Rushing to get an open seat, I make my way onto the understandably crowded train car after a long day of school. My attention is brought to a group of students next to me who are gossiping about a fallout they had with another friend. “She was so mad at me, but what am I supposed to do about it? I’m not responsible for her feelings.” However, people are, in one way or another, responsible for how they make their peers feel. I recognized this as the “individualist mindset” that has been gaining popularity among the younger generation. The idea of doing things for your benefit, usually intended to improve one’s mental health, is one of the many ways that people are increasing their confidence. Nevertheless, you must consider if over-relying on yourself is doing more harm than good.

Individualism is a mindset that has roots extending back to the Renaissance. In the 16th century, people began to loosen themselves from the clutches of the Catholic Church of England and advocate for their religious and political freedom through the Protestant Reformation. The leaders of the reformation emphasized that believers should simply focus on their own personal relationship with God and interpret the Bible as they see fit instead of relying on the Catholic Church for religious decisions. Now, in the present day, people still adopt individualism. It is defined by Britannica as a “political and social philosophy that emphasizes the moral worth of the individual.” In modern times, people use this way of thinking to promote self-reliance and confidence in themselves. It can range from choosing a career path that is not commonly encouraged by other people, but they are passionate about, or overcoming obstacles by focusing on themselves and their well being.

But, as the idea of individualism is garnering more attention, an important question arises. Are people misunderstanding the true meaning of the term?

The contemporary depiction of individualism steers more towards the feeling of solitude that many teens aim to feel comfortable in. Some people who associate themselves with this term are beginning to believe that it is more reliable to depend on themselves rather than consider the feelings of others. Without a doubt, one should first prioritize feeling content with themselves and bettering themselves, but what’s the next step? Self-improvement shouldn’t be at the expense of other people’s emotions and well-being.

A common example of this is littering when people don’t see a garbage can around. They might believe that this is a more convenient choice because they did not find a place to dispose of their trash, and they are not doing anything to damage the environment because they are only one person in comparison to the millions of other people who litter every day. 

People who hold this thought process fail to realize that, in one way or another, they are harming their own living spaces. The action that they took to make themselves more comfortable indirectly influences other people to have these exact ideas, creating a chain reaction of people littering because others are doing the same, and ultimately worsening the environment. 

This is similar to how the misconception of individualism impacts one’s peers. Disregarding their feelings in focus on yours may invoke them to reciprocate that concept to you, which may ruin relationships. In the same way that one’s act of littering may influence others to do the same, your actions also influence the feelings of the people around you.

There is a fairly thin line between what people believe individualism is today and what plain selfishness is. I believe that the misconception that you must constrict yourself from communication to be an individualist comes from superficial observational learning, rather than personal research to discover what works for them. True individualism centers around bettering oneself  to possibly help other people. Individualists are aware of their place in society and their contributions to their community. A big part of self-improvement is knowing how to support yourself individually while also knowing how to navigate your social life and interactions with your peers, which is a fundamental part of life. You interact with many people on a daily basis, whether it be your family, classmates, or even people online. Humans are inherently social creatures and thrive on communication and connection with others.

Researchers performed a cross-sectional analysis on how a sense of community impacts mental health and used data from the Survey of Health of Wisconsin between the years of 2014 and 2016. Answers were derived from the eight-item Brief Sense of Community Scale, in which the participants are asked how their neighborhood adequately provides them with their needs, influences them, and how they are able to attain a deep bond with others and feel accepted within their community. Additionally, contributors were asked questions about depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Researchers assembled the responses and sorted people out based on which participants showed the most symptoms of depression and anxiety and compared results with their previous line of questioning. Out of the 1,957 adults that took part in the survey, a total of 1,647 observations were collected for research purposes, and it was found that people with a negative sense of community are more likely to have depression, anxiety, and overall stress in comparison to people with a positive sense of community. The study concluded that having a support system and a positive sense of community could improve one’s mental health and make them happier in the long run. 

The cross sectional study explored the analytical aspects of how community and mental health go hand in hand and how it impacts adults. But, when researching topics such as this, it is also important to gain the perspective of different groups to see how it can impact people on a larger scale. What do students think about the misconception of individualism in recent years? Ciel Pacia ’25 said, “I think this way of thinking could lead to a really pessimistic view of life. I’ve seen people dismiss and hurt their friends by using the excuse ‘I’m doing this for me.’” Lizbeth Rodriguez ’25 added, “It’s disheartening to see the lack of empathy that people have nowadays.” Another student, Susan Ouyang ’25 said, “I feel like when people don’t do enough research on individualism, it makes them have tunnel vision and really only think about themselves.” The overall discernment was that people should be more mindful of their environment and make sure that they make decisions that don’t harm their companions. 

While it may have reverse effects when it is misinterpreted, individualism can be used for good when it is understood properly. In the meantime, a sense of community can be restored in multiple ways. Doing volunteer work, donating to organizations, becoming more familiar with the local government, or simply going outside and spending time with friends or neighbors are only a few examples of how to feel more connected and involved with your community. One decision that you make could unknowingly influence the people around you, whether it be donations, charity work, or simply considering your peers’ feelings when making choices that could impact them. An important factor in improving your mental health is making sure that your environment is healthy as well.

Ciel Pacia ’25 said, “I think this way of thinking could lead to a really pessimistic view of life. I’ve seen people dismiss and hurt their friends by using the excuse ‘I’m doing this for me.’”