Dear Malaysians,
How was your Teh Tarik today? Did you get stuck in traffic when going to work or school? Did you wake up at an ungodly hour just to avoid traffic jam? If yes, then our lives are not that different. It is not a surprise since we live in a collectivistic country. Collectivism is the belief that the interest of the group prevails over the interest of the individual (Scott, 2018, para. 14). This is probably the reason why we are acting the same way since there is a lack of individualism which is the belief that the interests of the individual prevail over the interests of the group (Scott, 2018, para. 15).
Is it bad that our country is a collectivistic one? Not really. As a collectivistic individual, we tend to prioritise our community more than ourselves. For example, we are more likely to take care of our parents when they grow old and sacrifice our own needs compared with individualistic people. We tend to think about the society and the group of people that we belong to before taking decisions. This benefits our families, society and country as collectivistic people are more selfless and willing to help each other.
However, problems arise when our own interests are sacrificed for the sake of society and family. If a student wanted to pursue ambitions such as an artist that does not benefit their family and country, they will not be able to pursue their ambitions. There is a strong believe that everyone should become a doctor or lawyer and contribute to the society and country in great ways. While some voluntarily want to become a doctor or lawyer and contribute to the society due to their collectivistic nature, not all Malaysians are the same.
Malaysians who think differently and individualistically are forced in a collectivistic society, and this will affect the country negatively. For example, people who are forced to do something like becoming a doctor or engineer for the sake of their families will not perform as well as the ones who are truly devoted to helping the society. They will yearn for a life filled with ‘freedom’ where they do not have to care about others.
Individualism has its pros and cons. The pros being we will be able to solely focus on our own achievements and enjoy freedom whereas the cons are it is a selfish behaviour and might also lead to meaningless life. As Malaysians, is it better to be individualistic or collectivistic?
In my own opinion, finding a balance between individualism and collectivism is the best for our country. We need to put our society’s benefits first before our own in some situations and our own before society’s in other situations. For example, we should not litter for the benefit of our society, and we should be able to pursue our own ambitions and focus on our own achievements as well without bringing harm to our country.
With lots of love,
A Malaysian
References
Scott, M. (2018, November 1). What is Collectivism? What is Individualism? What
Difference Does it Make? Retrieved from
https://www.mannyscott.com/blog/what-is-collectivism
Name: Nisha A/P Vickneswaran
Student ID: 2100555
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