12 December 2007

A Sense of Belonging

"Decadence in modern mass multicultural societies begins at a moment when there is no longer any discernable meaning within society. Meaning is destroyed by raising individualism above all other values because rampant individualism encourages the anarchical proliferation of egotism at the expense of the values that were once part of the national heritage, values that give form to the concept of nationhood and the nation state, to a state which is more than just a political entity, and which corresponds to a particular people who are conscious of sharing a common heritage for the survival of which they are prepared to make personal sacrifices.

Man evolved in cooperating groups united by common cultural and genetic ties, and it is only in such a setting that the individual can feel truly free, and truly protected. Men cannot live happily alone and without values or any sense of identity: such a situation leads to nihilism, drug abuse, criminality, and worse. With the spread of purely egotistic goals at the expense of the altruistic regard for family and nation, the individual begins to talk of his rights rather than his duties, for he no longer feels any sense of destiny, of belonging to and being a part of a greater and more enduring entity. He no longer rejoices in the secure belief that he shares in a heritage which it is part of his common duty to protect - he no longer feels that he has anything in common with those around him. In short, he feels lonely and oppressed. Since all values have become strictly personal, everything is now equal to everything; e.g., nothing equals nothing."

Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft: A sociological view of the decay of modern society, Alain de Benoist

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great quote and agree with it. Keep up the good work, Trad. I like your blog.

Eliza Starbuck said...

I love this quote because it tackles the dualities of individualism, and community. I don’t read it as him saying that the individual needs to suppress oneself to be a part of the larger culture. But, he does suggesting that individuals who go around exerting their will all over the place are ultimately being self destructive. In the end we are all connected, so being a positive contributing member to society makes you a positive person of worth. It’s hard to get the balance between the self and the higher social conscious, but it’s definitely something we strive for….
Best wishes,
E.J.