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<h1 class="p-name">Individualism</h1>
<p>194 words, ~1 minute read. <span v-html="data[`site/${pageData.page.value.relativePath}`]" /></p>
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<details><summary>Referenced by:</summary><a href="/garden/local-communities/index.md">Local Communities</a><a href="/garden/neoliberalism/index.md">Neoliberalism</a></details>

Individualism is a value system centered around independence and self sufficiency. It argues for taking care of oneself before others, and that it's wrong for people to be forced to take care of others before their selves, i.e. via wealth redistribution. This value system is antithetical to the [Anarchist](/garden/anarchism/index.md) values of community and mutual aid. I personally am against individualism and see it as against humans nature of cooperation. We're a social people and have for our entire existence relied upon each other.

As a personal anecdote, I'm a recent parent and the whole "it takes a village" adage makes a lot of sense, and has made me hyper aware of how individualism has made it very hard to raise a kid these days. There's no 3 generations living in a house anymore, and suburbs are spread out and isolating, preventing strong [Local Communities](/garden/local-communities/index.md) from forming. To sum up, the "village" doesn't exist anymore.

Hyper individualism is a modern invention, not a "good ole traditional value" we should all aspire to. It was explicitly created by capitalist values, and replaced pre-existing value systems that prioritized co-operation.