The common individual is unimportant to the public, just one among many; a blade of grass in Yankee Stadium, a single letter in the Book of Human History. The letter may be important to the word, maybe the sentence, but not the entire work. Friends and family care for the individual, while the public does not. For societal structure, names must be thrown away and replaced by numbers, insignificant digits to represent a lifetime of noble achievements, intimate memories, and educational blunders.

Even in death, we do not recognize the individual. The public acknowledges the number of deaths, not the existence before them. Yet, when killed, only a few are upgraded from “murdered” to “assassinated.” They'll usually have considerable power, like Abraham Lincoln or John F. Kennedy. An average John Doe, on the other hand, would be labeled as “murdered.” So, exactly how important does someone have to be to be considered “assassinated?” What does it take to gain importance?

Certainly, people with power are considered significant, including world leaders, religious superiors, or major celebrities. Barrack Obama, for example, is considered more valuable than a small farmer from Lincoln, Nebraska. This is because of his position of power, not necessarily because of his strengths as a person. Even the royal family is more notable, although it inherited its power, instead of working for it. In order for an average individual to gain importance, he must shove his way toward power.

However, there is not enough room for everyone to become a notable leader. The world also has to have followers. This creates a race for importance in which unique skills, personalities, and appearances help boost an individual’s chance. However, only a select few are chosen as winners. The others fade into the rest of the population and become as insignificant as one dollar in the fifteen trillion dollar American debt. Beyond inheritance, importance must be gained.

Yet, what is so great about importance? Why do we need to feel significant? Some say that humans naturally crave this feeling. We need to feel like we are meant for something, a destiny. We want to make a difference. However, an individual does not need this in order to make that difference. By nature, a group of humans is better than one. Instead of striving for individual importance, we should strive for communal excellence. Why are we racing against each other, when we’re playing a team sport?