What J. experiences, with the disappearance of electricity, and then the collapse of the state, is the loss of so much of her private life, her individuality, even what we might call her personality — all those things vanish or are entirely altered by the absence of her iPhone, her daily cup of coffee, her commute to work in an air-conditioned car, listening to "All Things Considered".
The result is a distinction between one's private and uniquely individuality, and one's public self (Taylor 1991; Trilling 1972).
When people lose their private sense of individuality, their behavior becomes more vulnerable to their social context, creating a volatile atmosphere.
In situations in which investigators will share results of genetic testing with parents, the child has no say in whether others will be privy to one of the most private elements of individuality, one's genetic makeup.
He believes that creativity has been stifled by a public philosophy described as corporatism, and that only through thorough reform of our private institutions, financial and others, can individuality and dynamism be restored.
Whatever conflicts may exist in private, the impression of mutual respect and individuality is strongly apparent here.
Given the situation, Kagan and Kauerz (2008) assert that "the burning question is no longer solely what role government should play, but how the multitude of public and private actors and initiatives can be configured to maximize efficiency, outcomes, equity, excellence, and individuality" (p. 15).
Even keeping a private diary, closing the door of a bedroom, or speaking softly, are frowned upon by a system that tried to replace individuality with massification, and to eradicate intimacy in the promiscuity of shelters or barracks.
Thus, we see an encouragement of the private of an individuality that turned eventually against organized religion itself and legitimated a radical self-indulgence.
