I used to be very much in the camp of judging others who valued individualism so much. I always associated this thinking with Thatcherite ideology, Ayn Randian objectivism, etc=the 'bad' side, and so rejected it entirely. Turns out, I grossly oversimplified the issues.

In recent years I realized how valuable individualism is, especially in the face of increasingly stifling and poorly run governments. It might even inspire us to take more personal responsibility in our lives rather than waiting for inept institutions to do it for us.

As you note, if we are living in modern society, we are absolutely connected--we can't escape that, but it doesn't mean we cannot also value one of the core things that helps in personal growth, development, autonomy, self-fulfilment, etc. There's a certain balance to both. And it's much harder to take back our individual rights once they've been taken away than preserve them. Definitely something to keep fighting for.

Great exploration of this topic!