From the ACCI: All for one and one for all versus survival of the fittest

Metro v regional . . . an age-old rivalry that reaches beyond population size and the funnelling of funding.

Seemingly, the biggest culturally defining difference is the collective mindset in opposition to what is, increasingly, becoming a more “rugged” form of individualism in city living.

The detrimental effects of “rugged individualism” take a huge toll on businesses every year and have no place in the rural need for collective action.

Rugged individualism is a largely frontier ideology that emphasises self-reliance, independence, and personal responsibility to the exclusion of how you and your actions relate to the broader community — the “I’m all right, Jack” mentality.

The allegory of the long spoons immediately comes to mind — a story that shows the difference between paradise and hell by means of diners being forced to eat with long spoons.

In each place, the inhabitants are given access to food, but the utensils are too unwieldy to serve themselves. In hell, the people cannot co-operate and starve.

In heaven, the diners feed one another across the table and are sated.

When we translate this to the needs of rural and regional living, there just doesn’t seem to be a place for only serving oneself.

It’s been my experience that living in the regions necessitates more community-mindedness because of the smaller and tighter-knit nature of our existence.

Because we tend to have fewer resources and services available, we foster a higher level of co-operation and mutual aid among our residents.

Therefore, our rural communities create a sense of belonging, trust, and engagement among members, which can lead to increased community involvement and social capital.

In communities that so heavily rely on people pulling together, even (or maybe especially) in business, there are some real risks associated with hurtling down the path of rugged individualism.

These include (but are not limited to) diminished co-operation, lack of empathy, poor decision making, and reduced innovation and standards. This, in turn, creates a stifled, disengaged and blinkered society.

So, as a business owner in Albany or beyond, perhaps ask yourself if there are ways you could be collaborating with other organisations, or even within your industry, to better serve our community.

Kristen Pyrz Brown is the interim chief executive for the Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry.