Dominant Narrative: The Self / Autonomous Individualism

Dominant Narrative: The “Self”

Individuality and Autonomy are in Our Best Interests

Over time our communities have slowly created these unseen boundaries/enclosures that tell us that prioritizing ourselves this is the right thing to do. However, when this becomes integral to our understanding of ourselves and the world around us, it isolates us and makes us sick. This list is not complete, but for the sake of digestion, we see this in:

Competition and scarcity, feeling we must compete for limited resources, encouraging distrust and self-interest. We somehow feel that their gain is our loss.

Elderly care, where personal sacrifice (living with elderly family members rather than sending them to a nursing home) is viewed as a setback, prioritizing individual progress over community needs.

The "self-made" myth, where only individual success is celebrated, ignoring the collective effort behind achievements. Most big cultural achievements have a spot for only 1 winner, the Nobel prize, Oscars, Grammy’s, etc….

Consumer identity, where self-expression is tied to products and brands. This obsession with clothes and accessories is self-interested and diverts us from much realer pressing issues.