Confusing Individualism and Individualistic?

You and I meet at the grocery store and after talking for a good twenty minutes we decide to meet later at Starbucks to sit down to continue our discussion. What could happen?

Individualism is recognition that we are both subjective human beings with unique perspectives. Individualisticis the interference of a cooperative experience by an ego-driven objective. They are not the same thing. Why the confusion, then?

At the personal level sometimes there is confusion because recognizing that we each have unique perspectives may seem to imply separateness. Perspectives can differ while still having the same goals (ends) or the same assessment of the various means for achieving ends. Voluntarily cooperating is really most likely when there is compatibility with regards ends and means. It simply involves mutual tweaking of the choice of means. Individualism works this way.

If the ends or means are significantly different, then voluntary social cooperation will not be able to occur at that time and place. This is often the case in human relations and this is also how individualism works.Noteworthy: desiring an alternative of coercion or oppression can hardly be thought as better than individualism.

If the goals are the same and the process of selecting the means comes to a halt because of obstinance, say for example a person may be too proud of their suggestion to listen to the suggestions made by others, then the breakdown of the potential of social cooperation is something that can be called individualistic.

The solution to individualistic patterns of behavior in society is not to adopt the unscientific and completely fallacious doctrine of collectivism. That is the path of coercion and oppression. The solution is to provide a proper education which has at its core the understanding that humans are subjective and that the workings in the world are all the outcome of individualism.  

Are you convinced that individualism is the solution rather than the problem?

Contact me since you are interested in the art and science of economics.

Humans Have Two Layers Of Subjective Valuation.

Enigmatic we are! Unique.

It is from that origin that each of us goes forward as a creature on a quest for betterment. Every step taken is subjective within the ends/means framework. I deliberately put the ends before the means because the ends chosen is the motivation for seeking out the best means for its attainment.

In an ordinary sense the teen cannot imagine going over to a friend’s house to rendez-vous with his peers without having a funny story to share. To be likeable he chose humor as the best means.

The extraordinary feature of each and all of us is the subjective nature of our means and our ends. Talk about the complexity of the human being! No one knows what an individual values as an ends at any particular moment because it is within the veiled thymology that only the originator of the value can understand. That is just the first layer and it is clear that there is no way to predict or assess that subjective valuation.

Layer two may appear more assessable because it is empirical in the sense that it is made manifest by action. The specific means chosen does not reveal very much since it is only an expression of a relative nature; this is preferred over that for the time being.

The hidden complexity of each and every human being surely makes it certain that economics and ethics are qualitative sciences not quantitative. All this can be deduced from the knowledge that human beings are subjective. To ignore human subjectivity, which is the common approach contemporarily, is greatly flawed and explains to a large extent the ineffectiveness of those who espouse such an unscientific approach to human science.

The scientifically correct method for the human sciences is the methodology of subjectivism. Using logic, it explores human actions within the context of freedom, fully aware that humans have eons ago identified the beauty and value of social cooperation.

What will you do or say the next time you hear the economic charlatans trying to manipulate others by using their data and empirical analysis?

Contact me since you are interested in the art and science of economics.