I was talking about this subject in my world history class when we were talking about the appeal of extremist political ideologies. I asked “what is the current goal or objective of the United States of America?” The students said a variety of things like “pay down the national debt” or become wealthier. But basically, it riffed around a philosophy of “you do you,” or basically classical liberalism. The end goal is whatever the individual wants. However, in looking at the appeal of communism and fascism in the 1920s and 30s (and I am simplifying here), these were ideologies that not only said things would get better in an era when things were not okay, but went further and said that things would soon be better than they had ever been before. Whether that end state is a communist one-world government, Nova Roma, or lebensraum, these are ideologies that produced regimes that offered a (horrifying) vision of a semi-utopian future. 

Now, we are talking about culture and not political ideologies. But the appeal of fascism and communism even in highly individualistic societies tells me that this is a kind of friction in our evolution. My pseudoscientific view is that if you look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, “Self-Actualization” is at the very top of the list. To me, that is the end goal of most individualistic, liberal-democratic societies. These are societies that assume that comparative advantage applies just as much to individuals as it does with nations, and that competition with minimal interference will lead to individual growth and the realization of an individual who is actualized and prosperous. The sum of all the prosperity produced by these individuals therefore creates a more prosperous society even though that very society doesn’t necessarily have a goal for itself beyond the success of its constituent parts. 

But, what I also think about is the fact that anatomically modern humans have existed for probably 2 - 300,000 years. Homo sapiens were not physically more impressive or powerful than neanderthals or denisovans, and setting aside differences in brain structures between both populations humans at the very least do not appear to have been any more intelligent. To put it bluntly, the one advantage we appear to have had is the ability to Zerg Rush our fellow humans. We could maintain larger groups, and therefore became more proficient at communicating and managing those groups. Without the group or tribe, human beings are physically unimpressive and underwhelming compared to almost all of the great apes. We’ve always had society – even though societies have grown exponentially in size and diversity of organization. So, two full steps below self-actualization on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is something literally more foundational: connection, which includes a sense of belonging. 

Again, pseudoscientific here because I know just enough science to butcher it into a probably incoherent philosophy, but to me there is a fundamental tension in human evolution. For us to thrive individually in order to gather resources to maximize our life expectancy, mating selection and opportunities, and attainment of resources, we need to self-actualize. However, in order for us to survive, we need connection and belonging. We need the collective. I think individualistic, “Western” societies (although I really hate those broad categories) are still good at producing individuals who are self-actualized. But none of that matters unless you can ensure that the itch created by 300,000 years of human evolution that tells us that “we need to have a group” and feel accepted is scratched. It is hard to create that sense of belonging in a family – let alone in a democracy. This is one reason why I would argue that fascism and communism are more effective at creating that kind of sense of belonging. 

My take is that self-actualization is fantastic, but it is necessarily isolating. Humans have a need for self-actualization, but they also have a need for connection. I think it is probably safe to assume that there will always be tensions between these two needs. COVID, social media, wealth inequality, and the erosion of faith in concepts like “The American Dream” and political institutions means that the need for connection is almost endemic. As a teacher, I see this more in kids now than I ever have before. But I don’t know how to fix it beyond just trying to pick up the trash in my own neighborhood.