Page 96 - Harnessing the Strengths

Dilemma 3: Parts Versus the Whole ■ 79

and to their direct family. They derive status based on their
own achievements. The quality of life for all of society’s
members is closely connected with the opportunities for
individual independence and development, and the com-
munity is judged according to the extent to which it serves
the interests of its individual members. Examples of cul-
tures where individualism is more predominant include the
United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The power of individualistic cultures lies primarily in
their sense of self-confi dence and the space they give to the
individual. In these cultures, individuals get the chance to
bloom and achieve unique results. People are encouraged to
try new things. This creates an environment where business
can fl ourish. Another strong point about these cultures is
that they generally can handle different minority points of
view, as well as critical commentary. Freedom of expression
is an important societal value. Of the world’s individualistic
cultures, the United States is known as the champion of
freedom. Just as Americans are not afraid to promote their
values worldwide, they are not afraid of the unknown.
At the other end of the spectrum, you fi nd that commu-
nitarian cultures value the group over the individual. In these
cultures, the most important responsibility of the individuals
is to conduct themselves in a way that serves the collective.
The quality of life of the individual is directly related to the
degree to which he or she takes care of the other members
of society, even if this is at a cost to his or her own freedom.
People are judged on how much they serve the needs of the
group. Both in China and in Japan, working as a team and
contributing to the collective is of higher importance than
individual accomplishment or success.
The positive quality of communitarian cultures is their
emphasis on looking beyond individual interests. This leads