Bumble: Post class 2/ 12

Group or no group… that is the question.

Is our society in danger because we have a community identity, and not enough individualistic perspective? Our discussion about Lyotard’s desire for artists and writers to “heal” the community with a breath of fresh individualism. He undoubtedly hates cultural stereotypes because of how it may stifle individual perspective. I am not sure that we should actually send our troops into battle to, “wage a war on totality” (46).

While it is bizarre coming from a New Yorker (very autonomous and independent culture), in many ways, Human beings only chance of survival is through group identity. Numbers have power, when people group together it builds strength, and raw ability to survive.

If you watch animals on the discovery channel or right around you, it is clear that for animals group and communal cohesiveness is the key to getting food, procreating, and protecting against predators. Humans need the cohesiveness for emotional comfort and language development along with all of these other factors.

Think about ants for example, they function as a group community identity, and they survive and these puny things can accomplish so much and survive, despite their tiny place in the larger universe. They are able to even create remarkable architecture!

Humans are dependent on one another, our very identities are shaped by our perception of how others and our reference groups interact with us; this is why strong communal bonds are so important. It is nice to belong to a team of people with similar ideas, because being accepted by a group makes interacting comforting. Humans are most definitely creatures of habit, and when people stray from the routine or offer new ideas, they often feel “off.”

While I believe that we need means of common grounds for communication, I value my independence and individuality more than I can even imagine. This is why it is so puzzling. I think that at a micro level we truly need unique, interesting, stimulating, challenging perspectives. This comes from a personal sense of self esteem and voice which everyone hopefully can find and express it without fear.

We discussed in class the notion that mass production, and communal ideas tend to be de-emphasized, which is so true. First, let’s think about the ants again. When you see ant, there are very few people who will be very upset when a single ant dies. Most people’s reactions are, well there are many more. This idea of what is real or not real relates to the identity of well if someone has an idea about something, is it truly their idea or is it this mass produced idea that has been circulating over and over again!?