Because individualism encourages personal autonomy, some mistakenly believe that individualism discourages the development of relationships.It's as if relationships must consist of something other than autonomous individuals pursuing their own self-interests.Yet how could worthwhile relationships be based on anything else?

      Far from discouraging relationships, the principles of individual autonomy encourage the development and flourishing of genuine personal relationships.

      Unfortunately, most people conceive of relationships as social rather than personal. They believe that the purpose of a relationship is to serve a social function, whether it be social status or the fulfillment of social expectations or obligations. In general, relationships that are primarily social involve compromise, conformity, and sacrifice.

      In today's society, the most fundamental social relationships revolve around family. Family is taken to be of intrinsic value, regardless of whether individual family members like or respect one another. The basic family model dictates that parents sacrifice themselves to their children, children conform to the values of their parents, and brothers, sisters, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and everyone else considered to be "family" compromises so that the "family unit" remains strong.

      In the realm of chosen relationships, things aren't much better. Situational circumstances seem to be the reason why most relationships form. People interact with those who they go to school with, work with, etc. for no other reason than those individuals happen to share similar circumstances. And within those environments, they tend to form cliques and conform to the group will.

      All of the above mentioned types of social relationships are unimportant to an individualist. The only kind of relationships that carry meaning and importance to him or her are the ones he has rationally chosen. He chooses those with whom he relates based on their personal qualities and the value they offer. Relationships formed on this basis are genuinely personal.