This morning whilst running I thought, where has individuality gone? There was a time when you walked down the street, there was an appearance of difference, by that I mean, we identified ourselves differently by the clothes we wore, the make up styles, the hair styles, even food. commonality was usually language, the need to obey societies boundaries and work within the environment be it school or work.
Today I see a society that wants us to look the same, feel the same, do the same things. On social media I often see posts about trends, what we should be wearing, how we should look, who we should follow. It is almost lemming like. The push is so strong society seems to create assimilation like ‘the borg’ (Star trek reference). Groups of people who look the same, speak the same and have no views other than that which is offered. This may seem harsh but when I was growing up I appreciated my individualism. I didn’t follow trends, I selected things based on what I liked not what is being pushed out by the media. Thank God I am still that way. I appreciate my individualism, it allows me not to be swept up by the current trend, thought leaders imposing their ideas. It also helps me to think for myself and not just agree to be part of a manufactured idea.
Organisations have also forgotten their individualism I believe, and that is reflective across many sectors. Many organisations have the need to follow the current trend regardless if it doesn’t benefit their employees. Let’s take the abandonment of DEI, some organisations have decided not to continue with DEI because someone said so. We know who that someone is. No thought of the people in their organisation, how this dramatic change will affect moral, mental health. DEI is not a nice to have but a necessity. I can also reference as an example, organisations reporting on their Ethnicity Pay Gap, looking at other organisations and replicated what they have seen rather than looking at what is happening in their own organisations and acting accordingly. I am sure there are many more examples.
Our uniqueness is our strength. You can be individualistic and have respect for others. It is about understanding self, respecting self by doing so we have the power to help others.