Who is an individual? This word is often mentioned in literature and in colloquial speech. However, not everyone knows what is meant by this concept, or simply confuse it with other terms.
In this article, we will tell you what an individual is.
What does individual mean
Individual (lat. individuum - indivisible) - a separate organism, with its inherent autonomy, in particular a person as a single representative of the human race. An individual means "a person in general".
It is worth noting that this term is actively used in biology, being synonymous with the concepts of "organism" or "individual". Thus, any living organism is called an individual: an amoeba, dog, elephant, man, etc. And yet, the individual most often means just a person.
The individual is an impersonal term devoid of gender, age, or certain qualities. This word stands next to such concepts as - individuality and personality. Here is what psychologist Alexander Asmolov said about this: “They are born as an individual, they become a person, they defend individuality”.
There is a very deep meaning in such a short saying. In order to become an individual, it is enough just to be born, however, to become a person, a person needs to make efforts: adhere to the ethical norms established in society, respect the law, help others, etc.
Also, individuality is inherent in a person - a unique set of qualities of a particular person that distinguish him from others. For example, an individual may have some kind of talent in music, dance, sports, work, and other fields.
At the same time, the presence of individuality does not always mean that a person is automatically a person. In the course of training, the individual acquires many of his own, certain characteristics, turning into a personality. This can be achieved through interaction with society.
Again, everyone is born an individual, while not all become personalities. We can say that this is the next stage of human mental development. That is, up to a certain point, you could just look at others and do everything like them. But when you start to act in your own way, giving account for your decisions and actions, you "turn" into a person.
An individual is able to set goals and achieve them thanks to his individual qualities. It is self-organized, developed and occupies its own cell in society.
