Individual

Meme

One human being, typically a live one.

from Medieval Latin individualis, which originates from Latin individuus, meaning "indivisible". The root individuus is formed from in- ("not") + dividuus ("divisible"), which itself comes from dividere ("to divide") By the 17th century, it evolved to mean "single, separate, or distinct", and by the 19th century, it was commonly used to describe a person as a unique entity.

Context

Individuals are each an Entity in the sense of Identifier Management. That is a distinguishable object with an Identifier that is, hopefully unique, at least within the range of a fully formed Digital Public Infrastructure.

Problems

One member of a society. A lone individual cannot be considered to be human in the common meaning of that word.

Our history is replete with Individuals who feel that they can stand apart from nature and the reset of mankind. Individuals who challenged conventions, separated themselves from mainstream thought, and contributed groundbreaking ideas—think scientists, philosophers, and revolutionaries. Many of them helped humanity progress by questioning the status quo, leading to advancements in knowledge, technology, and social justice. However, if "standing apart" means rejecting interconnectedness and responsibility to others, it could lead to isolation or even harm. Humans thrive in cooperation with nature and society, and completely disregarding those relationships will have consequences. No matter how much we have extolled the dominate male throughout history, the dominance model makes for miserable people, miserable relationships and miserable societies.