individualist

/ˌɪndɪvɪˈduəlɪst/

Other forms: individualists

If you’re an individualist, you think for yourself and do things your own way — you have the individualist values of independence and creativity.

It is great to be an individualist, meaning you won't conform to social pressures — that is, unless a group of individualists is trying to come to mutual agreement about something. You may have heard of bands that break up because "creative differences" make them unable to write music together. Most likely, those differences are the result of individualist attitudes about how the music should sound.

Definitions of individualist

1. noun

   a person who pursues independent thought or action
   types:

   dropout

   someone who withdraws from a social group or environment

   lone hand, lone wolf, loner

   a person who avoids the company or assistance of others

   fencesitter, independent, mugwump

   a neutral or uncommitted person (especially in politics)

   night owl, nightbird, nighthawk

   a person who likes to be active late at night

   naturist, nudist

   a person who practices nudity for reasons of health or religion

   withdrawer

   an individualist who withdraws from social interaction

   hermit, recluse, solitary, solitudinarian, troglodyte

   one who lives in solitude

   type of:

   individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul

   a human being
2. adjective

   marked by or expressing individuality
   synonyms: individualistic

   individual, single

   being or characteristic of a single thing or person