especially boiling it down to the personal level of self esteem

but traces of the same sentiment can be found in many places from the political level of Orwell etc... Down to even Christianity which in the context of other religions is much more individualistic/liberal

Also other places may be different but in Britain the fact we are technically ruled by a monarchy, with God Save The Queen as the national anthem, that is a puzzle you're confronted with all your life, and when you solve the puzzle you realize how collectivism both permits and sustains such an aberration. In a more balanced society with less oppression, logically flawed beliefs stand out much more when you come across them. They're easier to isolate and identify