What do you consider threats to your lifestyle? Is it okay for people to express who they are? I’m referring to the abstract term “expressive individualism”. You may not want the weirdo on the sidewalk to come toward you.
Religious leaders, parents, and sects of the American public question expressive individualism’s legitimacy. The Sexual Revolution spiked its prominence. Many see this individualism as a battle between a secular and a religious world. The biggest divide is where to restrict versus allow liberty.
By nature, I’m an individualist. Yet, I acknowledge the degeneracy that unchecked expressive individualism has on culture. Issues from children to politics make this unknown term important to the general public. People understand once you explain it and then nod in agreement with the meaning.
We will explore how the “expressives” represent themselves in American culture.
Secular World vs Religious World: The Divide
Religious leaders are the most vocal opponents of the “expressive individualism cult”.
Historically speaking, the Church yielded enormous power in culture. Europe’s religious decline started well before America’s. The French and others saw the Americans as prudes in the 18th and 19th centuries.
According to a recent 2022 Gallup Poll, only 81% of Americans believe in God. This declined from a 2017 poll stating an 87% belief rate.
The largest group who don’t believe are left-wing liberals. In the 1950s and early 1960s, almost all Americans believed in a higher power.
Teddy Roosevelt-a prominent rugged individualist and the 26th President of the United States- loved the bible. He stated:
“A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.”
Theodore Roosevelt
In a bygone era, proving an idea meant showing scripture in the Bible. As long as you could use your finger and point, most reasonable people agreed with you.
That’s not true with expressive individualism. The 20th-century Biblical nostalgia disappeared with movements such as the sexual revolution.
Absolute Truth vs Moral Relativism
What is absolute truth?
Absolute truth is a metric used as an unchanging scale judging whether an action is right or wrong.
Absolute Truth definition
From a Christian theological perspective, Jesus represents absolute truth. Only through salvation in Jesus Christ, do you proceed to the kingdom of heaven after death.
Extreme “Expressives” use their own versions of the truth. In other words, they justify their actions without guidance from a higher source. They have no absolute truths, and you’ll hear “You do you.”
Without truth, how do you decide what’s right or wrong? Just or unjust?
Thus, this leads us to moral relativism. That’s the go-to answer for “expressives”.
C.S. Lewis claimed you must overcome moral relativism before converting atheists to Christianity.
Moral relativism questions whether anything can be right or wrong. There are no guiding sets of moral principles governing culture.
Moral Relativism Definition
In society, lacking morals causes a degradation in stability. This belief system lets the less informed influence culture. Christians would say this leaves room for sin or the devil to take hold.
Expressive Individualism needs discussion. Awareness is paramount so we don’t jeopardize political liberty and individual rights. Preachers warn you but developing an audience is hard in a secular society.
Age Divide: Old vs Young in Society
Each passing generation has different experiences that shaped their outlook. A child growing up in 1950’s America is a lot different than someone coming of age in the 2020s with mass media.
In general, younger generations see the cultural norms imposed by older generations as too strict. They want to break free from the oppression of those restrictions. This encourages the expressive individualism of the era.
Each period has its own pros and cons. Let’s look at the expressive individualism of different eras.
1920s
Right after World War I, America prospered. Massive religious organizations started the Temperance Movement adding the 18th Amendment banning alcohol.
This turned out to be a hidden threat to civil society. It encouraged more crime and destruction.
Bootlegging gained notoriety. As a result, crime increased causing the rise of mobsters in the ’20s and ’30s.
Also, 1920’s “expressives” included flappers. To rebel and convey their sense of self, women cut their hair short. And this altered extensive traditions of ladies having longer hair.
This expressive era ended with the start of the Great Depression, and the addition of the 21st Amendment. As we know, alcohol became legal again and ended Prohibition.
You’re in the middle of exploring the unique characters of the decades gone by. Have you wondered what the modern thought behind “expressives” is? LEARN MORE about the expressive individualism ideology.
1950s
A time of mass conformity and the peak of family values occurred in the 1950s. America loved the freedom of tv dinners and regular programming.
Elvis Pressley expressed himself by swinging his hips. However, in many 1950 tv performances, producers limited the camera angles to the waist up.
“Elvis the Pelvis” generated controversy. National broadcast audiences disliked the erotic and sexual nature of his moves. Young women screamed at Elvis in admiration. And the older generation despised his offensive dance moves.
Most people don’t associate Elvis’s performances with expressive individualism, but they are clear examples.
Individualism is everywhere in culture. LEARN MORE about where individualism fits into society.
Implications of the Sexual Revolution and the Hippies
The start of modern expressive individualism includes:
- Hippies
- Hugh Hefner
- Anti-establishment movements
We will explain these aspects below.
Unlimited Sexual Freedom
Religious leaders protest the free love movement brought on by the Sexual Revolution. And we are still amidst these movements.
The Transgender movement is a prominent example that comes to mind.
How much sexual freedom is okay? Where should one tame matters of the flesh and restrict their influence on society?
These are important questions to ponder when assessing the threat of expressive individualism.
Sex is everywhere. You can’t escape it. The 1950s era sexual limits and nostalgia disappeared.
Growing up, I remember the show “Leave It to Beaver”. It represented core American values such as family and wholesomeness.
Hugh Hefner– a memorable public figure- challenged traditions. With nothing on but a robe, he glamorized a hedonistic lifestyle. He didn’t believe in monogamy. And he surrounded himself with younger women willing to bare it all for centerfold fame. “Expressives” like him saw Christian social norms as limiting and oppressive.
Many expressive individualists want no limits on sex. Preachers warn of the consequences of unlimited erotic freedom.
A culture of:
- unwanted pregnancies
- disease
- abortion as birth control
Again, in a culture of liberty, J.S. Mill’s “no-harm principle” builds the argument for sexual freedom. You can do what you want as long as you don’t harm anyone else.
Where do preachers draw the line of liberty when it comes to sex? Where are your limits?
These are still the issues of our day. Will expressive individualism solve our problems or create more?
Music Festivals and the Ignitor
What spread the message of sexual freedom so fast?
Either mass media or gatherings of like-minded people ignited the flowery free-love movement.
During the 1960s revolution, music became a way for people to express themselves. Popular anti-war songs like “War” by Edwin Starr and John Lennon’s famous “Give Peace a Chance” blasted anti-establishment and sexual imagery.
Hippies declared themselves the movement for political and sexual freedom.
Organizers needed a speedy way to spread the message. So, you have young people and they love music. Voila, music festivals became means of “spreading the love.”
Hippie music festivals generated a reputation as places of degeneracy.
Activities such as these often took place:
- having sex with multiple partners
- abusing drugs
- drinking alcohol in excess
Woodstock Festival represented the progressive agenda of the time. And the agenda continues today.
Another festival of importance is the Rainbow Gathering. It’s an anti-culture sexual freedom movement. They celebrated their 50th anniversary not too long ago.
Burning Man is the most popular version today. “Expressives” gather in the Nevada desert once a year.
Music festivals bring the extreme “expressives” together to cultivate their ideas. They’re thriving remnants of the 1960s Sexual Revolution.
What are the ethics and morals of this movement? LEARN MORE by reading Ethics of Self-Interest
Politics and Founders’ Viewpoint
A discussion of expressive individualism and politics.
Modern Politics
We have a political identity crisis in America. With each passing year, the divide grows.
Atheist leftists blame the evangelical right for cultural wrongs. From a bird’s eye view, the debate is between extreme “expressives” and preachers.
They are complete opposites in ideology. The divide is:
- Big government vs small government
- Liberty vs restraint
- Absolute truth vs moral relativism
We call it identity politics. At the center of this debate is the interpretation of expressive individualism.
Are extreme “expressive individualists” disguised as collectivists?
The answer is yes. Our next section brings awareness to this part of the culture.
Communitarians vs Expressive Individualists
Communitarians grew out of the music festival hippie movement of the 1960s. They believe in the collective mentality. Their primary issues are:
- social justice
- socialism
- big government policies
In other words, it is a far-left movement deemphasizing the individual. Yet, extreme “expressive individuals” identify with these thoughts.
The conundrum is “expressives” promote the sense of self. They want everyone to see them. But their political ideologies don’t align with their expressiveness.
Do you see the conflict?
While they promote the “self”, their politics promote the opposite of individual political liberty. They want to grow government control. Yet, they still want to keep their individual right to be the truest version of themselves.
Genuine and reasonable “expressive individualists” want to increase individual choice and not be victims. Self-reliance is not a characteristic I see from self-proclaimed extreme “expressives” on the left.
Be aware of the rouse!
Should the hippies conform to societal norms? It is a battle. LEARN MORE about conformity vs individuality in society.
Expressive Clown Politicians and Lack of Civic Virtue
Our Founders wanted the best for America. They believed in:
- civic virtue
- duty
- honor
These are core principles of republicanism and American government. The Founders believed in a strong work ethic and good values.
Civic virtue involves your character and doing what’s best for your constituents. It puts your best qualities to use.
You call it civic service for a reason.
Yet, expressive politicians abandoned this code moons ago. They want all the attention on themselves. It is no longer about the best interests of your constituents.
Their thoughts are:
” I’ve got to maximize my media exposure by being weird and outlandish.”
Radical Expressive Individualist Thoughts
I’m not saying politics need only boring civic servants. If they’re a little eccentric and tell an occasional joke, that’s not so bad. The line is when they don’t fully represent you as the voter. When they interrupt congressional sessions with self-aggrandizing gestures and outrageous accusations, we have free tickets to the circus.
Extreme expressive politicians threaten our American government. It goes against the Founders’ mandate of civic virtue. Don’t let the clowns out of the wine cellar. They’re drunk on the wild art of expressive individualism.
Good vs Bad of Expressive Individualism
Not all is horrible about expressive individualism. I will give you a brief list of the good and bad.
Expressive Individualism Good Vs. Bad by J libertyIndividualism Related Articles:
- I created an overview of the good and bad of individualism. LEARN MORE about the pros and cons of individualism that I encourage you to check out.
- What’s the natural adversary to the “expressives”? LEARN MORE with an in-depth analysis between the 2 political ideologies of individualism vs collectivism. I give you the basics of economics, politics, and family dynamics.
Conclusion
In this post, you think I’m ranting about all the negatives of expressive individualism. But you know I’m an individual advocate.
What’s the deal?
Individual rights are important. Let people express their inner wild side. I don’t really care how you express yourself within your friend groups or at your house. As great people say, “Live your best life.”
However, when disruptive behavior threatens this great country, I must speak.
Most Americans’ line is targeting their children or threatening their livelihoods.
Also, radical “expressives” have a moral dilemma. They don’t believe in absolute truth but see daily problems through moral relativism.
If you question your expressiveness, look in the mirror and ask, “What are your limits?”
Do you consider yourself an expressive individualist? Are they a threat, or am I overhyping this?
J. Liberty
References:
Art Lindsley, P. (2002). C.S. Lewis on Absolutes. Retrieved from C.S. Lewis Institute.
Bellah, R. N., Madsen, R., Sullivan, W., Swidler, A., & Tipton, S. (1985). Habit of the Hearts: Individualism and Commitment in American LIfe. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Taylor, C. (2007). A Secular Age. Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Trueman, C. R. (2020). The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution. Wheaton, Illnois: Crossway.
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