The Importance of the Self.

I hate group think.

And when I say I, it is only for me whom I speak.

Too much of people's opinions are just thoughts they have absorbed from someone else who in turn listened to someone else. Often they haven't even spared a moment to actually check to see if they agree before they spew it out like a regurgitated piece of information they couldn't be bothered to research. This way of thinking, or perhaps this lack of thinking stems from the group.

Groups are convenient ways for us to labels ourselves which is a convenient way for us to describe the things we think and believe, to people without the wasting all the time it would take us to explain it. For example, I am an Atheist, simply a person who does not believe in any god. (Clearly, I am not the world's only atheist and so there are many other people who will use this label, sort of making it a group of people who share this ONE opinion.) Also it is crucial to mention that just because an Atheist, is a non believer in a god and this is a shared non-belief, this does not make every Atheist the same, it is simple in its definition but with something as complex as this, it is ignorant to assume that this means that the individual Atheist does not have their own views, opinions and theories on the complex subject of our existence and philosophy. (This can and should be applied to any group or label.)

So of course, in this respect I regard groups as fairly useful. However, I would never want that label/group to represent my other opinions. What I mean by this is, that while yes, I do not believe in any god, my entire identity and sense of self does not revolve around this fact. Other opinions that I hold will naturally be influenced by one another but again this is not always necessarily the case.

To me, there is something dangerous and lazy about allowing a group to fully represent who you are as a person. Dangerous because, a group's main focus (obviously) will be representing the views of the group and not the individual. And because (hopefully) not everybody in said group 100% agrees with one another on everything based in and around what that group believes (let alone on everything in general,) it is therefore impossible to fully equally and accurately represent the beliefs of that group.

It is lazy because by engaging in group think, the individuals within that group are failing to take advantage of their own beautiful brains in their own heads and are instead leaving them empty to be filled up with the general consensus of the group at all times.

Personally, I can't imagine are greater hell!

Group think limits what you are allowed to believe or agree with, it puts you in a box with only so much room with no hopes of expansion. It tells you that descension is bad and changing your mind means expulsion from the cozy warmness that belonging to a group offers. Groups also carry that added pressure of representing other people in everything you say and do, which almost always results in failure because despite the term 'group think', you can't possibly know what other people are thinking about a certain thing at all times and whether it lines up with what you think. You can't explore other opinions or other sides of the realm when you belong to groups and so when you start displaying signs of common sense people label you 'conservative' or when you take a more 'liberal' approach to something, people call you a 'regressive pussy.'

But when you refuse to tether your rope to one particular group on EVERY SINGLE ISSUE, people can't tar your beliefs with the same sticky brush. It is so important to represent yourself and only yourself if you have the ability to lest anyone try and accuse you as a person of being party to a crime your GROUP committed. And doesn't it just feel that little bit better when you speak for yourself and the consequences land squarely at your feet? I think so.

There is so much more I could say about this, but I'd rather hear other opinions (and my fingers have grown weary.) SO! Express yourself to me not as a member of this or that party or group but as YOU!

Love,

The Girl in Blue
xoxo