We know very well that society is dependent on the individual — a society is void without the human interaction that lives within it.1 The individual does not share the same fundamental reliance on society, but group living can be credited with the prosperity of the human race. Conformity, social statuses, and classification can also be attributed to society. For most of us, at least all of us with internet access, oppression of the individual is inescapable, no matter how many times you may call yourself a “free spirit” on Instagram.

It would be self-flattery to assume there is any separation between yourself and society. There is only yourself in society. The individual is falsely free to move about, to develop and evolve, only within its society’s bounds. This confinement is not a measure of sense of self; it is the output of a society that celebrates each marker of normalcy beginning at birth. Instruction manuals list when and how toddlers should take their first steps and what to do if a child should fall behind. Pre-school-aged children are expected to adhere to behavioral standards early on, and third-graders are taught to stand in line. Art teachers instruct students on what color the sun should be and where in the sky it should shine. English teachers outline what “good writing” looks like. There is one way to do everything, and students are rewarded for following the guidelines.

In the workforce, adults sit around conference tables and throw out a “we just need to think outside of the box,” but by this point it is too late; creativity and thereby individuality have already been squelched. These employees were taught how to play by the rules and are lost without instruction.

1 Until recently, I disliked the word “society” because of its overuse as a scapegoat for any and all sociopolitical problems. Then I looked at the definition and realized “society” is in fact the perfect explanation for social divides, close-mindedness, and the like. With this newfound appreciation and to make up for lost time, I have allowed myself to say “society” over and over again in the following sentences.