The Normal Record. October 1896

              THE NORMAL RECORD.
Individuality.
CLARA   L.   GILES.
John Stewart Mills has said, "A want of
individuality is the most dangerous sign in
modern civilization."
Individuality—what is it ? "A separate
or distinct nature or existence; the character
peculiar to an individual; that quality which
distinguishes one person or thing; distinction;
character," etc.
Having our definition can we decide
whether or not Mr. Mills is correct in his
statement? It is certain that as civilization
advances, the marked individuality of nations
weakens, for in rapid communication and
frequent intermingling each loses something
of itself and gains something of the other,
thus striking a balance. This is not a particularly undesirable condition of affairs, and
is not what I would speak of—it is the great
lack of individuality among people. This has
gone so far already that we have no distinctive minds in the literary field in any part of
the world. Now what can be the reason for
this? Are all our minds molded in the same
press and capable of only one thing or the
same things? Does it spring from a lack of
thought, or worse still, a feeling of indifference or inert laziness?
How many would agree with the first
named reason? T may venture to say not
one. Who would like to acknowledge that
his thoughts were everyone's thoughts? Then
if they are not, why are the manifestations of
these thoughts so much alike?
A great amount of it does come, I think,
from a lack of thought. For some people are
born with sensibilities so blunt that nothing
short of an earthquake or hurricane can
awaken them. Thus, as Zimmerman has it,
''AH die who have lived, but all have not lived
who die." No one lives until he thinks; until he is himself, not the crowd. '"Plunge
boldly into the thick of life! Each lives it.
Not to many is it known; and sieze it where
you will, it is interesting.
Indifference bears an important part in
this question, for while one may realize that
a wide, rich heaven hangs above him. it hangs
high. He knows a wide, bright world lies
about him; does he stop to think how very
low it lies? He does not know or care; he gets
along as well as the average; that satisfies
him. I sometimes think it's a blessing that
the Creator has made our features so we
cannot alter them, or we should soon have
trouble recognizing ourselves as ourselves;
for all that we can change in our natures we
have changed. We all follow the same fashions, have the same habits and manner, generally speaking, and where there is one who
can say "I am what I am" there are millions
to say "I am what the majority is." How
many who are really gifted by nature let
their gifts dwindle to nothing by their forceless characters; never taking into consideration that the ' 'most brilliant qualities become
useless when not sustained by force of character."
It is always refreshing to see one who has
marked individuality. Then why do so many
suppress every element of nature in their
composition for fear of being queer, odd,
cranky, etc? That is, as the humorist has it,
"one of the things no fellow can find out."
Every person has two educations—one he receives from others, and one, more important,
which he gives himself—was Gibbon's idea of
education of man. Of these two the one most
important is the one most often neglected.
Someone else has said: "The man who educates himself has a fool for a teacher." Well,
if this be the case, he will have the satisfaction of knowing, at least, that he is different
from other fools in the world about him.
It seems to me this question should be one
of greatest importance to students. Are we
all to be classed under one head as simply
students of the various schools and colleges
throughout the land, or are we going to
make that something in our character which
will distinguish us from others? This can
never be done unless we emphasize our individuality—cultivate and train it—not to such
a degree that we become fanatics, cranks, or
anything of that sort, but so far as to make
our opinions, our work, our lives of value,
both now and hereafter.
"The little dissatisfaction which every
artist feels at the completion of a work,
forms the germ of a new work."