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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."
Object Description
Title | The Normal Record. October 1896 |
Original Date | 1896-10 |
Description | The Record. Published by the Associated Students of Chico State College. |
Creator | Chico State College |
Location of Original | Archives |
Call Number | LD723 C57 |
Digital Collection | The Record: Chico State Yearbook Collection |
Digital Repository | Meriam Library, California State University, Chico. |
Description-Abstract | The Record served as both a student magazine and a commencement program for Chico Normal School. In the year 1896, it was published almost monthly. |
Date Digital | 2013 |
Language | eng |
Rights | For information on the use of the images in this collection contact the Special Collections Department at 530.898-6342 or email: specialcollections@csuchico.edu |
Format | image/tiff |
Filename | index.cpd |
Description
Title | 1896_10_NormalRecord.010 |
Original Date | 1896-10 |
OCR- Transcript | 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." |