Collectivism: An Epidemic
Do you or someone you know suffer from COLLECTIVISM?
Collectivism affects more than nine out of every ten people, and is the delusion by which some individuals imagine that they have the highest claim of ownership over the bodies of other individuals, usually due to the perception of some shared physical, cultural, geographical or ideological characteristic.
The collectivist can be identified by his affinity for speaking in terms of "we" and "our" - even when he appears to be alone. Examples of this are buzz terms like "We the People" and "our national heritage". The collectivist has likewise been known to claim responsibility for accomplishments he didn't personally achieve.
Also known as "groupthink" and "mob mentality", collectivism infects its host and spreads memetically through authoritarian styles of social organization like spanking, which is a euphemism for "kid hitting", and taxation, which is a euphemism for "give me your money or else."
Despite the fact that consent is a bodily function, the collectivist imagines that he can consent on behalf of other individuals, even in circumstances where the individual explicitly withholds consent.
The collectivist can't eat food on behalf of others, he can't defecate on behalf of others and he can't make love on behalf of others, but that still doesn't stop him from attempting to consent on behalf of others (or from violating the bodily integrity of others when consent can't be obtained).
This blatant disregard of bodily integrity is characteristic of the collectivist, as evidenced by both his preference for what he calls "government" and his unofficial battle cry: "Move to Somalia if you don't like it!"
Which, of course, isn't entirely unlike a rapist telling his victim to "not wear such a short skirt next time" if she doesn't like it.
If you or someone you know suffers from the condition described above, please administer large doses of logic and Voluntaryism.
About the Author
I'm Jared Howe! I'm a Voluntaryist hip hop artist and professional technical editor/writer with a passion for Austrian economics and universal ethics. You can catch my podcast every Friday on the Seeds of Liberty Podcast Network.
Hi, my name is Andy, and I used to suffer from severe collectivism. That's why my doctor prescribed me Voluntaryism. Now, I don't feel the urge to nominate other people to exert control over my fellow men and women. I recognize that government is just a collection of men and women who assume they have authority over other people.
I'm living happier, and healthier, thanks to Voluntaryism!
Love this reply. I can see you standing in the middle of a circle at the local CA (Collectivist Anonymous) group, confessing all your "group think" "sins." haha!
Nice, Ill be listening to Friday's podcast.
Very good.... Dr. Howe. The best medicine would be reality in an unstable political frack.
Unfortunately, I know far too many people who suffer from this delusion. But they also suffer from this awful virus called "stubborn illogic." Is there a vaccine for that?
Indeed. It's called the Socratic method.
They have proven to be impervious to Socrates' ways. I'm afraid that they are too cognitively dissonant. Shall I try a clubbing method instead? They appear to rather enjoy persuasion via brute force.
Only if we're clubbing baby seals. If that's the case, then I approve enthusiastically.
The Socratic method is just Big Logic's way of lulling you into a false sense of security! Do your own research! Don't trust Big Logic! If the Socratic method worked so well, why do we constantly need to reuse it?!
Do you think this is more epidemic in the US compared to anywhere else in the world? From my experience, it seems so.
Living in MN, I hear the "Move back to Somalia" comment just about daily.
that's where anarchists go wrong for me -- the rejection of your heritage is the rejection of culture... culture is similar to the market in that it is an output of untold number of experiences into practice based on passed down tradition by people just like you -- not only is it not smart (dumb) to reject that much knowledge so coolly, it wreaks of new age bullshit invented to pave the way for the NWO.
nice picture though
....wait, what? Could you elaborate a little on that please?
So what?
That's why I have a problem with it. I prefer logic, reason and evidence over appeals to tradition.
Knowledge? It used to be a tradition to feed virgins to volcanoes. How does tradition equal knowledge?
Given that collectivism is essentially the defining characteristic of new age mysticism, how does a rejection of collectivism constitute mysticism, exactly?
hey @jaredhowe -- I'll only deal with your last comment ---- it is the only one where it seems you need further clarification -- the complete rejection of one's culture is to begin again, anew -- with a head full of exciting ideas about how wrong thousands of years of ancestors have been and yet how right you are at the ripe old age of, I'll wager a guess, 26, is as bold as it is foolish -- culture is honed and perfected over time and although certainly not perfect, if one at least considers it, he will learn quite a bit -- the connection one feels with his people can be very strong and the NWO agenda seeks to break that bond because it will make one weaker and more susceptible to great change
Great article! I fear that the problem is only going to worse. One reason being that many people are becoming more and more dependent on their "reputation" for their sense of self-esteem. And with the popularity of social media reputation can be totally changed in an instant. This causes many people (those who don't think for themselves) to adopt the popular cultural attitudes and beliefs of the day for fear of being almost instantly socially ostracized online. Many people, I believe, don't have the courage to think for themselves because they don't want to face this perceived immediate ostracism.
What do you think about feminism? is that collectivism?
or social marxism?
Could it be that collectivist can be just a tool to serve those who belong to the group? Does he have the right make decision for itself?