but because we worked together humans are social collaborative creatures

[@alyaaearth4755]

What if ur group is shi*tty😅 ?

[@coreo2408]

​@@alyaaearth4755comment to get the answer. I want to find a way to improve the community around me.

[@axa3687]

Individualism isn't about "doing it alone". It's about individual identity and nonconformity. We have the most diverse peoples in the U.S.: the best scientists, yet the dumbest flat earthers; the best athletes, yet the fattest people; the most variety of artists, etc. Individualism is how all animals speciate.

[@0-Templar-0]

​@@alyaaearth4755You remove the shi*tty ones.

[@pratik4309]

​​@@0-Templar-0usually it is difficult to find someone who have thinking as we have, so most people around us are shi*tty

[@mehdihassan8316]

Summary in my POV: Society has been conditioned to work hard to escape poverty by making children compete with each other in school. We're taught at a young age to work hard and be successful. This goes on into adulthood where those people now believe hard work is the sole way to escape poverty. Since many have their childhood curiosity squashed in school, many dont question the system in adulthood. They engage in the rat race just to make ends meet. When they see people who say the system is rigged, they belittle them because of their conditioning. They do this because they want to believe their hard work meant something, or else their life was a lie. Based on how you lived, you hold different mindsets about how life works. Since questioning beliefs is a no-no to some people, people resort to their emotions instead of logic. Due to this people dont want to acknowledge how your circumstances effect your likelihood of success. Therefore everyone believing hard work is the key to success is partially wrong because the playing field is unfair and the government does not try to fix it. This leads to people believing that if they work hard like other people, they might gain success. This is a flawed system because if the game is rigged, no amount of hard work may get you to a path to success.

[@forhonortangled1641]

"Hard working" is never the main factor for one's success. Just to clarify, Hard working is still necessary for one to achieve his/her goal, but since the society is promoting Hard working to a place over everything else and despite the fact that rich families have a 90% possibility to remain in the top-paying positions, it becomes the real problem.

[@iCrimzon]

The last sentence is based

[@ceu160193]

It's not really hard work, it's mainly luck and smarts. If you happened to be in right place and time, you can get rich. If you happened to know, how to game the system, you can get rich.

[@marshallsweatherhiking1820]

People are better at working hard when their work is meaningful. People who are treated as cogs in a machine will be lazy because there is nothing to motivate them other than a paycheck.

[@needlessoptions]

Nobody works harder than the poor.

[@Norseduke]

"In this episod we are going to take a brief look" shows briefcase... nice editing touch

[@whyphy2213]

😆 😆

[@krejados1]

I caught that too!

[@thefrantasticmissfine]

Missed opportunity for a euphemism?

[@mildredmartinez8843]

Great evidence that we do not choose to live in poverty, discrimination ot bigotedness. Thanks.

[@SerbianDingo]

Bro it's a pun wtf

[@abmaw]

My absolute favorite line: "Elon Musk, supposedly an Iron Man style brain genius, enjoyed family wealth from apartheid businesses which he has translated into two companies that abuse government subsidies and profit from wasteful non-solutions to climate change."

[@sten260]

that's not true though, Elon made Paypal from his basement and sold it for 1.5 billion

[@anmolpatel793]

The only wealth Elon got was genetics and Canadian citizenship he wouldn't be working as a lumberjack if he had all the family wealth.

[@mrknarf4438]

@@erfolgreich I agree. And yet, only one person out of that 4% became Elon Musk. You get gifts in life, and that's right, because his parent and his parents' parents worked to get them there. But what you do with them is on you, and countless millionaires lose their wealth in a span of one or two generations because the newcomers aren't suited for managing and making money. I'm just happy someone is out there working his ass off trying to get us to space.

[@anmolpatel793]

@@erfolgreich then why his father refused to pay for his college tuition ? And mind you second hand PCs are not that expensive

[@erfolgreich]

@@anmolpatel793 You don't want to get it, do you? Even just having a decent basic education or access to clean water, was something special in 80's South Africa. And by no means I'm saying that personal decisions can't have a major impact on your life. All I'm saying is that your personal decisions can take you only so far, because you aren't Superman or something. You're a product of your upbringing, your society etc, and one of many in your social group. What you can make with your gifts, is largely dependant on the surroundings, you have been born into, so to speak. You can have an IQ of 200 - if the world does not provide the means to use it, you won't get much out of it. Do you think the billions of poor people on this planet actually want to be poor and every single one of them is lazy, mentally disabled etc?

[@zacharysheetz3701]

Before the pandemic, my apartment building caught fire when I was recovering from a back injury. For about a year, I was working part time due to pain. I was barely able to pay rent. When the fire happened, the apartment I was moved to was so bad, I got sick a few days after moving in. My point is that without my parents to twice help me pay my rent on time that year, and give me a home to recover in, I would likely have been living out of my car. Which my parents bought for my brother and I years earlier. There are those not as lucky as me to have family that are well off enough to help support me when shit happens. One person is not the equivalent of their community, let alone the world.

[@Thessalin]

Rich: Practice class consciousness and class collectivism, but tell the poor, "Be a rugged individualist!"

[@the_rubbish_bin]

"Just work harder" I can't count how many times I've heard that

[@crackedemerald4930]

That's the kinda shit i say to my friends when they're losing in a videogame. "Just win lmao"

[@josephkillman5979]

It's not about working harder, it's about working smarter. Learn something that will improve your life rather than slave away for pennys.

[@jocelyn9744]

@@josephkillman5979 What I will say is really broad but sometimes working smarter is not enough, in certain extreme cases trying to work smarter means not surviving Sometimes the weight of socioeconomic factors leave you stuck to jump over the same obstacles again and again to survive -but I see what you mean

[@josephkillman5979]

@@jocelyn9744 the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. At some point people need to realize that what they are doing is not good enough. At some point, less fortunate socioeconomic classes need to do something to break out of the cycle. I realize that this is hard for most people, that is why so few amounts of people are able to accomplish this goal before giving up.

[@obrigaah]

@@josephkillman5979 I don't think many poor people are excepting better results when doing the same thing. Often it is they are working a low-wage job that takes hours out of their time in which they lack the time and resources to afford to get an education. And also that they are uneducated on how to effectively pull themselves out of poverty. My dad was unable to get another job after he had a stroke. He doesn't have that many useful skills. He doesn't know how to use the internet, he tried free classes at the library but those were not helpful without one on one help of which would cost a lot. I'm pretty sure my dad made a lot of effort to get a job when i was a kid but without my or my uncle's help, he would have never gotten a job but he still doesn't make much.

[@widdershins5383]

We didn’t master the world by doing shit alone, it’s always been group effort and it will always be group effort, help each other be better or be stuck sinking down forever

[@your-username-here2308]

master the world ? Well, destroyed it almost but hey. SocIetY.

[@BdR76]

The idea of indiviualism is so engrained in culture that it's easy to overlook. In the movie "Ex Machina" the Bateman CEO chactacter is presented as the sole inventor and creator of this incredibly advanced AI machine, and he designed and built it all by himself. But when you look at engineering and software development in reality, it is always a huge teams effort. For an example just look at NASA control rooms, or the credits list of GTA5.

[@abelsoo5465]

Therefore Iron Man is a fiction.

[@ScooterCat64]

@@abelsoo5465 Fiction often reflects the mindset of a culture

[@AbdulGoodLooks]

The Rich: If your job doesn't pay you enough, that's your problem for accepting a low paying job and not working hard enough

[@Dachusblot]

Rich person: "You should have negotiated with your employer for higher wages. That's how capitalism works! It's fair for everyone!" Wal-mart employee: "OK, can I have higher wages?" Rich person: "I'm firing you and replacing you with a robot."

[@longbeach225]

Yup then they argue oh just get and 2 more jobs. Essentially work 24/7 just to survive.

[@JastwatchingYT]

@@longbeach225 if the minimum wage doesn't go up then I don't know how people would survive. You can't afford a crappy 1 bedroom apartment with 1 minimum wage job let alone food, utilities and healthcare. You would basically need 2 full time minimum wage jobs to support yourself.

[@detectiverick9934]

And yet a lot of low-paid jobs are still really important. I dont want to live in a world without cleaners for example. Cleaners are very important and yet they arent paid that much

[@omairshafiq1998]

Like my boss says There are alot of poor people to work for this wage tho. Its your choice not mine

[@QuestionEverythingButWHY]

“All of nationalism can be understood as a kind of collective narcissism.” - Geoff Mulgan

[@totallyrealnotfakelifeadvi7547]

I have never heard it explained that way before but that describes it so perfectly!

[@justsomeoneelse5942]

WOW that is accurate.

[@conall5434]

As a Scot, I would disagree with this generalisation. The independence/Nationalist movement here is more about soverignty than it is about xenophobia/patriotism or indeed any kind of narcissism.

[@roanoke8095]

@@totallyrealnotfakelifeadvi7547 "Nationalism is cringe, patriotism is based, internationalism is extremely based." -Marl Karx

[@whimsinator2982]

@@conall5434 the cause of your nationality is fair, it’s still a strange idea to see people on your shared piece of land as better than those from outside automatically. Most places have this stemming from narcissism naturally

[@Silverwind87]

There's a really weird example of hyper-individualism that really irritates me. Apparently, people _really_ hate it when you relate to their problems. Saying "I know how you feel," or "I've been there before," or "something like that happened to me" is seen as talking over them. You're just supposed to listen. But then what? Do you just say "damn, that sucks"? Do you just say nothing? HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO SIGNIFY THAT YOU SYMPATHIZE WITH SOMEONE IF NOT BY SAYING YOU KNOW HOW THEY FEEL? We've become so alienated from each other that even basic empathy is seen as insulting! As someone with ADHD and autism, I always talk about any experiences that are related to something else. I never intend to take attention away from the original topic, I just want to add my own experiences to the pool of knowledge. Imagine if in a classroom, the students weren't allowed to raise their hands to ask questions, or share their knowledge on the subject? In fact, that's happened at least once. In elementary school, we were learning about sports, and the teacher was explaining relay races, and how the racers would touch hands to signify the relay. I said that I heard relay racers can also use a baton that they pass along, and the teacher sarcastically asked if I wanted to teach the class. Like, what the fuck do these people want us to do? If they say "it's a nice day outside," am I allowed to say "yeah, it is"? Or is that "talking over them." I will never apologize for trying to show basic empathy.

[@mE-zx7pt]

Agreed 👍

[@your-username-here2308]

Thats not because of hyper-individualism or whatever imaginary BS, it is maybe because some People had a bad experiance before ((Like a Person who wanted the attention then on himself and ignored his needs.)) And if he entcounters a similar Situation again, he will react in a more "bad" way and think you would do the same thing. Something similar happens in Familys who have bad communication and/or are hurting there own Family in some way. If you grow up in such a Group of People, it can let you think that this is a normal way to communicate. Not to mention that not everyone feels the same way like you or me. Even if we would describe the same emotions, it can be different from Person to Person.

[@johnlyndonescario419]

​@@your-username-here2308Literally example of individualism. The notion that "I can do it, world will just hurt me" or the "I can do it alone, how about that" and basing on flowery Hollywood films which is pushing individualism narrative too especially the "one-man army" narratives. Don't forget that many boomers that have property are commanding their offsprings to "work by the bootstraps like us" when their youth is supported by unions or government welfare unlike now lol. Hollywood and popular culture made boomers forget that.

[@johnlyndonescario419]

​@@your-username-here2308Sure there are businesses that became rich with generational wealth or just hard work but remember that most of small to medium businesses have high failure rate whilst big companies receive government subsidies. So much for "working on your own bootstraps" because there is another saying, "Capitalize the profits and collectivise the losses".

[@ajmaynard92]

I will say as someone who also has autism, sympathy and empathy are very different things and neither actually relate to the capacity to predict outcomes. I have a near inability to feel for other peoples positions but see patterns in behavior and often warn people the direction their behavior will guide, often months ahead of their thinking. I cannot empathize with many peoples decisions, just see patterns. I also have extreme difficulty reading faces. I am among these people you would probably hate because I don't like people saying that can or do empathize in part because they cannot predict the outcomes of their own decisions. When people do this I ask simply what do you suggest and their suggestions are often crap because they have not thought things through so I immediately point out the myriads of ways their logic collapses and then people think "I see you feel bad therefor I understand" but this is untrue because context changes what it means to feel bad or what it is specifically that causes things to feel bad meaning most of their suggestions and ability to simulate the why of things are actually comedically disconnected. It drives me nuts because it's not empathy, it's a god complex disgusting itself as empathy so people can feel better as if they did something. The fact that the lack of foresight is so readily apparent is proof of this, they paid no price and they "empathise" because it's the socially accepted method of "helping". I dont want empathy or sympathy, I want solutions and the actual price of solutions you will find no one will pay except you for yourself. This does not mean people cannot help, thinking and brainstorming is helpful. Sometimes people need external perspective but this is not the same thing as empathy. I often give people solutions to their problems just from prediction. 80% of people don't take my advice, the ones who do usually ended up good friends because the advice changed their life. The thing is people rarely are willing to sit and explain the entire context of all things going on across several days to provide me the information to customize an exact solution for their unique disposition. That is the price of recognizing individuals and the price is worth it. You cannot build communities of individuals on presumptions of abstract standards like empathy. I dont think empathy is impossible I think people cheapen it by assuming it to be far easier then it is. Its not "I see your in pain and I see some what in which I might feel some pain in a somewhat similar situation", its "I need to know ever specific detail necessary to understand the emotions behind each word you speak, each motion you make to begin to derive just the highest level generalizations necessary to construct solutions, once I have done this 30 times then I can make a claim to the capacity to comprehend and predict exact emotions at which point I am capable of empathy". Most people I have seen cause the greatest harm were those who most claimed their unbridled capacity for empathy. No, they were selfish using their assumed capacity to relate to assume decision making power on behalf of the other person, simultaneously insulting their agency and assuming command and when the individuals they treat like dirt resist the individual who overstepped their bounds on the presumption of empathy just treat everyone around them more like crap. Either that or their empathy is exactly what the people around them want and it turns into a positive reinforcement for unhealthy behaviors like using abuse as a proxy for gaining attention because it's all they have meaning to suggest empathy is the solution actually enforces the problem. I have solves some of the most nightmarish situations not by assuming empathy but instead pointing out patterns, clean, simple and no one expects it, it shatters their entire perspective of everything around them and terminates negative patterns of behavior. No empathy or sympathy required. This does not mean I do not care about people or situations but recognizing the actual price of an actual relationship makes it obvious why it's only possible to have 5 or 6 real friends and everyone else you simply do not have the time to acknowledge to the full extent so everyone is stuck making risk assessments, not at the inherent expense of others. You just make risks that are least likely to cause damage in the long run using pattern recognition which means you will make many enemies and many allies but not because you always know who these people will be, just because that is all you can do. There is no existential collective, just statistical probability while you wander through the unknown. This does not mean life is not entertaining or the people you meet are not worth time or consideration, its simply finite beings managing their finite experience and perspective to the greatest extent possible. I assume far more evil out of those who assume empathy is always the solution because they are playing god whether they know it or not. That's why it's so easy to assume a universalist assumption like collective experience is an acceptable approach to people who hate individualism. Individualism is not an argument against communities, it defines human limitation so there are no laws or rules which are allowed to presume or eliminate consideration for individual perspective. This is not the same as saying abandon the poor, the individual is above geographic, proximity or statistical trends. It only says you cannot make rules which prevent the individual from bypassing their current limitations and their limitations and perspective of these things is individual. This is why censorship doesn't work, people think language is separate from individual lexicon and thus make completely legitimate perspectives or use of language within certain contexts illegal, criminalizing individual context as a concept not understanding to control language presumes that level of God hood. And again I point out the ones who make this kind of grandiose mistake the most are the ones who most claim the capacity for empathy. My experience, 99% of people neither understand or would pay the actual price of empathy not because they are evil but because it is something finite beings have to choose very very very carefully out of concern for objective limitiations.

[@MindEyeMediaVR]

The individualism in this video isn't just promoted by the elites in order to keep themselves in power. It is also a crucial aspect of consumer culture, because advertisers and marketers need it for the lucrative practice known as "lifestyle branding".

[@mssouth1964]

Well I rather live in country with millionaires than be in one that's poorer than shit

[@jenm1]

@@mssouth1964 they’re the same picture

[@mssouth1964]

You got it ass backwards . they promote collectivism or socialism. the same thing that your promoting

[@mssouth1964]

Socialism ,communism ,fascism, leninism, stalinism , and marxism all share one thing in common they are all forms of collectivism. This theology has been responsible for more deaths than all the wars in the history of mankind.

[@preemptivekicks1355]

@@mssouth1964 nope

[@nathanielthrush5581]

last time i was this early hillary clinton was considered a communist

[@BritishRepublicsn]

Wtf

[@nathanielthrush5581]

@@BritishRepublicsn she was called a commie in the 90s lmao

[@BritishRepublicsn]

@@nathanielthrush5581 was there any non-republican who wasn’t though?

[@matsurisband-aids4712]

@@BritishRepublicsn I mean, has it still changed?

[@BritishRepublicsn]

@@matsurisband-aids4712 no

[@jessiescott7795]

"Personal responsibility" until something happens to them, which is typically their fault, and then it's "not their fault" and they are deserving of help. The cognitive dissonance these people must experience worshiping people who take the most handouts, sometimes in the billions, from taxpayers, must be excruciating.

[@Krazie-Ivan]

i see you've met my brother.

[@parkouristlife4296]

Made me think of the bailouts for the airlines at the beginning of Corona Virus.

[@benisjamin6583]

What are you talking about? What does "until something happens to them" mean?

[@gangstarock2455]

​@@benisjamin6583 they mean that the people who cling into that idea are also the same ones to blame others for there misfortune. It's kinda like how everyone believes in fate when something good happens to them but then when something bad happens to them, its "omg what did I do to deserve this?" If that makes sense

[@arkadiusztrzesniewski4237]

Hyper-individualism is masking the fact that we are living now under "techno-feudalism". Term coined by former Greek Finance Minister Mr. Yanis Varoufakis.

[@user-qi6pv9jh7o]

What boggles me is that actual techies, without whom nothing would even come to be imagined, are exploited.

[@monsterguyx6322]

"Pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps" is literally an impossible thing to do... THAT is the original point of this saying, but it is usually used to say the exact opposite.

[@MrToradragon]

Maybe there will be some simple machine needed for it to work.

[@arabcadabra8863]

@@MrToradragon The invisible hand of the market 😂😂😂

[@hellucination9905]

Because western modernity is based on lies. It's all a big lie.

"Be kind to people and merciless to institutions"

[@reanetsemoleleki8219]

This sounds like that dude who was on Bill Maher recently. Forgot his name.

[@jasonc0065]

Exactly what I said. People are individuals, and institutions are made to serve them. This video is a shill of serfdom and balkanization. Critical Race Theory criticizes institutions for being racist, isn't that ironic?

[@stockimageguy8941]

That actually sounds like an individualist philosophy.

@@stockimageguy8941 How so ?

[@stockimageguy8941]

@ Rejecting harmful institutions is something individualist do.

[@thewelshdragon1567]

You’re a brave man to take shots at Elon. Those Elon stans be ferocious

[@SecondThought]

They’re certainly something

[@rakhikb4083]

Lol I thought of the same thing

[@ShinobiXRevived]

@Second Thought Surprised you didn’t mention his true family wealth. An emerald mine in apartheid era South Africa

[@thekingoffailure9967]

My mother, when I told her his father owned an emerald mine and that he was not some poor African child growing up, responded with "You can have an emerald mine without it making you a huge amount of money" or something to that effect

[@user-lf8qu9un8y]

@@thekingoffailure9967 Justifying fucking child labor.

[@sadpee7710]

it's easy to desire a world where everyone fends for themselves and are responsible for their own prosperity when you yourself are successful. not a coincidence that the poor want cooperation and the rich want competition. it's more for them.

[@Perroden]

And just because someone's more successful than you doesn't mean that they should suffer more. I really want to know where this whole mentality of someone's more successful than I am so they should give me money

[@lordkanti8260]

@@Perroden not what he’s saying. Your projecting your bias on his words.

[@KoolKinchishKat]

@@Perroden huh? How is working for more economic equality about making people suffer?

[@Perroden]

@@lordkanti8260 yes it is basically what he is saying.

[@Perroden]

@@KoolKinchishKat because the ppl who support this video does not understand economy or how business works. Making companies pay employees absurd amount is only going to make things worse. It's not going to make the cost of living affordable it's going to up even higher. And the real problem lies in taxes not how much we are getting paid

[@trumuh]

It is undeniable that it's the material conditions that drive society forward and not mearly the ideas of individuals.

[@Perroden]

But it was an idea of that individual that gave us stuff like penicillin cars internet computers and so much more

[@trumuh]

@@Perroden But why did they invent those things? just because they thought it would fun? no, they invented those things because there was a material need to invent those things. also few inventions are made by one person solely, almost always there is a group a people helping who made that invention possible to invent.

[@Perroden]

@@trumuh my point is individuals take that stuff and make it into new stuff. It's not government that makes the greatest invitations its the ppl. Being your self is the greatest never remove individualism. What yours saying is basically because a man invented one part for megaphones way back when so now he has invented phones, recorders ect.

[@Perroden]

@@kenos911 yes it may have been a few ppl but not a business or government. The greatest things come from individuals. Like we wouldn't have music that we have today because of the blues wich spawned rock wich because metal then alternative then pop rap ect. But I would never say that rap was invented by blues just that it was able to happen because of it. Or take a scientific break thru, yes that guy used already made stuff, already discovered chemicals and most certainly did not teach him self. But he did discover something that noone else did, came up with a brand new thing.

[@Perroden]

@@kenos911 popularized and invented are two different things. Also what started Ford? Government? Nope. A individual person.

[@haydenzhong4341]

Isn't the way certain government officials in Texas reacted to the freezing of Texas an example of hyper individualism, namely the quote from one of the mayors said, "the government owes you nothing!"

[@mojomike]

this state is literally the worst for this kind of Wild West frontier that no longer exists mentality in small towns.

[@jooot_6850]

If the government owes us nothing, then it isn’t entitled to our taxes

[@awwtergirl7040]

Then I owe them nothing and they should all go to the National Razor.

[@TheloSpike]

Imagine spending millions of years evolving to work together in such a way that we could establish life on other planets and then a bunch of weirdos obssessed with paper decided we all need to be more like wolves or something

[@McHobotheBobo]

Which, ironically, are collective animals that live in tight-knit family groups that hunt as packs

[@McHobotheBobo]

Literally the least successful animals are the most individualistic - look at the difference in success between chimps and orangutans. Or between bears and coyotes. Or preying manti and ants

[@Pancakegr8]

Individualism is a mindset contrary to the fundamental principle of society. We may as well go back to living in our own huts hunting for food. Actually, we may as well not even hunt together as family units.

[@roro-mm7cc]

wolves isn't a good mammalian analogy lol - polar bears or tigers would be better as these are completely non-social animals apart from when it comes to breeding. unlike wolves or lions which actually are pretty social animals.

[@dynamicworlds1]

*a misunderstanding of wolves created in error by a scientist that then spend decades trying to discredit his own work after he noticed the deep flaws in it that came from only looking at wolves in captivity. Imagine if all of popular understanding of psychology was based on extrapolations from one flawed study of prison gangs. It makes even less sense than that because at least those would be humans.

[@osmark86]

hearing an American speak of solidarity and unity in this way makes my heart warm. stand strong my US brothers & sisters!

[@glm4054]

Wish I was there with you & Thank you!!🇸🇪💞💞🌠

[@ertymexx]

@@glm4054 don't. Sadly Sweden is trying real hard to be like the US right now. Huge cuts in welfare and social securitues, privatisation to for-profit companies and with it a growing fascist movement. I really hope we can change these trends, but the opposition is politically weak due to decades of "communist-frightning" (as in, scaring everyone that our last socialliberal party is evulz commiez because they were in fact communists som thirty years ago). I am sad to say that Sweden is losing its glory as a shining example. :'(

[@glm4054]

@@ertymexx Hi Dorian❣️ Well, that's Bad News. Don't follow America, we're LOST!!! Also, I truly wonder if the human race can save itself in the end...🌍😰💙🐊💀🐳🌠🌠🌠Have a nice day...💞💞💞L

[@ertymexx]

@@glm4054 I try to warn people, but they don't listen. They just think of tax cuts think that they will be rich. :-/

[@glm4054]

@@ertymexx I don't want to be rich. I want a chance to be happy. Joy & spontaneity are currently outlawed in the U.S.🐱❣️🚫

[@BlueLionsTVNiiNiiFC]

This is why i had to back it on your patreon, you make the content that is needed right now man. Keep it up

[@TheKavo97]

If your anti-imperialist I'd suggest researching the links Chelsea football club have to the British army and royal family and or the section of its fans who are staunch neo Nazis (combat 18)

[@Perroden]

No he doesn't he makes really bad and evil ideas sound great while making the good idea sound like they're evil. Socialism is evil on every level and sense of the word. You do not get to take somebody else's money because you think you deserve it simply because they're more successful than you.

[@solankijimmy]

@@Perroden "somebody else's money" brotha, even the words you speak are the work of a collective. You need to reevaluate your relationship with the world.

[@perioda104]

@@Perroden can u explain what is socialism and communism and what r the ideologies of them

[@Perroden]

@@perioda104 it's about taking money from hard working ppl and gives it to ppl who don't work, it makes stores shelves so bare ppl have to eat there pets to stay alive. It's evil dressed up as good, nothing is free and the only ppl who will benefit from it are those in power. Free health care, free schooling and welfare helps no one long term. All it does is give government more power, money and control. Like if we get free health care in America all it will do is cause more taxes and it makes hospitals controlled by government, they decide who gets seen and when, it will be like the DNC but worse cuz you'll have to wait up to months to get surgery/medicine that you needed immediately. Iv heard of a dude in Canada who waited several days IN THE WAITING ROOM waiting to be treated for a broken arm that he was told wasn't important enough. Or my favorite example is Eddie evens (pretty sure from the UK) he was a child the government decided didn't need to live anymore and stopped all treatment no medicine, no air, food or water. They even placed guards outside his room to prevent the parents from taking him home, Trump had even offered to fly them over here and get them the treatment needed out his own pocket. That kid survived 3 days with nothing but his parents giving him mouth to mouth. There are even famous ppl who praise free health care but come to America to be treated. Just talk to the ppl who fled those types of places. There's a good reason why ppl in Cuba gather up whatever they can like milk jugs (Wich is illegal in Cuba BTW) so that can float ACROSS THE FKN OCEAN to come to America. How many more 100s of millions of ppl need to die before ppl admit socialism didn't work?

[@Fusilier7]

It's a paradox, the people who identify as individualistic still adhere to and defend groups, such as a country, family, class, ideology, or even a fandom, without realising these are collectivist.

[@yamsang0__0]

Well... thats not exactly it. Most people can agree that individualism and Collectivism needs to be in balance. Too much of either spells disaster. I think people defend individualism in the context of a group because they believe the world is better off with more individualism. And its not a paradox because it is in also in context of balance. Some people are also just idiots tho lmao

[@throwawayuser9931]

@@yamsang0__0 well said

[@marcusanderson6867]

@@yamsang0__0 there is no balance to opposition.

[@yamsang0__0]

@@marcusanderson6867 uh… ok?

[@Cyborg_Lenin]

Its almost like individualism isn't thinking that groups don't exist. Nat, that would make this video a massive strawmen, so it could be the case.

[@linasaurus3254]

Humanity is not a singleplayer game.

[@WanderTheNomad]

We stand on the shoulders of giants.

[@linasaurus3254]

@@WanderTheNomad On the shoulders of humans, just like us. Let's be what they were for us. Also, love that username!

[@seafoam6119]

@@WanderTheNomad the shoulders of the dead, but go on.

[@day2148]

@ThinkBefore YouType last I checked, it was the BOTH parties who bailed out the banks in 2008. Even Elizabeth Warren partook in that

[@Otzkar]

There are definitely politicians that have done some good but I still agree with you

[@rosecity_chris]

I just love working 60 hours a week while its having a terrible affect on my health and relationships...to still be considered nearly in poverty.

[@Luci_lanterne836]

@K lake name these mystery places please

[@chewhatif4745]

you made poor choice choice in life. My teach said this to me and my classmates. " I feel no sympathy to the homeless. me and them had the same oppertuninty. I was thug in highschool running steets selling weeb and all, just like yall. But I got shot and that woke me up, went to so community college then tranfred to universty and know I provide for my family and myself as a man." This is coming from someone who still is grew up in being poor in the system with a drug addictive mother. you can't do a hundred push up a day the expect to be stronger then some you effectivly study how to improve every muscle in his body. It just doesn't work like that. You can't live off of minume wage but 60k a year fo one person and you good. You get married you both work you spend you you money right that at least 100k to rasie a family. it really not that hard.

[@taramaforhaikido7272]

@@chewhatif4745 So ignorant.

[@chewhatif4745]

@@taramaforhaikido7272 how

[@strawberrymilk607]

@@chewhatif4745 Your teacher was the exception, not the norm. Yk, I notice that people assign bad character/morals to people in poverty... as if rich elites earned all their wealth and made "good choices." When companies and banks make bad choices, they're bailed out by the government, but the gov. fails to serve people going homeless and hungry in the U.S. Wages are stagnating, the price of housing and cost of living in general is rising, young people are burdened with thousands of dollars in student loans. It's really not that hard to see you're out of touch with the problems of everyday people today

[@bobbiecat8000]

One of the things I just can't ignore is how these "individualist" seems to have a cult like mindset. Centered around success, and whatever you can do to achieve it even by ruining people's lives and exploitation of labour and natural resources.

[@noongar1234]

is it bad to aspire to be successful?

[@bobbiecat8000]

@@noongar1234 is it bad to aspire success at whatever means and at all cost?

[@Zelink108]

That’s because hyper-individualism actually leads to hyper-conformity.

[@Zelink108]

Probably to do with libertarianism: The creation of a Libertarian Most Libertarians begin life as a spoiled upper-middle class and very white teen who fails to comprehend that not everyone else in the world is a spoiled upper-middle class white teen. At first, the young libertardian-to-be has only a vague dissatisfaction. He begins to ask himself questions like: * "What political philosophy can I both bastardize and miss the point of, so that I can justify being an even more selfish prick than I am now?" * "How can I reconcile that I hate those who I deem aren't productive, with the fact that I don't need a job because daddy gives me a generous allowance?" * "Why do we even need government? Surely almost seven billion people can all police themselves, right?" The answer comes to them in two little words. Ayn Rand. Never has her words spread so far, and contaminated so many. With sixth-grade level vocabulary, and fourth-grade level philosophy, Rand's book have all the emotional depth of a two-year old's temper tantrum. "MINE!!!" Rand is their holy prophet. She speaks the words so perfectly, the words they want to hear. "You don't lack compassion! You just want people to get by on their own merits!", She says. "You're not a selfish asshole! You just have a sense of rational self-interest!", She affirms. "You have no obligation to the society in which you live! Governments are only there to lift up those not as good as you!", She declares. And lo, it was good. Because if there is one thing that makes financially comfortable white people feel good about themselves, it is that they earned the benefits of being financially comfortable, clearly by their own merits. It wasn't daddy's money that bought you your head start in life. It wasn't the better schools, the better nutrition, the better neighborhoods. It wasn't the country you were born in, or the system of laws that protected and to this day protects you. It wasn't the various government agencies making sure you have licensed doctors, clean drinking water, or safety standards for vehicles. No, my young privileged white boy, you did it all. You, and only you, are responsible for all your success. And anyone who isn't as well off just didn't work as hard. And the government can only take from a productive member of society like you to give to the leeches. And there should be no laws. And even though there are laws, they don't really apply to you, because you're special. Be as selfish as you want. It's all you. And thus, a libertardian is born.

[@AbuBased731]

The end justifies the means

[@paul_469]

"Embarrassing and absurd world view" - Shows Ben shabino, the perfect fit

[@jamesjanes7936]

Lobster man himself too

[@hamzamahmood9565]

@@jamesjanes7936 Error 404: Metaphorical substrate of ethos not found

[@tankjr84]

I like that this was said. I often hear "everyones opinion should be respected", but that a bunch of bullshit.

[@aaronlee6361]

I dont think conservative celebrities actually believe in some of the diahrea that comes out of their mouth, but they do it just so they can profit/ have a ridiculously idiotic audience.

[@dar9430]

@@aaronlee6361 DEFINITELY! Idiocy is an easy niche to maneuver. (not to mention plain old "mean people"). ✌🤝

[@emuriddle9364]

"Personal Responsibility" doesn't mean anything, if other people make the effort harder. Just like telling a Janitor to buy their own supplies. In addition to Low Salary. Or a person facing Domestic Violence. And not getting help for it.

[@ceu160193]

It's more about scale of a problem. You can handle some problems yourself, but bigger problems can't be solved by you alone.

[@marshallsweatherhiking1820]

They apply it selectively too.

[@jborrego2406]

But the ppl also need to want to do better too my mom came from racist Alabama town her mom was a maid dad work in laundry place. They had 8 kids in 2 bedroom house. 7 out 8 kids went to college ever kid owns a house they didn’t want to be like there parents work hard an tried like crap from white ppl in that town they want to prove black ppl could go to college an get good jobs also they want to help there mom an dad out . Sorry my mom is now 70 an dad is 80 just so u know era they lived in

[@josephkillman5979]

@@jborrego2406 great example of a family that took action into their own hands. They could have felt sorry for themselves and let the naysayers drag them down. Instead, they choose to not make excuses and work hard to improve their opportunities.

[@yt_nh9347]

The janitor is a janitor because he chose not to put in the work early on in life to compete to get into higher paying jobs. Actually if he so chooses he can still change jobs it's just a matter of personal responsibility

[@Sushi-Katana]

You can be self-responsible and still help other people. 🤷‍♂️

[@abelrashid5184]

yeah, but where's the fun in that ? Everyone know KZbinrs just want those view by spreading controversial topics.

[@Perroden]

Yeah but then you're not teaching those people to be self responsible.

[@Sushi-Katana]

@@thomasmaughan4798 condolences to those people.

[@JonathanGrandt]

True individualism is not selfish as these commies like to paint it. Individuals do care for other people.

[@Zelink108]

@@JonathanGrandt You don’t know what communism actually is.

[@RhianKristen]

And no-one ever mentions the fact that not only are there very limited (through design or by virtue of our hierarchical system) "good" jobs and the majority of the "bad" jobs are actually considered necessary (as we found out quite dramatically during lock down) fro the running of society.

[@krejados1]

The ultimate irony of individualists is that they band together to condemn those who don't embrace their worldview.

[@phillemon7664]

I know they are just as collectivist as every other ideological group, yet they always preach about the dangers of the mob

[@krejados1]

@@donHooligan Well, they are a pretty homogenous group. Most of the world has a lot of diversity to work through before finding common ground.

[@ponyphonic]

They band together, not ban.

[@beinghuman3225]

If you have the courage to touch life for the first time, you will never know what hit you. Everything man has thought, felt and experienced is gone, and nothing is put in its place.

[@s_h136]

@@krejados1 Other than collectivists we’re not oppressing individuals in the name of what somehow got defined as the „collective interest“ imposing that on everybody else. Collectivism is literally the basis of authoritarianism and totalitarianism. Just like the Nazis said: „You‘re nothing, your people are everything“ (group above all). That‘s how you break people: Doing collectivist indoctrination, dismantle autonomy in order to suppress independent thinking and make everybody morph into a willless part of the unitary mass.

[@subscriptions007]

The individual is affected by his/her environment, access to capital. Pushing all responsibilities onto the individual, is just scapegoating

[@user-jh5dq9vc1v]

The first sentence is true. But it is simply counterproductive to relieve yourself of any responsibility for your life. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locus_of_control

[@navilluscire2567]

@@user-jh5dq9vc1v He's not saying putting ALL of the responsibility on others for an individual's lot in life but putting ALL of the responsibility on the individual is just as if not more absurd and ignores reality.

[@mitchellm3536]

My brother is hyper-individualistic, and his brain basically broke into pieces when confronted with a societal problem like a pandemic. He’s still complaining about shutdowns.

[@jameslincs]

Sounds like a smart guy ❤

[@mitchellm3536]

@@jameslincs it is 2024, sir.

[@jameslincs]

@@mitchellm3536 history teaches us that “societal problems” are best dealt with by people being individuals. Central planning does not work, it has never given the best outcomes because while central planning sounds good, it does not take into consideration all the information that individuals have.

[@nushia7192]

There is also a problem where you can't finish a damn thing just because you are being held back with people in your own group.

[@omarsener8491]

I don't think he talks about that

[@Luci_lanterne836]

Yeah but that’s caused at large by bigger societal problems, because we expect every kid to be the exact same and learn in the same ways, leading to a hegemonic way of education in which kids are taught to think in the same way and alive things in the same way too. So, no, you’re not being held back by others, they’re being held back by our broken education system

[@marcuseverett1642]

I come from a lower middle class income. I changed some things "worked hard" (not physically harder) started a business more than tripled my income... and still agree with this video. The people I associate with now damn near try to get me to hate people who aren't "hustlers like us." It's disgusting. Getting a couple extra dollars doesn't make you better than anyone, nor does it contribute to the advancement of mankind. Unmitigated greed is going to destroy us.

[@nomoredamnnamestouse]

I make slightly more than median and I will still be the first to admit where am I standing now is mostly due to luck than anything else.

[@eb7446]

The thing is people fail to realize even if THEY were able to achieve something, it doesn't mean everyone can do that. In fact, it's impossible for all of them to do that. The system we live in needs some to be poor. That's a fact. Did some of these people ever think 'well, what if i didn't have the aptitude to enter the career path I went on?' I know people who came from working class, or lower middle as you put it - and who went onto to achieve STEM careers. That's great, but not everyone is going to do that, not everyone is suited to it. People do believe it makes them better than others. The most infuriating I heard once was someone actually saying out of work 55 year old factory workers should learn to fucking code. Yeah, because if you spent the first 5 decades of your life without any significant knowledge of computers that'll be just that easy. IF coding was such a common skill....it wouldn't be worth much in the job market. That's point, eventually skills like this won't be worth what it is now. What will be the next thing everyone should learn to do to avoid poverty?

[@sps144]

I enjoy your post...don't always agree with you but very good to listen....I immigrated to this country with nothing. Started below minimum wage.suffered through oppressive employers that wanted to keep me down with unbelievable measures. I tolerated it all so I could learn the trade...with integrity, hard work and tough lessons of ups and down I have built two business over the years and employed various individuals giving them the opportunity to do the same as I did .I have seen all sorts: the lazy , the entitled and the hard working. some succeed, some gave up and others we just satisfied just being... I believe it is definitely a combination of both side of the debate that will bring success opportunity and hard work. And ultimately the blessings of The Almighty.

[@JoseRodriguez-pn8yj]

Nick Hanaeur, multi million dollar CEO and venture capitalist of 20 years agrees, he even goes on to TED talk in “The Dirty Secret of Capitalism and a new way forward” to explain.

[@msgirly6827]

'Unmitigated greed is going to destroy us' It honestly will. This is just simply not sustainable.

[@QuestionEverythingButWHY]

“It is easy to romanticize poverty, to see poor people as inherently lacking agency and will. It is easy to strip them of human dignity, to reduce them to objects of pity.” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

[@mjkittredge]

Agency and will don't matter much when you're caught in rigged, fundamentally exploitative systems. But nice quote

[@myronidasvestarossa]

I enjoy some of her work and thought processes. Good progress on your channel.

[@gangstarock2455]

I do agree with you but I have first hand experience that some people do CHOOSE to be less fortunate and helpless.

[@ErutaniaRose]

It's fine to be an individual, to be your own person, but not if it means tearing down others and the world to do it. You can be an individual without stealing all the spotlight. After all, the best things are things that people did together because they thrived on input, criticism, and creation. Push each other to be better, not to be "The Best". Edit: I am gonna clarify here. I am saying that some of the inventions most of humanity agrees are the best often require many people to create them. That tearing others down in order to become "the best" in whatever metric is generally viewed by humanity is wrong and rude. It's why "sabotaging" the competition is seen as against the rules. And, that most people, when inventing, have had some of the greatest ideas due to collaboration which allowed them to get feedback and more heads thinking of ideas. There are definitely people who have individually had great ideas and done great things--but there is only so much one singular person alone can do. And it depends on the metric. One person can easily be great at a test, or the best athlete on a team or in comp, but one person cannot easily achieve being the best in more subjective pursuits, like architecture and other art, or in things that take group efforts such as building society, and running large systems. You can be really good at what you do in them, or considered one of the best people in your field--but because of the sheer scale and all that is required to do it, one person simply cannot and should not do ALL of it. (You wouldn't want one singular person doing EVERYTHING that is required to try and run a society, would you?? Not just one person in charge, no, one person doing EVERY SINGLE JOB EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.) My point is that, tearing others down to become "the best" either in general or in one group's view, is generally not seen as good, even if that is often the norm we see around the world in various places and in various systems, groups, and different sizes of collectives or in individuals.

[@your-username-here2308]

Thats not true. Because it boils down to ""Group A wants to be better then the others.""

[@WilliamMcAdams]

Being "the best" is entirely feasible, and a goal worth investing in. But, you have to acknowledge that an unseen hierarchy exists, and your "best" may never be better than someone elses best. "The person who will thrive the most, knows their place in the hierarchy, and plays their role." This is psychologically provable when considering burnout and rust out. People operating below capacity experience a phenomenal called rust out. People operating above capacity experience a phenomenon called burnout. Hypothetically, there is a place where everyone is optimally engaged, and thrive in their engagements.

[@ErutaniaRose]

I'm saying it's possible to be your own person and your individual self without tearing others down or the world to do it. And that the things humans have agreed are some of our best achievements were often group efforts. Along with the common idea that tearing others down to be "the best" is usually seen as morally reprehensible. A small example being the classic mean girl or rich boi stereotypes and archetypes who's competitive to get top marks via sabotage or bullying towards those doing better than them, and a large example being domineering colonialists using war tactics and assault to prove they are "the best" culture--even if their way of life is far more destructive and harmful short and long term. Both are generally seen as not-okay in most literature and conversation, unless someone is really fucked up or ignorant of how cruel the group A is. Just because group A wants to be better than the others doesn't mean they are, or that it is a morally righteous goal. Depending on the competition and how they go about it. (It's fine to want to be the best, but tearing others down to do it isn't good. There's something called "good sportsmanship". You can be disappointed without being an ass.) Also I'm stating an opinion on how I see the world and what seems to be true in most cases for humans, not a fact, so saying "that's not true" doesn't really apply, imo.@@your-username-here2308

[@ErutaniaRose]

Every person got their own strengths and weaknesses, and it's fine to want to be the best--but the goal should be YOUR best, and being okay with knowing it may not be the best the world of humans has to offer. Yup. @@WilliamMcAdams

[@your-username-here2308]

Most of the greatest things got build upon War's and Conquest.@@ErutaniaRose "" or that it is a morally righteous goal."" Depends on the Religion of the Group. Because almost everyone has a different Moral Compass. You watching this whole thing with too much romantic. "good sportsmanship" cannot get applied to large Populations.

[@richardbuckharris189]

"'Rugged individualism' has meant all the 'individualism' for the masters, while the people are regimented into a slave caste to serve a handful of self-seeking 'supermen.' America is perhaps the best representative of this kind of individualism, in whose name political tyranny and social oppression are defended and held up as virtues; while every aspiration and attempt of man to gain freedom and social opportunity to live is denounced as 'un-American' and evil in the name of that same individuality." ~ Emma Goldman

[@IKEMENOsakaman]

Liberalism and Socialism are two different things.

[@saulsavelis575]

liberalism is ideology of criminals

[@comradepolarbear6920]

@@saulsavelis575 I've never met a person say they're proud to liberal

[@sentryion3106]

@@comradepolarbear6920 I mean you don’t know one doesn’t mean they don’t exist

[@awhahoo]

Can someone quickly explain what you mean by liberal? Im stupid

[@JastwatchingYT]

@@awhahoo I think they were talking about libertarianism.

[@thodkats]

There is a great talk, from a Dutch historian, called Rutger Bregman. His main argument is that poor people don't lack intelligence, they lack cash. Very valid points throughout. Also, his book is very interesting.

[@Zelink108]

You can thank Ayn Rand for that: The creation of a Libertarian Most Libertarians begin life as a spoiled upper-middle class and very white teen who fails to comprehend that not everyone else in the world is a spoiled upper-middle class white teen. At first, the young libertardian-to-be has only a vague dissatisfaction. He begins to ask himself questions like: * "What political philosophy can I both bastardize and miss the point of, so that I can justify being an even more selfish prick than I am now?" * "How can I reconcile that I hate those who I deem aren't productive, with the fact that I don't need a job because daddy gives me a generous allowance?" * "Why do we even need government? Surely almost seven billion people can all police themselves, right?" The answer comes to them in two little words. Ayn Rand. Never has her words spread so far, and contaminated so many. With sixth-grade level vocabulary, and fourth-grade level philosophy, Rand's book have all the emotional depth of a two-year old's temper tantrum. "MINE!!!" Rand is their holy prophet. She speaks the words so perfectly, the words they want to hear. "You don't lack compassion! You just want people to get by on their own merits!", She says. "You're not a selfish asshole! You just have a sense of rational self-interest!", She affirms. "You have no obligation to the society in which you live! Governments are only there to lift up those not as good as you!", She declares. And lo, it was good. Because if there is one thing that makes financially comfortable white people feel good about themselves, it is that they earned the benefits of being financially comfortable, clearly by their own merits. It wasn't daddy's money that bought you your head start in life. It wasn't the better schools, the better nutrition, the better neighborhoods. It wasn't the country you were born in, or the system of laws that protected and to this day protects you. It wasn't the various government agencies making sure you have licensed doctors, clean drinking water, or safety standards for vehicles. No, my young privileged white boy, you did it all. You, and only you, are responsible for all your success. And anyone who isn't as well off just didn't work as hard. And the government can only take from a productive member of society like you to give to the leeches. And there should be no laws. And even though there are laws, they don't really apply to you, because you're special. Be as selfish as you want. It's all you. And thus, a libertardian is born.

[@odst2247]

Individualism & collectivism are inherent to each other; before anything you’re a Individual, and before anything, humanity is a collective.

[@Oldentide]

What a long winded way to say absolutely nothing.

[@chrism8180]

^ You two obviously aren't smart enough to comprehend anything philosophical.

[@throwawayuser9931]

Perfect. Both have their flaws, yet both are necessary. If you don't walk, or atleast aim at walking a fine line, then all that happens is alienation and enemity. Contrary to the collectivism viewpoints of the two ppl above who failed to grasp the nuance of op's argument. If solutions were that simple and quantifiable, it wouldn't bean issue anyway. The fight is against nature's favouritism of beneficial individuals, and bringing equality in a specie whose individuals are born unequal and have different scales of talents. Of course its gonna be hard. Picking one side as better makes you no different than the zealots on your opposite

[@fuck4317]

Lets visit China, Xinjiang shall we. And we can see how that goes.

[@jasonc0065]

Toxic individualism is toxic masculinity, generalized. The very notion is toxic. You are not allowed to be yourself. Your history is rewritten by elites. Fuck that. This video is elitist garbage. Confirms why I hate socialism 1000%. Lumumba hates it as much as Ayn Rand hate it.

[@florjean965]

As a person who lives in poverty, I am getting tired of people telling me just work harder, smarter or just pull yourself up by the boot straps. Yes I have made some poor life choices in life that lead to me living in a lower socio economic class. However, I know that the likelihood of me experiencing social stratification into another income bracket is non existence. When I make an attempt to discuss the barriers that some people face is due to institutions and societal system that focuses entirely on the middle class to super rich, I am accused of being jealous or a loser who hasn't worked hard enough in my life. I can apply my critical thought and understand the family which you're born into plays a tremendous role for the potential economic trajectory you'll experience. Fuck hyper individualism 🖕🏿because this philosophy is only attainable for the middle class to super wealthy and continues to stroke their egos that if they can make so can everyone else.

[@mehdihassan8316]

Good comment

[@krejados1]

I feel you and I've been there with you, Jean. Even if you embrace hyper-individualism, you soon find out it's a very exclusive club, only those with the right credentials are allowed in.

[@Dachusblot]

Even if you did make some bad choices in your life, that shouldn't determine your fate forever. Everyone deserves the chance to fuck up a few times because we're human. Rich people have space to make massive mistakes and still bounce back fine, but for poor people it follows you forever, and then everyone uses it as justification for why you can't get ahead later in your life.

[@dangelo1369]

There's no amount of "work" you could do or could have done to alleviate your situation. While I won't tell you it's utterly hopeless, I would tell you that the odds are long. Through no fault of your own. We have been victimized by the greatest misinformation and propaganda campaign of all time. We were told that this was a meritocracy and that all men are created equal. That was a lie. All one has to do is ask any African American or any other ethnic minority living in this country or check the history of this country to know that it is a lie. The status of "middle class" is an illusion; an aberration of this country's political and economic history. FDR in his efforts to save capitalism from itself, created with his New Deal programs an economic class (primarily composed of white people) that were rescued from complete destitution and poverty in order to keep them from overturning the existing establishment. As Lincoln pursued the Civil War for practical reasons ( preserving the union) rather than for altruistic ones, FDR saved capitalism from completely collapsing. And even with that, the ruling class have been clawing back all the gains since then. Until Americans become completely disenchanted with racism and capitalism and work towards true change, then, nothing will change until the U.S. is totally drained or collapses.

[@Pancakegr8]

@@Dachusblot spot on. I was just about to say this. Rich people have SO much wiggle room for error. They can just buy themselves out of situations that would otherwise break a poor person.

[@timothylove9724]

Ironically, embracing more social change and addressing systemic issues would actually lead to a MORE individualistic society. It's almost like working towards a common good is mutually beneficial for society as a whole.

[@stratecaster547]

In their mind individualism is not about "embracing a variety of personalities, traits, and cultures" its about allowing the strong to eat the weak because the strong are better individuals.

[@timothylove9724]

@@stratecaster547 correct.

[@aubreejobizzarro1208]

I like the traditional Greek and Roman interpretation of individualism. That is, bettering yourself to give back value and service to your community, so the community may benefit from your success. That is waaaaayyyyyy more valuable, irreplaceable, and service focused than resource hoarding. I don’t think the privatization of success is an advantageous thing anymore. It’s why people are more depressed than ever. We’ve got luxurious homes and items, and no one to share them with. There’s no joy. It’s why we like helping people. Our success and service to others gives us purpose. Capitalism made it fashionable and self-determinist to resource hoard. And you are a failure if you don’t resource hoard. You fail in this culture unless you have a six figure salary, minimum. The brainwashing, even in this video, is focused around resource acquirement and fair distribution. It’s why people go into debt for schooling, to hopefully one day resource hoard. It’s not resource ownership that we need to “fix”, it’s who has access to them. Access is what determines “success”, not acquirement. You don’t get to own anything when you die, you can’t take anything with you. It’s how you use what you have access to, and temporary influence over, to change and alter the world. That is what lasts. It’s the very systems that are problematic. Because people used their time and resources to set up these systems. That is what they used their resources for. So if we want systems to change, the goal isn’t redistribution or hoarding or equal hoarding, it’s collective influence to change the systems. It’s community influence.

[@hellucination9905]

Excellent comment. You are right! I think the fundamental problem of the modern West is their Promethean hubris; Prometheanism is the founding myth of the modern West.

[@MP-cv6if]

You know i realized how deep the connection is between birth circumstances by this very real story, with me as a character in it: When I was born, our family hired a massaging lady for my mother (to make her more comfortable and regain strength and all). Someone in the appartment said they heard a young baby's crying around the ground floor ( we lived on the third floor), but it was just like dismissed because it could have been just me. A few days later however, my grandmother heard it too while returning from shopping and decided to investigate, and guess what? There was a baby in a basket under the stairs. And guess who's newborn it was ? The massaging lady! And sixteen years later, when the biggest thing in my life is the college entrance, that baby ( was a girl btw), already had a kid of her own.

[@dyne313]

Hyper-Individualism, or as I call it "Toxic individualism".

[@nikste23]

toxic toxicness?

[@mguison187]

Soft

[@lordsiomai]

My theory: individualism was intentionally created by capitalism so that unfortunate people are not able to blame the system/government/etc. for their failures, leaving their lives stuck in in eternal crappiness, leaving no one to actually challenge the few, lucky, rich that own 80% of all the wealth in the country.

[@Zxv975]

This is 1000% the case and is explained in the video at 8:42. It's designed to ultimately funnel power and wealth to the rich.

[@mssouth1964]

What the hell are you talking about

[@hans53]

So I know im kind of late but I hope you read it anyway. So individualsim came from the germanic tribes in europe.(that arent just modernday germans) These tribes would mix up with the romanchatolics at some point in history and creat the modernday states in europe. They influenced the culture of europe. These europeans would later go on to conquer the world and spread individualsim and so individualsim became at least for the "west" a part of society. Addionaly threw that we live more and more isolated from familys and more spread out it seams self evident zo us know.

[@crose1466]

The community should value the individual and the individual should value the community.

[@screamingcrystal8974]

The individual shouldn't be reduced both to a group member or to an isolated entity.

[@jeremyncrm2012]

Maybe the reason peoples earning is based on zip code and parental income is because of societies collective expectations, not because individualism is flawed. Seems more like a collectivism problem than an individualism problem.

[@SecondThought]

Nope

[@jeremyncrm2012]

@@SecondThought good argument for response 🙄

[@y.elouri9018]

"When you see yourself as the morally upright hero, and everyone else as competition, you're turning your back on what it means to be human" Great quote and excellent video

[@xamanbro826]

That would imply that everyone agrees on what it means to be human.

[@NastheVictorious]

I like that quote too.

[@Perroden]

Competition is healthy competition is what makes us grow competition is part of what makes America America part of why it's so great. Take competition away and the economy goes away

[@juliancalero8012]

@@Perroden but there can too much competition

[@knightofkorbin888]

@@Perroden The economy is already going away because there is less competition due to all of the past and current winners of the competition. Competition is not the issue; it's the winners and their mindset that is messing up present and future competitions and competitors.

[@mastershooter64]

I'd also argue that the more opportunities you have the less your bad decisions affect you in a negative way, and vice versa. So, people can't really argue that an individual is poor because of their bad decisions, we're all human, we all make bad decisions from time to time but the magnitude they affect you is proportional to the number of opportunities or wealth or something that you have

[@dingusdingus2152]

Maybe if the menu of options that you have to choose from sucks then any choice you make will lead to an outcome which sucks. If life gives you lemons, and fresh water, and a knife to slice them with, and a suitable vessel into which you can mix the water, juice, and whatever sweetener (honey, sugar etc.) which life has also given you, then yes, by all means, make lemonade; but if life has given you only lemons, well, you're just shit out of luck pal...

[@protogoniascension]

This is the Dragons curse. To work, gain wealth, and then horde it. Those who slay the dragon and spread its wealth are considered heroes for a reason.

[@atashikokoni]

This might be my favourite comment of all time.

[@kursor52]

But if its your work you deserve the right to decide to horde it or not right?

[@protogoniascension]

I suppose, that is ego though. Share what you have to let it multiply in the hearts of others. You're not taking it with you when you die, but the energy of your work can spread to new organisms.@@kursor52

[@MUSTASCH1O]

We are both individualistic and collectivistic in nature.

[@MAxAMILLIoN757]

Yeah, we have ego and some level of individuality, so we're not like the extreme of collectivism; see ants. But we also cooperate and live in society, so we're not like bacteria that survive and reproduce alone and have perfect competition. So where do we stand? Is it a balancing act, or an inevitable/unending cycle between collective and individualistic economy and culture? Is there a sustainable way to live that doesn't end in one of the extremes?

[@MUSTASCH1O]

@@MAxAMILLIoN757 I wish I knew how to even begin answering those questions coherently. My two pence is, we can avoid becoming zealots by embracing tolerance (of those who do not intend to inflict harm upon us), and also comparing our principles with the results they bear. Since we are both self-interested and partially altruistic, I'd personally argue that people should be left free to find their own balance, in their own way. I'm sure others would come to very different conclusions though.

[@MAxAMILLIoN757]

@@MUSTASCH1O So a bear is individualistic. It has ego, so it competes and is selfish, it is independent with no support. If something goes wrong, it pays the price in full. Survival of the fittest. On the other end, there's ants. They're extremely collectivist. They have support structures, but if something goes wrong, they sacrifice themselves for the greater good. There's no room for any form of ego (sense of self, selfishness, competition, etc.) or else the colony doesn't work. They are essentially drones. This ignores the fact they unconditionally serve the queen, which is interesting... So those are the two extremes. And anywhere in between just has problems of both with less intensity, but there's always the suffering. There's always the perceived problems, and so there's no solution. So basically pick your poison.

[@MUSTASCH1O]

@@MAxAMILLIoN757 Yes, the average human lies somewhere between those two extremes, and there is variation between individuals too. There is therefore no perfect system that can alleviate one person's suffering without causing suffering of some magnitude to another person. We can get closer over time though, as evidenced by the overall improvement in human wellbeing through history. Pick your poison, but try not to force it down others' throats is what I'd say.

[@troythegreat777]

The issue is we're hyper individualistic

[@matthewparsons9407]

I speak Japanese pretty well and with the Japanese that I speak to, they feel restrained and told to focus on the greater good rather than the individual. We need individuality, but also solidarity. Too much of either are recipes for needless pain.

[@wallerwa4]

Isn't Japan suffering an extreme loneliness problem?

[@matthewparsons9407]

@@wallerwa4 because they focus too much on the common good, their own needs/wants get neglected

[@indridcole7596]

@@matthewparsons9407 lol you literally just made that up

[@ANTSEMUT1]

@@matthewparsons9407 except it's not the common good, it's perpetuating the status quo established by the elite decades before. Like how many Old bosses still shirk at giving employees their employees any parental leave, not because it will decrease productivity but because it breaks with tradition.

[@justsomeoneelse5942]

commenting for the algorithm.

[@SecondThought]

🙏

[@crackedemerald4930]

May the corporate overlords personal number slave be pleased

[@BenReillySpydr1962]

@@SecondThought So when are you talking to Destiny?

[@illiiilli24601]

We can include terms like baby shark and pewdiepie to really broaden the audience and then spice it up with some among us and Minecraft crossed with the hit new youtube sensation that is rust on the OTV server featuring twitch funny moments from jackscepticeye. I also have to mention music, asmr and markiplier that are all important terms here on youtube. Let us not forget of course the makeup and fashion community by referencing shane dawson and james charles. Now whilst this is COMPLETE GIBBERISH to most an algorithm is able to pick out the specific key terms in this post and promote it accordingly. So lets support the Kpop stans by mentioning bts and lofi hip hop. We can even talk about some other big channels like mrbeast and dantdm. For some reason in 2020 some of the most searched tags are game of thrones and avengers endgame… Let us of course not forget the most important things of the year like dunke peppa pig and roblox! Time for all the top current searches Among Us - online game, new song 2020, pop smoke and techno gamerz and tubbo smp! Time For todays new aditions in SEO too: Thanos, fifa, joe biden, inauguration, Tommy, sidemen, mod, update, rt game, yogscast, the spiffing brit, game, predator, fortnite update, fortnite predator, boss! Lets glitch the youtube algorithm

[@philippobitz2592]

@@illiiilli24601 Didn't Spiff mention in his second KZbin exploit video that "Imagine not commenting: 'x', 'y', 'z', (...)"-style comments actually did very little to influence the algorithm?

[@vicious12394]

Its all individual responsibility until the individual in charge decides to start a war. Then its our collective duty to fight on his behalf.

[@jfungsf882]

It's amazing that you were still able to maintain your weekly uploads despite losing power, heat & water during a winterstorm in Texas.

[@therealbuba]

Careful, it’s not his success, he has Texas to thank for it

[@Notimportant253]

@@therealbuba 💀

[@Cyborg_Lenin]

Yeah, he got lucky and was born in a town of video editors.

[@Matthew_Murray]

The people that cheer individualism are the same people that unironically go “why not ask your parents for more money?”

[@shareefpeoples5317]

Or openly accept stimulus checks. Then say hur dur its my money! No it is not fool its americas money we contributed to.

[@Trey.444]

@@shareefpeoples5317 lol so u mad that people are finally getting there just do while the government taxes us our whole lives and we get shit back. Slaves being mad at slaves is interesting be mad at the broken system for not paying people properly to live.

[@shareefpeoples5317]

@@Trey.444 no im noting the hyprocrisy that some folks display. Anyway im glad people are getting help its long overdue.

[@Dan-bv8ne]

This weird, creepy narcissism that some people seem to believe to be, or mistake for individualism... Its a horrrible trait, but in some circles it's just normal and a basic foundation for every action.

[@conors4430]

There’s nothing wrong with individualism because at the end of the day we are individuals and there are certain things we need to be mindful of ourselves. But there’s also a reason human beings survive and thrive better in a society, so at a certain point or for certain things, rugged individualism can actually become a threat to your own safety and well-being and that of the rest of the group. The point is to try and balance the hyper individualism from the hyper collectivism and find the middle ground where you can react to things on an individual level but you also have the ability to be able to react to things to help the entire group as well. People who don’t want the group or actively hate well get to make their own decisions, they will also live a harder life than they need to. Again, there’s a reason human beings evolved to live in groups, because we are pretty weak and ineffective and easy pickings on our own. 200,000 years of evolution and history proves it.

[@nutboy93]

To them it’s a form of mental strength to be able to cut every one off and step on people.

[@Echo81Rumple83]

i always thought the American rugged individualism is a cover-up for narcissists being narcissists and exploiting everyone around them for their benefits.

[@notoriouswhitemoth]

"Personal responsibility" is a relatively new idea - historically the conversation was about duty, about responsibility _to and for other people._ Beyond that, individualism is objectively scientifically wrong. Total isolation destroys a person's mind - as in being completely alone for extended periods of time _actually causes brain damage!_

[@sergiomedici00]

Dude, I don’t know if you know the Björk stalker case, Ricardo Lopez, but it fits perfectly with what you’re saying.

[@gelinrefira]

It not just about the systemic problems that makes hyper-individualism a ridiculous and harmful ideology, it is that hyper-individualism also fragment people apart to the point that the idea of communal living, true community (not just ideological affiliation and nationalism), and the ability to see structures that grow out of societies, are completely blind to that individual. It might sound cheesy but hearing how hyper-individualism is broken down on this video really reminds me of the ideas developed within Buddhism. In Buddhism, there are usually two kinds of loves, self-love and great love. Self love is fairly self-explanatory, it's about taking care of oneself, your own enlightenment, your own self-esteem etc. Great love, is the kind of selfless love one is able to feel for other people, other creatures, and the community and society as a while and guides one's own actions and thoughts. Capitalism with its hyper-individualism is absolutely antithetical to the concept and practice of Great Love, and I feel is at least a large part of why America is so screwed up at every level of its society, culture and economy. Americans are literally taught to be selfish, self-centered. I call this the Psychopathification of America and contributed to a lot of the systemic problems mentioned here. Capitalism basically turned normal Americans psychopathic. To a Buddhist, this is an evil ideology, it literally makes people commit more heinous deeds that increase their karma.

[@artichokethejoke1563]

Yay my favorite Friday activity! (No joke all of these videos are so well made)

[@Ronniezim]

I agree! I get hyped when I see the notification! Keep up the great work Second Thought.

[@redunleasher2147]

I agree!

[@vontrances4667]

When tf did you get a million subs???? I feel like yesterday you had

[@SecondThought]

Thanks! Just a couple weeks ago

[@stephs8665]

He's exposing the system, and people agree!

[@daveindezmenez]

Corporations LOVE "rugged individualism". It;s like they had a bundle of sentient sticks that they couldn't break. So they convinced the sticks that they must be individuals. Then it was easy. Snap! Snap! Snap!

[@pdzombie1906]

Individualism only works in the fantasy novels of Ayn Rand (doesn't even work in Synder's superhero movies). Thanx for bringing light into darkness!!!

[@marconapolitano2821]

And socialism doesn't work in real world

[@mrsuspicious1743]

@@marconapolitano2821 If we except everywhere it's been tried, then yes, you have a point.

[@lyokianhitchhiker]

@@mrsuspicious1743 Funnily enough, Finland or Polynesia's free market capitalism implementation is closer to Marx's original vision that the totalitarian regime with a capitalist economy most Americans associate with the word communism.

[@ShinSheel]

@@lyokianhitchhiker Marx wrote pretty openly about his views in "The Communist Manifesto" and they included Gulag, ie "labor armies". With such a little difference as not everybody doing forced labor you can't really call it close to his original vision.

[@lyokianhitchhiker]

@@ShinSheel I know, I’m just saying that Stalinist Russia wasn’t what he envisioned.

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

A "Hard Days Work"! That's rich coming from a guy who had daddy hand him everything on a sliver platter, and Represent a Party who'll cut every corner and break any rule to make sure they're over-privileged kids never have to work a day in their lives.

[@CallToStripes]

Would love an episode on the ERCOT issue. As a fellow Texan, it's gross how the greed has failed millions and put people's lives at risk

[@ricardobarahona3939]

But it’s AOC and the Green New Deals fault, they’re the things that run Texas not the GOP and greedy pricks.

[@primeroyal7434]

@@ricardobarahona3939 lol ikr Texas have no government just some guy blaming windmill for crisis while others flee to Mexican resorts lmao.

[@ricardobarahona3939]

@@primeroyal7434 They can’t even get the wind thing right. Many are saying wind mills when they’re wind turbines. All these guys are in bed with the oil lobby.

[@primeroyal7434]

@@ricardobarahona3939 But going against corporate interest ain't American its SoCiAlIsM muh vuvuzela 100 quadrillion ded no iphone AOC is Stalin coz Q said so.

[@SkoolieBoyQue]

@calltostripes I'm with you on that! !!! Not so Proud Texan here as well.

[@AkaiAzul]

No human has ever been independent. Those who work for another depend on their employer for a paycheck. Those who work for themselves depend on the labor of others or the payment of others for their work. Those who work for themselves off the grid are dependent on the knowledge passed down to them from others, even their parents / those who raised them. All are dependent on the mercy of other humans.

[@AkaiAzul]

@Affirmative Action Even hermits have/had parents.

[@AkaiAzul]

@Affirmative Action The point I'm making is there's no such thing as independence. We depend on others and are not free from the influence of others. Even some one raised by wolves in your example was dependent on the mercy of people leaving them alone.

[@vatofat]

None of the real world problems in this video are the result of philosophical individualism. Racism, for example, is exclusively the result of seeing others as part of a collective. An individualist sees others as individuals, not as a member of a group. Group value and group guilt is a feature of both collectivism and racism.

[@mekingtiger9095]

Finally. Someone said it. Racism is an inherently collectivist ideology. A true individualist treats other people like individuals of their own merits. Unfortunately, group discrimination only creates more group discrimination as a self defense mechanism in response in the form of a negative feedback loop.

[@ryantrynda3029]

the idea i wanted to express to everyone around me for years and years but didnt know how...

[@ryancooper6949]

Hey Second Thought, if you see this, have you ever considered making a video on how to get involved in direct action groups/protest organizations? It would help a lot to get an idea how to put your ideas to use for change.

[@SecondThought]

Coming next week!

[@imperialcommisar5279]

@@SecondThought oooh!

[@jonathanwilson5355]

@@SecondThought yoooo lets gooo

[@ryancooper6949]

@@SecondThought You are a beast. Thank you so much for the work you do.

[@edwardroh89]

in b4 mainstream media and big tech companies declare these action groups/protest organization as inciting violence even if they are not

[@ftferlo8868]

The problem of everyone being hyper-individualistic in 4 words: A society cant work

[@Sufjan4ever]

The ACT and SAT cost upward of $200 to take,, if you don’t have that type of money laying around, you’ll have to work for it. If you have to work for it, especially as a teenager, you’ll have less time to study. Being born poor causes problem after problem, leaving you less time to focus on your future, putting you in a constant loop and never being able to get out of it. College costs thousands of dollars too.

[@nishantsrinivas2936]

Even those individual superheroes had to come together at one point... hopefully humanity does the same.

[@lopoa126]

Uber rich Ironman couldn’t do it alone

[@kevincrady2831]

All those helpless little ordinary people who run screaming whenever the supers and their enemies get in a brawl just need to stop being lazy and get their own superpowers. /s

[@nishantsrinivas2936]

@@kevincrady2831 okay, so what's yours? Go back and watch the whole video please.

[@kevincrady2831]

@@nishantsrinivas2936 The "/s" is a sarcasm tag.

[@nishantsrinivas2936]

@@kevincrady2831 so sorry bro.. didn't notice that. My apologies.

[@Krazie-Ivan]

"take some personal responsibility!" ...brought to you by the same group that demands you to let "jesus take the wheel!"

[@chainmail5886]

So don't be responsible and accountable for yourself? And just blame everything else?

[@benisjamin6583]

Wha... what? How does Christian religion relate to what these specific people have to say about taking responsibility? Metaphysical belief is entirely unrelated.

[@02091992able]

@Kickback Relax True democracy always falls victim to mob rule, very dangerous and highly destructive. If the mob votes to take all your belongings you have no power to prevent it. The middle class pays 52% of the US tax revenue the rich pay 48% the 1% are outnumbered by the rest of America so they are fewer but pay billions per year. They pay capital gains we pay income tax. Most social services and the government is working for the 99% you don't see millionaires and billionaires don't use government services. The fact that most politicians are among the 1% after they get elected. Pelosi makes 175,000 a year not including her pension and healthcare. The Clinton's are worth over 100 million dollars. Comrade Bernie is a multi-millionaire Bernie Bro.

[@draneym2003]

Conservatives are all about personal responsibility...until their small business is in danger of failing, then they expect everyone else to bail them out

[@02091992able]

@@draneym2003 I think your mistaken those types those would be the leftist that believe that. Democrats love to bail out big corporations all the time just look at the bank bailouts in 08. They gave these big banks money because they owed them favors. Then acted all pissed off when the big banks gave the money to their CEOs in the form of massive bonuses. They never really needed the money but the Democrats just gave it to them.

[@crazydragy4233]

I fell in love with this channel through this and mutual aid videos. The on-point critique of current America coupled with passion and compassion has me hooked.

[@doctort2853]

Also poverty itself has psychological effects. Often times the poor did not “choose” to be lazy, sloppy or shortsighted even when some of them does seem so. Poverty can be a constant torture and lead to learned helplessness.

[@justsomeguy6240]

I don’t know if I should keep watching this channel’s videos. I hate that feeling of sadness that I get when I feel like I can’t change anything.

[@andrewhebert7883]

Start small and local...volunteer to be a mentor. The change you could make in one person’s life is invaluable. Don’t get stuck by thinking that you personally need to change the whole system.

[@horukye]

When you're stronger, it hurts less. If this bothers you, you need to get stronger. I'm guessing you're not a minority.

[@learnerdecuriousqueen3320]

What Andrew said. You don't do it alone, you do it collectively

[@throwawayuser9931]

Walk a fine line. Don't be a hardcore collectivist, trying to unite the entirety of Homo Sapiens, you will die regretting you achieved nothing. Don't be hyper individualistic, wnd of the day, we are built to be social species, and our advancements come from the sharing of knowledge benefitting wll individuals in a grp. Youwill die alone and with regret Start small, meanwhile being wise enough to know when something is impossible. Try helping ppl, but not by harming yourself in the long run. Most of all, take everybodys advice with a grain of salt, even mine. Also, practicing being stoic to difficulties and enjoyong the joyous moments life throws at us is useful. Anger should not be your weapon, ambition, passion and wise charity should. Your brain will always remain your most prized possession.use it

[@Zelink108]

@@throwawayuser9931 It has nothing to do with being “built” as “social species”, it has to do with the soul, morals are not man made, they are god given, and “all is relative” is bullshit and an Oxymoron, there is such thing as absolute truth.

[@dr.chalmers7923]

‘The Cult of Smart’ by Fredrik deBoer is a great book that relates to this topic. Not just about individualism though, but how the culture affects the school system - a hyper competitive environment, rich with competition and therefore winners. But the problem is, as deBoer explains, that 1. It is inherently unfair because the primary instrument that is used to measure children is intelligence - although everyone knows that all children are different from birth, and that they have different strengths. 2. The School systems in the US all(basically all, there are such things as Sudbury schools for example, not that I recommend it, read the book) promise “equality of opportunity”, which is not true bc of point (1, inherent differences in children from birth), so thus when the school year commences all across the country millions of children are caused unnecessary stress and anguish from not being able to do intelligence tasks as fast or better than their peers - all the while society at large is telling them it’s their fault bc they did not work hard enough. Now, disclaimer, this topic is very complicated and I cannot simply summarize it in one paragraph(many other things wedge themselves into this topic) so please read the book if you have any questions or doubts at all, it is a very interesting read for everyone I imagine. Because it was for me, LOL.

[@AbuBased731]

It's Science lol survival of the fittest

[@leehayward8609]

Individualism fosters and exacerbates a dog eat dog world, where we view each other as competitors instead or allies. We need collectivism, to know that if the shoe was on the otber foot, your fellow human would take care of you, as you would them. Society is a team sport, and we all need to be on the same team... working together instead of against.

[@choppergirl]

What I heard in the intro: "We want all our economic slaves to know the dignity of a hard days' work. We can lift our slaves from a life of ease in a paradise jungle to being a wage slave corporate man or woman starting and staying at the very bottom. This is the Bodie Plantation, where when you set foot on it, you better set your mind to working boy... they love our white Jesus, they love our peculiar institution, and they love working hard int he plantation""

[@brianbeeler1715]

I tried to make a comment mentioning a correlation between a "neo" style of capitalism and generational wealth and found that my comment was shadow blocked by YT. To see if your comments are also being shadow blocked open the video you commented on in an incognito window and look for your comment. If it's been blocked mention it in a comment like this. Thanks.

[@kevinmahoney1995]

“You’ve convinced me. Now go out and make me do it.” -Franklin Delano Roosevelt Whether he actually said it or not, this is the only lens through which change can happen -- mass movements. Waiting on the right leader to come along and solve a problem will have you waiting forever.

[@30thousandd]

This topic has been on my mind a lot lately , I feel like hyper individualism and inflation has ruined all potential this country had

[@adamkalb1]

8:56-9:02 Holy shoot! You just SOLVED the underlying problem with individualism! Not treating other people as human beings like you. Both ruling class-bosses and their working class-workers need to get along better by not being individualistic. If we see each other's point of view and help each other out, the workers will show the bosses why they can live with a bit less than they want and not see life as a competition to make as much money as possible, and the bosses will learn to not see their workers as robots or batteries to be drained and recognize that they deserve a higher minimum wage because we are all just humans trying to get by until we are 70 years old. August 21, 2021, 10:35pm

[@AbuBased731]

Inferior peasants lol