Psychology is a field that attempts to understand and explain human behavior. The mind can be the organnor more complex to explain, which means that in the psychological field even experts do not agree on defining concepts such as egocentrism.
The phenomenon of egocentrism is a concept that many psychologists have used to define a wide variety of behaviors. The main characteristic of egocentric people is to lead a life in which the the main purpose is personal benefit.
What is and what is not egocentrism?
The vast majority of people tend to mix up concepts. For example, one of the frequent confusions is between the egocentrism and narcissismThey are considered synonyms, when in reality they have a few differences:
- Narcissism is a personality trait. The narcissistic person needs constant doses of admiration from others. Lack of empathy, egocentrism and overvaluation of abilities are other peculiarities. blackmail It is very common among narcissists, since they consider themselves smarter than the rest and they think they can use them as they please.
- He egocentrism It is a trend that it acquires the individual in order to satisfy one's own needswithout stopping to think for a single second about whether they can benefit other people. They do not intend to take advantage of others. They simply do not care in the least. They have the ability to be empathetic.
There are no pure egocentric people. It is a gradual behaviormost people have touches of egocentrism in certain contexts. The only thing that varies is the inclination to manifest it clearly and evidently.
What are these kinds of people like?
The fact of sharing material things with others, the only thing it brings them is the feeling of loss from a part that they took for granted that they had. They will not propose it at any time, unless they can report it clear benefits in other sections of life.
- They speak from their point of view
They have the need to impose their vision on any subject. The clear consequence of this is the generation of conflicts in typical table discussions or meetings with friends. Other effects of a personalistic vision are the minimal interest they show in the conversations of others or the inability to negotiate.
If they always want to impose their discourse, without taking into account the arguments, sometimes more valid than their own, the vision of egocentric people will end up being trivialized.
- Without respect for the feelings of others
The invasion of intimate space of the people around them is common. They do not conceive that others have the right to time for themselves. self-care and do not be attentive to the desires of the egomaniac.
A simple example that will clarify the behavior of an egocentric person is a situation in public transport. Let's imagine the situation in which a person is in a hurry to get off at a stop, but it is occupied by a large number of people. The correct behavior would be ask permission to move on as soon as possible. The self-centered person only will pounce on the doorno matter what others might think of his manners.
If you identify with what has been described above, perhaps it is time to contact an online psychologist.
Try a free session
Take care of your mental health with the help of a professional psychologist.
Make an appointment
What is the origin?
Egocentrism in adult life usually has its explanation in childhood.
Jean Pidgeta Swiss psychologist considered the father of genetic epistemology, defined egocentrism as «a phase of development during childhood in which the brain is not yet mature enough to empathize and understand that things are not only seen from one's own point of view.»
This period of childhood development can extend into adulthood, despite being more aware of the world around us. The durability and presence of a egocentric mentality In adulthood it is given by the experiences and behaviors acquired during childhood.
The result of all this amalgamation during childhood will give rise to a compelling need for external approvalextreme sensitivity to criticism and serious difficulties in maintaining relationships, whether friendship or romantic. Loneliness and incomprehension will accompany them. They do not understand being left aside to put themselves as the absolute priority in any situation.
They do not feel the need to cause discomfort in others. Indifference is such that even suffering is of no use to them, unless they want to do so to satisfy their needs. Egolatry is simply a defense mechanism to counteract low self-esteem.
Steps to recognize a self-centered person
Living around a self-centered person can be a burden on your mental health. That is why it is essential to keep in mind the different warnings that this kind of people can give us. These are some of the characteristics that give him away:
- They want to see each other in a good aesthetic condition. To this end, their obsession with all products that improve their image (makeup, for example) will be noticeable. The purchase of select clothing, according to the social group they belong to, is another obvious symptom.
- Tendency to tackle all possible projectsTheir high ego allows them to see themselves as the most capable people in the world and they want to demonstrate their excellent abilities to others.
- Need to improve self-image before others. This is due to the low self-esteem mentioned above. The feeling of pleasing others will force them to distort reality and lie about different experiences, always portraying themselves as the winners of the story.
- They hide their moments of vulnerabilityEgotistical people do not want to show feelings such as sadness or regret, since, for them, it is giving others arguments to classify them as weak people.
If we have learned anything from the article, it is that egocentrism has worse consequences for oneself that for its environment. Although it may sound paradoxical. There are many experts who confirm the emotional benefits of active listening or sharing with others.
At we have been helping patients from all over the world find their well-being since 2012. We were pioneers in offering online therapy and that is why we know that it is an economical, but equally effective, alternative to traditional therapies.
To date, more than 1,600 people have turned to us to find an online psychologist. If you also want to try our services, you can request a consultation First briefing free by clicking the button below.