Learn English – What do you call someone who lives for himself

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What do you call someone who lives for himself? If someone lives his life solely to achieve his own life goals and not want to associate his life with others', what would you call him?

I know some of you would probably give answers such as A) hedonist, B) narcissist, but I disagree. Because:

A) A hedonist is someone who lives in pursuit of pleasure, and hedonism is a doctrine that the pursuit of pleasure is the highest good. This person in question neither lives for pleasure, nor places pleasure as an important factor.

B) A narcissist is someone who is vain, or derives erotic gratification from admiration of his or her own physical or mental attributes. The person in question is also not a narcissist because he does not admire himself; he merely lives for his own good, as mentioned in the question.

So once again, what do you call someone who devotes his life solely to achieving his own life goals? Please, he is not a hedonist, not a narcissist, and most certainly not selfish. Assume he is not.

Best Answer

Perhaps self-absorbed

absorbed in one's own thoughts, activities, or interests

or egocentric

regarding everything only in relation to oneself; self-centered; selfish

or self-centered

concerned solely with one's own desires, needs, or interests

SUPPLEMENT

Also consider self-directed

(of persons) free from external control and constraint in e.g. action and judgment

Note that this term is often applied to someone who does attend to the needs of other but exerts a good deal of independence in doing so.

and autonomous

Not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent