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Written by Christina Margeti.
In the world that surrounds us, there are various theories that claim that “we are all one,” and that our individual existence must be dissolved within a supposedly collective unity. There is, of course, some truth in this: life connects beings, even if only occasionally, through bonds of interaction (depending on circumstances, individuals, and personal choices), and sometimes to a certain degree through interdependence. However, focusing exclusively on “we are all one” tends to ignore the deepest mystery of the physical and spiritual world: the person, the unique and irreplaceable individuality.
Nature itself teaches us the value of uniqueness. Every tree, every flower, every animal carries its own unique and distinct imprint. The sun and the rain, although they touch all plants alike, are received differently by each one, according to its own identity and its own rhythm of growth. Similarly, every individual has their own will, their own destiny, and their own path to follow, their own way of living and creating. Individual freedom and will are not merely a fundamental, innate right; they are an expression of the natural and spiritual order of things. The oppression of individuality, even in the name of collective unity, violates the harmony we observe throughout nature and has created societies of unhappy and oppressed beings. Furthermore, when “we are all one” becomes an automatic system of collective rules, individual responsibility is lost; the individual ceases to bear the weight of their choices, and personal ethics are replaced by social conformity.
In the spiritual realm, the value of the person becomes even more evident. Every soul is unique, with its own light and its own darkness, with the capacity to create and to love whatever it desires and chooses. The universal source does not demand the elimination of individuality, but rather its understanding, evolution, cultivation, improvement, and elevation. When we follow our inner voice, we discover our personal truth and can contribute to the world not as impersonal members of a collective and not as an amorphous mass, but as unique beings, bearers of a personal imprint and distinct identity.
The value of the person, on the other hand, does not mean excessive egoism nor a lack of empathy. On the contrary, it allows for absolute and authentic cooperation and connection with other beings, because only what is done consciously and freely has real meaning, depth, and value. Individuality does not inherently oppose any form of cooperation or connection; rather, it strengthens it. Without the possibility of choice, unity becomes superficial, hypocritical, or even worse, a coercive demand and a fascist imposition of the respective mass—whether political, partisan, religious, national, or state-based—against the individual, their choices, their will, and their personal freedoms.
Freedom also does not mean, and must not be transformed or equated (intentionally or not) with lawlessness and chaos. On the contrary, it is the oxygen and a blessing for all beings and for humanity. Anyone who denies the person, the right to free will and choice, in the name of an abstract (or not so abstract) and often artificial unity, denies the very miracle of life and the reality that teaches us that unity flourishes not through uniformity, but through uniqueness and individuality, which allow every being to shine with its own light.
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