Hyper Individualism Is Splitting America
A simple but powerful question Americans need to answer is: Is America about me, or about us?
Geert Hofstede, the cultural theorist, called this clash Individualism vs. Collectivism. It is one of the most studied cultural dimensions in the world, and half of America sits at the extreme end of individualism; the other half is more collectivist.
The Individualist Logic
In individualist cultures, people focus on themselves first. Personal rights outweigh collective responsibilities. Success means standing on your own, owing nothing to anyone, and refusing help from government or community.
In the United States—the most individualistic country in Hofstede’s research—this logic has hardened into ideology. It shows up in arguments like:
“I have the right to own a gun—even if gun owners sometimes kill other people’s children.”
“If you’re poor, it’s your fault. Don’t ask for help.”
“Government safety nets aren’t protection—they’re handouts.”
This belief in self-reliance fuels ambition and innovation, but when taken to the extreme, it becomes pathological. It denies the simple truth that no one succeeds alone. No one survives alone.
The Collectivist Counterpoint
Collectivist cultures work differently. Here, people see themselves as part of a larger community. Every action is judged by how it affects others. If one person suffers, the whole community feels responsible.
In such societies, maintaining harmony and stability is the goal. Helping neighbors is not charity; it is a duty. Success is measured not by how far one individual rises, but by whether the group moves forward together.
America’s Cultural Fracture
Half of America has shifted to hyper-individualism. This is the Republican cultural narrative: My rights are more important than your rights. I am responsible only for myself with no responsibility to others, the community, or the country.
The other half is not calling for all-out collectivism but for a return to more traditional American culture. One that included helping your neighbor, considering how your actions affect others, and sacrificing to build a better America - citizens standing together.
Hornby’s Archetypes
Hornby’s framework sheds light on the cultural fracture.
Republican culture shows traits of the North (Power-Seeker). The North is idea-driven, ambitious, and authority-focused. It seeks to dominate and to enforce its own vision of success, rejecting perspectives that don’t serve its agenda.
The other side is closer to Green (Caregiver). The Green archetype is feeling-driven, empathic, and focused on sustaining relationships and helping others. It is defined by self-sacrifice and service, emphasizing responsibility for the suffering or needs of the community.
This is not simply a battle of policies; it is a clash of archetypes: the Power-Seeker’s drive for dominance against the Caregiver’s instinct to help.
Why It Matters
This isn’t an abstract debate about culture. It’s shaping the lives of ordinary Americans every day.
When individualism becomes extreme, as it has in Republican culture, the consequences are clear. In individualist America, the logic goes: “Why should I pay for your medical care?” The result is millions without coverage, families wiped out financially because one hospital stay can mean bankruptcy.
Or take guns. The belief is: “I have the right to own any weapon I want.” That’s why American children grow up practicing active shooter drills in classrooms.
And then there’s economic security. The mindset says: “If you’re poor, it’s your fault.” That’s why the US has the weakest safety nets of most developed nations, leaving families one layoff away from losing their homes or struggling to put food on the table.
On the other side, Americans who push back against this extreme individualism aren’t asking for collectivism in the Chinese or Scandinavian sense. They’re asking for balance, for a culture where Americans care about other Americans again. That means affordable healthcare, safer schools, and communities where neighbors look out for each other.
At its core, this cultural fight determines whether the US remains a society where everyone is left to fend for themselves, or whether it rebuilds the solidarity that once made the country strong.
The irony is that individualist Americans band together to collectively subjugate and fight any attempt of collectivist-leaning America to implement any policy that promote the common good such as common sense gun legislation, better infrastructure, affordable health care, good public schools etc. Individualism is the tool and outcome of social Darwinism ideology.