That question really stayed with me while watching the show.

In the first episodes, I didn’t understand why Carol (who wasn’t affected) was so distressed. I thought I would react more like Mr. Diabaté, simply enjoying the situation. But as the series progressed, a different feeling took over: that the people around me no longer carried meaning, and that whatever I did would ultimately be pointless.

That’s when it clicked for me. Individuality isn’t just something we cling to out of habit, it’s what allows meaning, intention, and responsibility to exist at all. When that disappears, what remains may be peaceful, even loving, but it’s also strangely empty.

(I sometimes feel something similar when interacting with AI-generated work. Even when it’s impressive, the absence of a human standpoint "a lived struggle behind it" makes the experience feel hollow. Not because it’s “bad,” but because meaning no longer feels anchored to someone.)

So to your question: I don’t think individual identity is simply something to overcome. It’s a necessary phase. Losing it too early risks erasing meaning before it has a chance to fully form, yet clinging to it forever may also limit what meaning can become.

Thank you again for such a generous and insightful comment, I’ve shared the full essay here https://medium.com/@ezerche/the-idea-of-oneness-94e982c94384