An individualist is a person who lives and thinks their own way, instead of copying the group around them. They pick their own clothes, their own job, their own opinions — and they are not too worried if other people think those choices are strange. The word is a noun for a person.

An individualist is a personindividualist是一種人 who lives and thinks their own way用自己的方式生活、思考 instead of copying the group around them而不是模仿周圍的群體 They pick their own clothes, their own job, their own opinions他們選自己的衣服、自己的工作、自己的想法 — and they are not too worried if other people think those choices are strange——就算別人覺得這些選擇很怪，他們也不太在意 The word is a noun for a person這個字是指人的名詞

Note the feeling of it: in English it is usually warm or at least neutral. To call someone 'a real individualist' is close to saying 'this person is not afraid to be themselves', and English speakers, especially Americans, tend to hear that as a good thing. It is not the same as 'selfish', even though the two ideas sit near each other.

Note the feeling of it注意這個字帶的語感 in English it is usually warm or at least neutral在英文裡通常是正面的，至少是中性的 To call someone 'a real individualist'說某人是「a real individualist」 is close to saying 'this person is not afraid to be themselves'幾乎等於說「這個人不怕做自己」 and English speakers, especially Americans, tend to hear that as a good thing而英語母語者，尤其是美國人，通常會把這聽成一種讚美 It is not the same as 'selfish'這跟「selfish」不一樣 even though the two ideas sit near each other雖然這兩個概念很接近

There is a second, more serious use, mostly in politics and books: an individualist is someone who believes the single person matters more than the state or the group — that people should be free to choose and should look after themselves, with government staying small. In that use it is the opposite of a collectivist.

There is a second, more serious use, mostly in politics and books還有第二種比較嚴肅的用法，主要出現在政治和書裡 an individualist is someone who believes the single person matters more than the state or the groupindividualist指的是相信個人比國家或群體更重要的人 — that people should be free to choose and should look after themselves——認為人應該有自由選擇，也應該自己照顧自己 with government staying small政府則應該保持小規模 In that use it is the opposite of a collectivist在這個意思裡，它是collectivist的相反

In real speech, people stretch the word. A teenager who dyes their hair green gets called an individualist; so does a business owner who thinks the government should not help anyone. Those two are quite far apart, so the word tells you less than it sounds like it does.

In real speech, people stretch the word在實際說話中，人們會延伸這個字的用法 A teenager who dyes their hair green gets called an individualist把頭髮染成綠色的青少年會被叫做individualist so does a business owner who thinks the government should not help anyone認為政府不該幫任何人的企業主也會被這樣叫 Those two are quite far apart這兩種人差得很遠 so the word tells you less than it sounds like it does所以這個字實際上透露的資訊比聽起來的少

You often hear it with 'rugged' — 'a rugged individualist' — which is an old American phrase for a tough person who does everything alone and asks nobody for help. Some people say it with admiration, some with a small roll of the eyes.

You often hear it with 'rugged'你常會聽到它跟「rugged」一起出現 — 'a rugged individualist' ———也就是「a rugged individualist」—— which is an old American phrase for a tough person這是一句美國老話，指很堅韌的人 who does everything alone and asks nobody for help什麼事都自己來、不求別人幫忙 Some people say it with admiration有些人講這句話帶著佩服 some with a small roll of the eyes有些人則帶著一點翻白眼的意味