Individuality Vs. Society: The Extent of Compromise (A Working Intro)

In a society, sets of moral and cultural codes exist as universally communicated standards for its people to abide to despite the codes' frequent intrusions and violations towards the individual's self-identity, privacy, and beliefs. For a society or a group, these standards represent its interests and needs that benefit it and its people as a whole and disregard the opposing interests of individuals; rather, the status as ubiquitous standards encourages the backlash against the views that contradict society's. For the individual,  social customs risk tainting his individuality, his self-portrayal based on his characteristics, interests,actions, and beliefs. To contradict society's standards for the sake of individuality would lead to condemnation and ostracization towards the individual. Despite being social beings wanting to help out their people and fearing ostracization, individuals should not relinquish their individuality entirely to the point where they would be considered babbitts in modern society. Yet, to help a group society, individuals should abide to conformity, only to the extent to which their beliefs strongly contradict society's interests and preserve their identity. In Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice, the second oldest daughter of five in the Bennet family, Elizabeth Bennet is considered prime for marriage into wealth and high social relations under society's standards and her mother Mrs. Bennet's interests. Due to the entail of the Bennet estate not including the five Bennet daughters, Mrs. Bennet persistently searches for opportunities to have her daughters married into wealth, thereby conforming to social standards yet also helping the family benefit as a whole. Though Elizabeth conforms by participating in common social gatherings that encourage courting for marriage, she asserts her individuality by refusing to marry simply for wealth and social relations, and stands by her belief in marrying for love. Though risking the loss of her socio-economic status and the gain of fortune, Elizabeth preserves her beliefs that reflect her individuality. And despite not immediately marrying for wealth, she and her sisters remain with a plenty of opportunities to marry, and possibly with the individual benefit of happiness. Therefore, though conformity helps the needs of a group society, it should be limited to the extent to which an individual's beliefs and interests outweigh the group's benefits  and do not strongly contradict those of the group.