As we get closer to November 3rd, the presidential election only grows heavier on our minds. Maybe you’ve already voted, maybe you haven’t — either way, I would like to offer some food for thought as we go into these next few weeks. In the simplest terms: drop the toxic individualism.
Toxic individualism is an underlying idea of the American Dream — the “self-made myth” — and is engrained in many aspects of our lives. It can be simply defined as a lack of empathy, a disregard for fellow humans, and ethical egoism. As a country, we have slipped further into the idea that we are better off as individuals rather than a collective society. The every man for themselves mentality, and consistent acts out of self-interest, do not solve anything; it only makes everything worse.
Many of us are conditioned to the ideals of the American Dream from an early age, but I would like to offer a different approach. Facing what will possibly be the most important presidential election in our lifetimes, we have the chance to potentially change the course of many issues. Just to name a few: putting an end to systemic racism and oppression, LGBTQIA+ rights, women’s rights, and investing in healthcare and climate change.
Judith Butler, gender theorist and celebrity academic, states it eloquently in an interview with The New Yorker she did earlier this year:
“The goal is to overcome the formative and dependent stages of life to emerge, separate, and individuate—and then you become this self-standing individual. That’s a translation from German. They say selbstständig, implying that you stand on your own. But who actually stands on their own? We are all, if we stand, supported by any number of things. Even coming to see you today—the pavement allowed me to move, and so did my shoes, my orthotics, and the long hours spent by my physical therapist. His labor is in my walk, as it were. I wouldn’t have been able to get here without any of those wonderful technologies and supporting relations.
[. . .] If we were to rethink ourselves as social creatures who are fundamentally dependent upon one another—and there’s no shame, no humiliation, no “feminization” in that—I think that we would treat each other differently, because our very conception of self would not be defined by individual self-interest.”
People need people — we all need each other. In order to create any real change in this world, we need to acknowledge that we are all connected and fundamentally dependent on each other. So as you’re reading about the issues and filling out your ballot over the next couple of weeks, drop the toxic individualism, put yourself in the shoes of someone who is subject to the issue / candidate you’re voting for, and reflect on how you can make the most positive impact. No one is free until we’re all free; remember to vote with empathy.