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Individualist or Group?



Connecting the ISPP article and "The Crowd" reading, we realize the consequences, both positive and negative, of individualism and being a part of a group. There are three very different and distinct aspects in being a political animal that are identified in the ISPP article. The first characteristic is that the human mind is shaped by social processes meaning that we are influenced by the aspects that characterize the social system. The second characteristic is that the human self is designed to expand and include other to form a group. This allows people to identify the ins and outs of a group, figuring out if the groups' beliefs are aligned with the individual or not. The last one is that people act to advance their group-based view of the world, comparing and contrasting groups. Individuals act in way that they learn and progress their interests as themselves and as subgroups. An example of this is labeling oneself as Liberal or Conservative.

Humans are political animals, we are engaged with social affairs. This is more of a deliberate action compared to how people act socially and culturally.

In "The Crowd" reading it also discusses individuals versus crowd. Humans are political animals, but as individuals humans are inferior to the crowd. A crowd could either be destructive and impulsive, but also could be heroic. It depends on the crowd's goals and intent. If a political animal is on its' own and has no support, its' claims and purposes will not be fulfilled to their desired extent.

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