individualism
Freedom over conformity
Individualism is a social and political philosophy that emphasizes the moral worth and self-reliance of the individual over collective or state control.
It values personal freedom, independence, and the pursuit of one's own goals: American culture has long celebrated rugged individualism.
The term can carry positive connotations of self-determination or negative ones of selfishness, depending on context.
In art and lifestyle, individualism suggests distinctive personal expression that resists conformity to group norms.
Doctrine of self-motivation
- existentialismPhilosophy stressing self-created meaning
- libertarianismMinimal-government political philosophy
- objectivismBelief in external truths
- Ayn RandObjectivist movement founder
Nietzsche · Emerson · Thoreau · self-interest · atomism · social contract · natural rights · Locke
Absence of constraint
- rightsJustified claims to freedoms
- civil libertiesRights limiting government power
- privacyFreedom from observation
- personal freedomControl over one's life
self-expression · noninterference · laissez-faire · deregulation · liberation · emancipation · free speech · bodily autonomy
Depending on oneself alone
- self-sufficiencyIndependence from outside aid
- self-madeSuccessful through own efforts
- bootstrapStart without external resources
- self-starterOne with initiative
do-it-yourself · self-taught · self-supporting · self-sustaining · entrepreneur · solopreneur · self-employment · self-help
Control over one's fate
- agencyPower to act
- free willAutonomous choice capacity
- choiceAct of selecting
- self-governanceIndependent management of affairs
self-direction · volition · self-regulation · self-management · empowerment · discretion · self-control · deliberation
Quality of being distinguishable
- originalityNovel creative quality
- singularityPoint where values explode
- idiosyncrasyDistinctive personal peculiarity
- personal identityOne's defining characteristics
self-expression · authenticity · uniqueness · differentiation · personal style · personal brand · standing out · one-of-a-kind
Rejects prevailing social standards
- maverickIndependent-minded rule-breaker
- rebelAuthority defier
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
- freethinkerRejects doctrine for reason
contrarian · eccentric · outsider · bohemian · counterculture · beatnik · hippie · punk
egoism
Doctrine of self-motivation
- existentialismPhilosophy stressing self-created meaning
- libertarianismMinimal-government political philosophy
- objectivismBelief in external truths
Ayn Rand · Nietzsche · Emerson · Thoreau · self-interest · atomism · social contract · natural rights · Locke · Mill
freedom
Absence of constraint
- rightsJustified claims to freedoms
- civil libertiesRights limiting government power
- privacyFreedom from observation
personal freedom · self-expression · noninterference · laissez-faire · deregulation · liberation · emancipation · free speech · bodily autonomy · conscience
self-reliance
Depending on oneself alone
- self-sufficiencyIndependence from outside aid
- self-madeSuccessful through own efforts
- bootstrapStart without external resources
self-starter · do-it-yourself · self-taught · self-supporting · self-sustaining · entrepreneur · solopreneur · self-employment · self-help · self-care
self-determination
Control over one's fate
self-governance · self-direction · volition · self-regulation · self-management · empowerment · discretion · self-control · deliberation · intentionality
distinctiveness
Quality of being distinguishable
- originalityNovel creative quality
- singularityPoint where values explode
- idiosyncrasyDistinctive personal peculiarity
personal identity · self-expression · authenticity · uniqueness · differentiation · personal style · personal brand · standing out · one-of-a-kind · personality
nonconformist
Rejects prevailing social standards
- maverickIndependent-minded rule-breaker
- rebelAuthority defier
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
freethinker · contrarian · eccentric · outsider · bohemian · counterculture · beatnik · hippie · punk · avant-garde
- American Philosophypragmatism, William James, John Dewey, Ralph Waldo Emerson, transcendentalism
- Spanish Romanticismromantic drama, romantic heroes, romantic poets, lyric poetry, lyrical poetry
- social systemspolitical systems, capitalism, feudalism, economic systems, socialism
- ismscapitalism, socialism, communism, anarchism, racism
- lifestylessimple living, city life, family life, minimalism, rural life
- social phenomenasocial change, social norms, social movements, conformity, inequality
individualismcollectivism
Group primacy doctrine
communism · socialism · communitarianism · statism · totalitarianism
individualismconformity
Adherence to norms
conformism · conventionality · sameness · uniformity · orthodoxy
individualismcollectivism
Group primacy doctrine
interdependence · dependency · communitarianism · mutualism · communalism
- rugged individualismPhilosophy of personal independence
- rugged individualistSelf-reliant, tough-minded person
- American individualismNational ethos of personal autonomy
- individualized educationLearning plan per student
- radical individualismBelief in absolute personal sovereignty
- individualized careServices adapted per person
individuality, individualist, individualize, individualized, individualists, individualizing, individualizes, individualization, individualities