An individualist is someone who advocates for the freedoms of the individual, versus a collectivist who thinks a group of people or government should have priority over any individual. Neither is necessarily right or wrong; it's just a matter of what is more important to you. In a collectivist culture, those who are part of it do things that benefit the entire group and not just themselves. But there can also be collectivist governments that tend to be a little more related to communism. The ideals are the same, but in a government setting, it's a bit more strict and serious.

People view individualists to be selfish and self-serving, but that's not necessarily the case. A person can practice individualism and still care about the well being of others. Maybe they think that they are helping the greater society by helping themselves. The more successful they are, the more they can contribute to society and create that sort of chain reaction. An individualist is free to live a life completely of their own will without having to think of anyone else, but it doesn't mean they don't. Knowing the difference between collectivism and individualism, which do you think you are? Take this quiz to find out!