While the collective can be important since it’s more than one individual helping with
society, I do not think the collective is more significant because through the individual, we see
more opportunities in expressing their individual creativity, problem-solving ability, and
motivational drive.
An individual is more likely to express their creativity when not following what everyone else
does. In the story ​the Brave New World t​ he character Helmholtz expressed his creativity by
stating that
“ I feel I could do something much more important. Yes, and more intense, more violent.
But what? What is more important to say? And how can one be violent about the sort of
things one’s expected to write about? Words can be like X-rays, if you use them
properly–they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced. That’s one of the
things I try to teach my students–how to write piercingly” (​the Brave New World ​72).
In that case, this helps show that he wants to start writing something important, he wants his
readers to feel something, not just read it with no emotion. Expressing their individual creativity
helps open your mind to others thoughts or ideas. In “Plato’s Allegory of the Cave” the other
prisoners were ignorant towards the freed prisoner, they even said that, “... they all agree that
leaving the cave is a waste of time, they then threaten to kill anyone who leaves the cave.”
(“Plato's Allegory of the Cave”). Therefore they are showing how ignorant they are to finding
out the truth, they all rather not know, they don’t want to see that they have been living a lie
pretty much, they want to keep thinking the way they think. An individual's creativity can also
help show the way you think things through, that your mind isn't just being controlled like a
machine. In ​the Brave New World B
​ ernard didn’t want to do what all the other’s do meaning he
didn’t want to have sex with Lenina on their night alone, he wanted to take things slowly, the
story said “...we shall be alone all night. Bernard blushed and looked away. “I meant, alone for
talking,” he mumbled.”(the ​Brave New World​ 93).
This is showing the way he tried to get his mind off of things like that, he said they should take a
walk not do something he didn’t want to do.
Equally as important an individual can show their problem-solving ability, and how they
manage their own lives and don’t just follow others, being individual. Showing the way you are
meaning independent could make others envy you, what I mean is that they are jealous of the
way you aren’t being controlled the same way they are, you think for yourself not just follow the
crowd. In ​the Brave New World ​there was a character who almost envied Mr.Watson since he
was being sent somewhere, where he could learn how to think for himself or be independent, he
stated that
“...He’d understand that his punishment is really a reward. He’s being sent to an island.
That’s to say, he’s being sent to a place where he’ll meet the most interesting set of men
and women to be found anywhere in the world. All the people who, for one reason or
another, have got too self-consciously individual to fit into community life. All the
people who aren’t satisfied with orthodoxy, who’ve got independent ideas of their own.”
(the ​Brave New World​ 252).
Accordingly, Mr.Watson is getting sent away to an island where people have their own ideas and
they aren’t being controlled the way the others are, and the other character wants him to realize
that being there can help him learn how to be his own person. Having control over your own life
or showing your way of solving problems also gives you more confidence and let’s you have a
higher self-esteem, like in ​the Brave New World​ it said that
“And this confidence was the greater for his not for a moment really believing that he
would be called upon to face anything at all. People simply weren’t transferred for things
like that. Iceland was just a threat.”(​the​ ​Brave New World​ 104).
This is showing the way Bernard’s confidence was high that moment, he felt like he could do
anything, he didn’t care about Iceland, even if they are a “threat” to them. Being independent and
being able to solve your own problems can also help with showing the type of person you are, it
can show how you don’t just tag along with everyone only because they do it, don’t just follow
society, in ​the Brave New World ​the author said that, “The girls trailed after him. It was not till
he had actually climbed into Bernard’s plane and slammed the door that they gave up
pursuit.”(​the Brave New World 7​ 0). This helps show that he didn’t just go with the girls, even if
he was the only man that would be there.
Furthermore an individual's motivational drive can help you create things that may be
important to others, like in “Social Dilemma” it says, “When we were making the like button,
our entire motivation was...Can we spread positivity and love in the world?”(Social Dilemma
script). Therefore, they created something because they thought it would be motivating to others
since they were motivated by it while creating it, since it can help many people get likes and they
may get a lot and be proud but others may get a small amount but still be thankful, and it can
help you see that some people like your posts meaning they are interested on your posts which
will make you feel more motivated to keep posting.One’s motivation can help their mind grow,
and want to do things for others because you never know when they may need it, in ​the Brave
New World t​ he example the author used stated that
“Not quite. I’m thinking of a queer feeling I sometimes get, a feeling that I’ve got
something important to say and the power to say it–only I don’t know what it is, and I
can’t make any use of the power.”(​the Brave New world ​71).
This example helps show that if Helmholtz was motivated enough to make this piece of writing
or to try hard to find out what this “power” of his is he could accomplish finding out what it is
and we never know what he could've done with it. Being motivated can help with changing old
habits, like in “Social Dilemma” everyone has a habit of being attached to their phones, and if
they don’t have their phones they either try to get it back or just stay bored the whole day not
knowing what to do for the rest of the day, since they have became so dependent on technology,
the example they stated said
“So, if you get an email that says your friend just tagged you in a photo, of course, you’re
going to click on that e-mail and look at the photo. It’s not something you can just decide
to ignore.” (“Social Dilemma” script).
Because we are so attached to our phones, they are showing how if we got tagged on something
of course we are going to check it out because we are curious.
Although this may be true, the collective can help influence the world more than an
individual would if there are lots of people believing something you would probably be
influenced by them to believe the same thing even if you know your right or even if you don't
want to, some evidence to support this would be that in the ​Brave New World o​ ne of the students
decided to question something and immediately he got called a fool, and the director calling him
a fool could have gone into his head in many different ways, he could have thought to himself
that it was foolish to ask such questions, he could have been hurt by that remark, you never
know, so him calling him a fool could have an impact on the way he thinks and since no one else
has ever asked a question like that,
s even more shocking or embarrassing,
“But one of the students was fool enough to ask where the advantage lay.“My good boy!”
The Director wheeled sharply round on him. “Can’t you see? Can’t you see?” He raised a
hand; his expression was solemn. “Bokanovsky’s Process is one of the major instruments
of social stability!” Major instruments of social stability.”(​the Brave New World​ 6).
Because no one in the story stood up for the boy, since they are all influenced to think a certain
way and to not question anything and due to that they can have a higher chance of influencing
others or they have more power than an individual does.Another reason the collective is more
important or better than the individual is because the collective has a higher chance to change
someone’s mindset like for example in the brave new world if only there were more people that
thought the same way Helmholtz and Bernard thought then just maybe there could be a change in
their humanity, like if there was a large group of people saying or realizing what exactly is going
on then they could start telling others and eventually it will spread and they might be able to get
freedom but if an individual says anything immediately they will be sent somewhere or they may
try to “repair” the individual, and others will just think they were crazy, like when Helmholtz
decided to cut off all the women many people might think he’s crazy for doing that since their
society is mainly based on reproduction and having sexual relationships, but anyways the story
stated that Helmholtz said,
“I’ve been cutting all my committees and all my girls. You can’t imagine what a
hullabaloo they’ve been making about it at the College. Still, it’s been worth it, I
think. The effects …”(​the Brave New World​ 71).
In effect, ff everyone or a lot of people started doing that they can probably start to make others
take their time in a relationship and being loyal to one person and being with only one, and not
just sleeping with almost anyone on the first night.
In conclusion, the individual is more important than the collective even though the
collective makes it easier to influence and change people while it's harder to do as an individual
but it isn’t impossible. Let’s say one day our society goes crazy like that, and there were just a
few individuals who knew that all this isn’t normal or it isn’t right, but they are too scared to
come out and talk about the problem because they don’t want to be misjudged or treated
differently for having that opinion or thought, the individual can have a chance to make a big
change but the collective is just being ignorant, thinking and knowing what’s right is better than
following the other’s and only depending on them.