What would happen in a society where everyone is equal, where not one person excels in even the slightest way? What would happen if all of a person’s individualistic qualities were taken from them? Would one merely conform or would they stand up and fight? In Kurt Vonnegut’s book, he describes what life would be like when not one person had the advantage over the other. Would life really be that great when all are equal? What qualities make one different from the other?
Intelligence is one of my many qualities. I am book-smart, not street smart. If one were to remove or hinder my intelligence then I would not be the person I am now. For with out my intelligence, I would be unable to speak my mind or be quick witted. I might be able to speak my mind in an adequate form, but I would not be able to express my self in a more vivid way. Also, with out my intelligence I would be incapable of paying attention or holding on to ideas for a long time. If my intelligence were to be handicapped in the form displayed in Vonnegut’s short story, I would have a headache all the time.
Another important characteristic of mine are my looks. I might not be a model, but I am not afraid to confirm that I am beautiful in my own way. I would not want anyone to obstruct my looks unless it was in a fun way. If I had to wear a mask, the mask had better be fun.
My ability to bring my mom a little laughter is also an important quality in my life. If I were incapable of making my mom laugh, I would be a very depressed person. To me my mom’s happiness is everything. When she is not happy, I am not happy. Yet my mom is not the only one I can make laugh (even if at times it is not on purpose). I love having the ability to make at least one person happy a day.
I am not only able to express my self in spoken words, but also in the arts. I have a growing artistic ability that I would not like to see stopped. I am also relatively good at expressing my self in written words. To have my artistic and poetic ability stripped from me, I would become as mundane as one could possibly be.
The characteristics I show on a daily bases are important to me. With out my qualities, my life would be incredibly boring. I would be dull, average, and definitely not me. If I were to be in a controlled environment like the characters of Vonnegut’s story, I would have a mask, an earphone, and casts on my hands, and a muzzle. My worst nightmare is to have all my individualism sucked out of me. If I cannot be an individual, then what is the point in living?
Are you an individual?
