I think that the individualist framework is the correct one, and I tend to think that communitarian emphasis leads to all sorts of erosion of identity (among ot

I think that the individualist framework is the correct one, and I tend to think that communitarian emphasis leads to all sorts of erosion of identity (among other issues). What I mean to say, in regards to friendship, is that within an individual's things that they'd like to emphasize/prioritize, friends so frequently play second fiddle to things like career. I don't actually think that this has to do with individualism, so much as individualism gives such an unconstrained vision of what constitutes a life that most people simply choose to optimize for things like a career. Again, I'm highly individualistic, I think the individual is the correct atomic entity by which to reason about society and discuss objectives and solutions, and I still find friendships to be of utmost importance. Individualism doesn't mean "existing as an atomic entity independent of other entities," it means "treating individuals as entities with characteristics unique to themselves rather than existing primarily as members of collectives."