Individuality Is Illegal: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}
{{quote|<poem>''In suspended animation my childhood passed me by''
{{quote|''In suspended animation my childhood passed me by''
''If I speak without emotion, you'll know the reason why''
''If I speak without emotion, you'll know the reason why''
''Now i'm to begin a life that i'm assigned''
''Now i'm to begin a life that i'm assigned''
''A life that's been lived before a thousand times''</poem>|'''[[The Who]]''', ''905''}}
''A life that's been lived before a thousand times''
|'''[[The Who]]''', ''905''}}


In any given society that works via a collective or [[Hive Mind]], the introduction of individuality into a single member can have one of several consequences.
In any given society that works via a collective or [[Hive Mind]], the introduction of individuality into a single member can have one of several consequences.
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{{examples}}
{{examples}}
== [[Comics]] ==
== [[Comic Books]] ==
* In ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'', the Monitor/Anti-monitor dichotomy is fractured into multiple Monitors, one per remaining alternate Earth. During much of ''[[Countdown to Final Crisis]]'' they are too busy arguing to stop the events that are destroying the remaining 52 worlds. As [[Atop the Fourth Wall|Linkara]] put it;
* In ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'', the Monitor/Anti-monitor dichotomy is fractured into multiple Monitors, one per remaining alternate Earth. During much of ''[[Countdown to Final Crisis]]'' they are too busy arguing to stop the events that are destroying the remaining 52 worlds. As [[Atop the Fourth Wall|Linkara]] put it;
{{quote|'''Monitor A:''' "We should '''do something!'''"
{{quote|'''Monitor A:''' "We should '''do something!'''"
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* The ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' episode "The Return of the Archons" had a civilization mentally controlled by a mad computer. Anyone who escaped control was brainwashed into rejoining "The Body". Anyone unaffected by the brainwashing was killed. The uncontrolled members helped the Enterprise crew destroy the control computer.
* The ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' episode "The Return of the Archons" had a civilization mentally controlled by a mad computer. Anyone who escaped control was brainwashed into rejoining "The Body". Anyone unaffected by the brainwashing was killed. The uncontrolled members helped the Enterprise crew destroy the control computer.
* A prominent theme in the Village in ''[[The Prisoner]]'', especially in the episode "A Change of Mind". Unmutual!
* A prominent theme in the Village in ''[[The Prisoner]]'', especially in the episode "A Change of Mind". Unmutual!
* The re-imagined ''[[Battlestar Galactica Reimagined]]'' has an interesting take on this. All humanoid Cylon models have personalities attached to their models. They also have a limited form of memory sharing/collective consciousness. Despite these, however, every single humanoid Cylon is an individual. The catch? They don't ''realise'' they are individuals. [[Word of God]] says it is the slow realisation of individuality that puts Cylons into an increasingly fractured state until it finally [[Enemy Civil War|blows]].
* [[Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|The re-imagined ''Battlestar Galactica'']] has an interesting take on this. All humanoid Cylon models have personalities attached to their models. They also have a limited form of memory sharing/collective consciousness. Despite these, however, every single humanoid Cylon is an individual. The catch? They don't ''realise'' they are individuals. [[Word of God]] says it is the slow realisation of individuality that puts Cylons into an increasingly fractured state until it finally [[Enemy Civil War|blows]].
** In addition, different models have different opinions on how "individual" a Cylon should be from his/her model. Ones (Cavils) believe in complete uniformity, Sixes believe in individuality but draw the line at opposing their model and Eights seem almost eager to break it and find their own identity at the cost of everything else.
** In addition, different models have different opinions on how "individual" a Cylon should be from his/her model. Ones (Cavils) believe in complete uniformity, Sixes believe in individuality but draw the line at opposing their model and Eights seem almost eager to break it and find their own identity at the cost of everything else.
* An episode of ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'' centered on a world where once every person comes of age, they are forcibly given plastic surgery and a personality change to make them beautiful and identical to everyone else. The protagonist is a slightly plain faced girl who desperately wants to be herself.
* An episode of ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'' centered on a world where once every person comes of age, they are forcibly given plastic surgery and a personality change to make them beautiful and identical to everyone else. The protagonist is a slightly plain faced girl who desperately wants to be herself.
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== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* In the game ''[http://tinyurl.com/c8ek4w Zero]'', the [[PC]]'s are former members of the Equanimity, an underground hive mind revolving around Queen Zero. They must escape from their now-hostile former comrades.
* In the game ''[http://tinyurl.com/c8ek4w Zero]'', the [[PC]]'s are former members of the Equanimity, an underground hive mind revolving around Queen Zero. They must escape from their now-hostile former comrades.
* [[Exalted|She Who Lives in Her Name]], otherwise known as the Principle of Hierarchy, believes that free will and individuality are horrible mistakes that ought to be corrected, and has Charms that help to make this trope a reality. Ironically, she herself has free will, something she abhors with her entire being and tries to stamp out through absolute and loyal service to her King, Malfeas.
* ''[[Exalted]]'': She Who Lives in Her Name, otherwise known as the Principle of Hierarchy, believes that free will and individuality are horrible mistakes that ought to be corrected, and has Charms that help to make this trope a reality. Ironically, she herself has free will, something she abhors with her entire being and tries to stamp out through absolute and loyal service to her King, Malfeas.


== [[Video Games]] ==
== [[Video Games]] ==