Some people argue that individuals must take care of themselves for their own sake rather than being obligated by society. In other words, personal health care should be considered as an individual matter rather than a societal one. While I acknowledge and appreciate the individualistic point of view behind this idea, I firmly disagree with this proposal.
The first reason for my disagreement is rooted in individuals’ need for belongingness. To explain, as human beings we’re all social creatures that maintain our lives with meaningful interactions. Therefore, the need to be a part of a group promotes concern and desire for others’ acceptance. I believe that in times where self-love and self-care is not enough for an individual to take care of himself/herself, the responsibility of belonging to a group will be. For example, sometimes I see that my mother is struggling with so many things that she forgets to prioritize herself. However, her responsibility towards me strengthens her to stay strong in hard times. This is why many situations such as personal health should be considered as a societal issue rather than an individual one.
In addition to our desire to be a part of something, humans are also very lazy and disorganized creatures. That is, when us humans are not directed towards doing something, it’s in our nature to avoid taking responsibility. In other words, the obligation to behave in a certain way is actually very facilitative and motivating for us. If looking after oneself would be considered as a duty for society, the proportion of self-care would undoubtedly increase because we tend to respond to a task better than we tend to prioritize our own well-being.
To conclude, as living in a society both promotes the need to be a part of something and the instinct to maintain the order, personal health could be considered as a duty for the society we live in. Because living in a society must decrease selfishness while increasing belongingness.