Literary notes about Individuality (AI summary)
Literary works treat “individuality” as a dynamic concept embodying both a personal essence and a counterpoint to conformity. Philosophical treatises articulate it as a core element of well-being and self-reliance, asserting that personal growth depends on preserving one’s distinct character [1][2]. At times, it is rendered as a celebrated mark of exceptional personality, even amidst social uniformity or collective movements [3][4], while other texts argue that societal pressures or imposed norms may stifle this uniqueness, risking both isolation and the loss of independent thought [5][6]. In broader reflections, authors question whether nurturing individuality ultimately enhances self-expression or if it might lead to excesses that undermine communal harmony [7][8], thereby revealing the rich, often paradoxical role of individuality throughout literature.
- OF INDIVIDUALITY, AS ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF WELL-BEING.
— from On Liberty by John Stuart Mill - No one can get beyond his own individuality.
— from The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer: the Wisdom of Life by Arthur Schopenhauer - This was principally due to her exceptional individuality.
— from My Life — Volume 1 by Richard Wagner - But, in this class, as in all other classes, there are characters of marked individuality, even while they bear a general resemblance to the mass.
— from My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass - If, therefore, the Ideas are to become objects of knowledge, this can only happen by transcending the individuality of the knowing subject.
— from The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 1 of 3) by Arthur Schopenhauer - Fear strangles originality, daring, boldness; it kills individuality, and weakens all the mental processes.
— from Pushing to the Front by Orison Swett Marden - However that may be, individuality is a far more important thing than nationality, and in any given man deserves a thousand-fold more consideration.
— from The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer: the Wisdom of Life by Arthur Schopenhauer - How much of human life should be assigned to individuality, and how much to society?
— from On Liberty by John Stuart Mill