A new book called Hello, I’m Special: How Individuality Became the New Conformity practices performs the trend that it isolates. Turning ideas on their heads by way of social critique and then slapping a seemingly paradoxical title on the corresponding book seems to be the norm these days. Writing a book of this nature carries the message, one hopes, that this is new and unique and you should read it, but the formula says otherwise. Often times book titles or concepts are dreamed up by a publishing company and then a stooge writer is found to fill it up with the hollow prose you would expect.

This book, however, at least brings up an interesting phenomenon that I think should be on everyone’s mind. Individualism is barely larger than an embryo in the scope of human history, an age disproportionate to the enormity of its implications. In some ways you could view our inability to properly organize around it as the source of most modern problems.

Sure it’s better than serfdom and it’s sparked cultural revolutions that brought about greater civil rights, but as far as I can tell, the lasting effects will be empowering ad campaigns all salivating to rent your sense of self to you for exorbitant sums.

Maybe I’m Special is a sign that yes, we get it, now we can move on. I don’t know about you, but it’s pretty lonely being so goddamned special all the time. There’s gotta be a juicy sweet spot between capitalist isolationism and fascistic anonymity.

What comes after the individual? Can we be unique snowflakes and part of something greater?