It is possible to have a collectivist subculture within an individualistic culture. An example of such a collective subculture is hackers. They exist in a manner that is a group of people who are selfish in that they tend to do only what values them forgetting about the community. One of the traits of individualism is being self-reliant, this characteristic may show up in the hackers in the sense that they can get what they want without relying on anyone else.

There are groups of people who tend to behave as individuals depending on what they do. A good example is a group of hackers who only values their lives and livelihood. They would do anything to see that they get what they need, even if it means taking it away from society. The characteristic of being self-reliant in the individualistic culture seems to thrive in this subculture. With the know-how in technology, they have everything they require.