... , which is a necessary element that makes life meaningful; however, due to culture habits and different histories backgrounds, people's behavioral styles differentiate geographically. In John Donne's epigraph, "No Man is an Island": "No Man is an island; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of main ... culture due to the War for Independence, which advocated the idea of independent thinking. While Richard Nisbett explains behavioral difference of East and West, John Steinbeck introduces a character in his novel Of Mice and Men, who behaves both opposite behaviors: individualism a...

• Word Count: 1341
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... man is the man who can rise above societal pressures, establish an identity of his own where the man lives for himself, and relies only upon a man's self in forging ahead. In addition, this ultimate man, in practicing this selfish identity, takes no account of the advice or aid offered by friends, family or co-workers, nor does he feel the ... "(12). Here, I believe, is potentially the most damaging aspect of the Transcendentalist philosophy of individualism. Where would our country be without the selfless, philanthropic endeavors of such great men as John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie...

• Word Count: 1633
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate