Individualism is characterized by minimal group
adhesion and an every-man-for-himself ethos. Indi-
vidualists avoid pressure from groups to behave in
any way other than how they desire to act, and
every person is generally free to relate to others as
their equal. They are occupied with individual-
focused moral concerns, such as infringement of a
person’s right to contract freely with whomever
they choose. Moreover, individualists hold a view
of the world as resilient (Nature Benign). Risk is
a necessary factor in individualists’ free market—
oriented enterprises, but not terribly concerning
given their belief in humanity’s ability to fix its mis-
takes. There is also frequently a profit to be made in
fixing those mistakes, turning one man’s risk into
another’s opportunity.