Individualism, Collectivism and Nazi Prison Guards

With all that current situations occurring in western society and throughout the world, it's interesting to see how human history repeats itself.  Most of the issues and topics today are recycled ideas that have been repurposed to fit modern day narratives.

This has got me thinking a lot about Nazi Germany and how the same tactics, views and narratives helped to drive regular people to complete horrendous crimes against each other.

Think I'm being dramatic, excessive or extreme?  Try thinking of it this way.

First, lets start with the concept of Individualism.  

Individualism is the theory that favours the freedom of action of the individual over the collective or state.  A person favours there own individuality and freedom over that of the society, country or state in which they reside.  They are more individually driven and tend to focus on issues that directly affect them.

In contrast to this is Collectivism.

Collectivism is a value characterized by the emphasis and cohesiveness among individuals and the prioritization of the group over the self.  This type of thinking is emphasized by putting others over oneself and doing things for the overall well being of the society.

Now back to Nazi Germany.  

One question that I kept asking myself was how could regular people become Nazi prison guards.  How could they possibly do such torturous and horrific things to other human beings.  The answer I came to only brought about more questions than answers.

During the height of Nazi Germany, Hitler touted his movement as being for the people.  He is quoted as saying, "We are socialists, we are enemies of today's capitalistic economic system for the exploitation for the economically weak...and we are all determined to destroy the system under all conditions."  The blame he placed for this was on Jewish people and the rest is well documented in history.

It would seem that the same tactics and narratives are being employed in western society today.  

This provided me the answer to my above questions.  As is the current narrative, the Nazi movement was emphasized as the greater good for the people.  Seems eerily familiar. 

From this I deduced that the vast majority of us today would, if we were Germans in the 1940s, become Nazi prison guards.  

Don't believe me? Ask yourself these questions;  How much of what you believe is actually something that comes from within you, or is it nice sounding narrative that you've been fed?  How often do you set your individual views, action, thoughts and feelings aside and go along with what you are told?  How frequently do you set your values aside for a pay cheque, promotion, status increase or "the greater good?"  How many times do you support a cause or movement that doesn't affect you just because it makes you feel good, nice, altruistic, empathetic or important?  How often do you believe the words of a smooth talking politician because it made you feel nice and it sounded like a progressive idea?

If you answer these questions honestly.  Then I would wager that you, my friend, would make a great candidate for Nazi prison guard.  

Look, I understand the argument that in order to have a functioning society that a certain level of collectivism is required.  However like most things, your views, values, beliefs and actions need to balance between that of the self and that of the society.  

What I see occurring today is people are sacrificing almost all of their individualist views for that of the collective.  This I believe leads no where good.  

Regular people will do atrocious things in the name of the collective.  They will commit unspeakable acts if they believe it is in the name of "the greater good."  

This is how regular people came to gas thousands of individuals in internment camps.  It's how regular people were "just following orders" and created massive graves of men, women and children.  This collectivist belief in corrupt leaders and smooth talking politicians is how ordinary, non-violent people become what most of us would consider to be evil.

So I urge all of us to ask ourselves if what we value, believe and stand for is in fact our own. 

If you aren't able to balance the scales between your individualism and your collectivism, and the powers to be asked it of you, would you make a good Nazi prison guard.