It’s a fair question and there are many answers.

There are some common threads that I think many would recognise though.

I’d say that a socialist is someone who thinks the costs of core elements in society (e.g. housing, education and healthcare) should be shared across everyone in that society.

The particular variant of socialism I like is one where the majority of workers are organised through cooperative collectives, like unions. With no company ‘owners’.

My immediate aim and goals though are far more modest, I just want really good universal healthcare access for everyone.