For example, individualism is quite unpopular in Japan, because Japanese society believes that selfish behavior is a betrayal of one's responsibilities and obligations (such as family). The United States does not have a national health insurance system precisely because it believes that individuals (rather than society) should be responsible for themselves.
However, the American system has been widely criticized by Europe and other countries with universal medical insurance system. They believe that the state should protect individuals from unexpected health problems. In the United States, health insurance is provided through private contracts.
People who emphasize public measures and social responsibility think that their policies are actually beneficial to individuals, and excessive individualism will lead individuals to hurt themselves. However, individualists retort that such public measures will cause many unexpected consequences, far beyond their initial imagination.
Extended data:
The economic proposition of individualism:
Economically, individualism advocates that everyone should be allowed to make their own economic decisions and oppose the interference of the state or society. At the same time, individualism also supports the freedom of individuals to own property and opposes the arrangement of the state or groups. Such an economic system is usually called "laissez-faire" or "capitalism".
Critics of modern capitalism believe that capitalism is not based on individuals, but on companies and systems, and the role played by individuals is mainly determined by these systems.
However, compared with other forms of political collectivism, capitalism is usually regarded as an individualistic system, because participation in such a system is voluntary and personal choice. However, capitalism can indeed operate in some collectivist societies. The only difference is whether it comes from the needs of individuals or groups.