Mirror Images: Appreciating Individualism in A Collectivist Culture
Social psychology continues to revisit the general idea of comparing an individual's intrinsic worth to values decided by a community. But despite this repetitive outlook, modern society’s social media and peer pressure has mentally plagued the minds of newer generations by forcing individuals to conform to the extreme norm in order to “become accepted.”
We see this common misconception in various rom-coms and teenager movies. Ironically enough, this ‘mean girl’ or ‘popular’ social ideal can be pinpointed to Lindsay Lohan’s most iconic movie: Mean Girls. Take Cady Heron, for example. For more than a decade, her daily agenda consisted of research expeditions and identifying exotic creatures in Africa. But ultimately, the fear of becoming the new girl social pariah led her down a different path alongside the very cliche Queen Bee, and she almost losing her true identity in the end.
Now while this kind of social pyramid and group discovery rarely happens as loud and pink as the classic Regina George, it is still prevalent in the minds of those who prioritize group goals and favor communal validation over individual confidence. And if we’re being completely honest with one another, that’s typically the case for everyone.
The self-perception theory can be described as the attribution of specific characteristics towards a person after their everyday actions are observed by someone else in a particular situation. While this concept sugar coats the judgemental aspect of society, it still makes the collectivistic culture easier to understand. On a daily basis, people are prone to receive mental assumptions from their peers as a result of how they present themselves and their attitude. From personal experience, people subconsciously worry about what they can do to make themselves feel wanted, popular or appreciated. If they feel out of the loop, many abandon their individual ideals or morals and participate in what later becomes peer pressure. People become unaware that they’re doing something outside of their own comfort zone– they just care that they’re being accepted. Although the self-perception theory visits what an individual thinks to themselves about someone else, wanting to be a part of a specific group and fearing this social judgment makes other young adults think about any possible thing that someone around them could be saying, even if they can’t truly hear it.
It’s a subconscious thing. Fear makes individuals play into it, and eventually their unique characteristics blend into a culture that either has similar traits or has already drowned out their own. And like Cady Heron, one day these individuals will look into the mirror and see replications of the group they claim they’re “happy to be a part of.”
It’s important in adolescent development to realize that not everything is about being accepted. It’s critical that we keep our individual characteristics in mind and let their beauty bloom without the influence of any bad reflections from ‘normal’ groups. Nobody should lose a sense of who they are while trying to fit in with the tradition, and I doubt anyone wants to look into a mirror and see someone else. The most we can do is appreciate ourselves in its entirety, so enjoy the natural and resist the normal.
Strike Out
Orlando
Writer: Nina Rueda
Copy Editor: Reanna Haase
Content Editor: Melissa Donovan
Nina Rueda is a content writer for Strike Magazine Orlando. An undeniable Capricorn and Sabrina Carpenter stan, Nina enjoys thrifting, writing ‘in her feels’ poetry, and doing impulsive photoshoots. You can reach her at ninaroody22@gmail.com or @ninaruedaa on Instagram!