"You've got to be kidding. "Expressing one's individuality" is an essentially empty phrase. It names no intelligible human act."
Agreed. Though, in this culture, the fact that one can do this and that this is the very pinnacle of freedom, is an article of faith.
When you look at "individual" artists, thinkers, writers, scientists, it always winds up that they are standing on the shoulders of the culture itself. By dint of hard work, training, practice, and a comprehending audience...some outstanding "expressions" emerge. But, if you look at say, the difference between Donatello and Bernini, it becomes clear that although the talent is equal, the environment is not, and hence the difference in their work. One emerges as a genius; the other, as a kind of wasted genius.
Joanna