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The idea behind the word “egocentric” comes from Piaget’s theory of early development. Egocentrism is the incapacity to recognize that another person’s perspective or opinion may differ from their own.
A cognitive bias known as egocentrism occurs when a person assumes that everyone has the same viewpoint as them and is unwilling to consider the possibility that someone else might have a different perspective.
What being egocentric means
David Elkind, a different development theorist, elaborated on this notion of egocentrism with reference to adolescence. Teenagers frequently feel as though others are watching them, and they are incredibly concerned with what other people think of them, according to Elkind, who described this as “A heightened self-awareness and self-consciousness.”
We are aware that some people do not outgrow this egocentric perspective and that they often carry some of these same tendencies into their adult relationships and lives.
Narcissistic versus egocentric
You could question if narcissism and egocentrism are the same thing because egocentrism is the term used to describe someone who is self-centered and unable to see things from perspectives other than their own. There are clear distinctions between egocentric and narcissistic personalities, despite certain similarities.
Egocentrism and narcissism share a number of parallels, including:
- Concentrate on your own perception and opinion
- Absence of empathy
- excessive concerns about how others would perceive them Lack of ability to discern the needs of others
- Choosing based on one’s own needs
But in addition to these characteristics, narcissistic individuals also exhibit:
- excessive need for approval and acclaim
- Consider oneself to be incredibly significant or worthy.
- A feeling of entitlement
- manipulate others to achieve your goals
- haughty and conceited attitudes
- Frequently lost in delusions of untold riches, dominance, or beauty
The major distinction between being egocentric and narcissistic is that a narcissistic person continuously wants admiration from others in order to feel important and appreciated.
Remember that while we all have egocentric and narcissistic tendencies, specific criteria must be completed in order for someone to be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder.
The Influence of Egocentism
Egocentric people may struggle to connect with others or establish meaningful relationships over time. An egocentric person may struggle at home, at work, and in their intimate relationships as a result of their self-centeredness.
The fundamental cause of these difficulties is a lack of ability to sympathize with or imagine someone else’s point of view rather than their own.5 As you can expect, this could have a negative influence on items like:
- Trust
- Intimacy or proximity
- Emotional sensitivity
- Collaboration in decision making
- Teamwork
- It might be difficult to spend time with someone who is egocentric because you may feel invisible or as if you have no voice.
Being around an egotistical person can cause us to feel the following emotions:
- Low self-esteem: When we feel irrelevant, we feel as though our opinions don’t count.
- Self-doubt: You may have doubts about your own judgment or perception.
- Confusion: You may wonder if the individual acknowledges their egocentric tendencies.
- Sadness: After connecting with them, you may feel sorry for them or sad for yourself.
- Anger: When dealing with an egocentric individual, it can be difficult to practice assertiveness, which can lead to irritation and anger at not being seen or heard.
- Resentment: following a while, you may get resentful toward them because of how they behave and how you feel following interactions.
- Detachment: If the pattern continues, you may want to distance yourself from the individual as much as possible in order to safeguard your sense of self.
- There are many instances in which it is not an option, so you must learn how to take care of yourself while in their presence. There may be moments when you can simply choose to minimize your exposure to an egocentric person.
- Selfishness in Relationships
The egocentric individual may experience life as lonely and anxiety-inducing. A person who has a high level of egocentrism may assume that everyone is watching them and that every move or choice they make is being observed by others while they are actually living with a cognitive bias.
This can put a lot of pressure on that person, making it difficult for them to make decisions and communicate with others. Even if they desire to connect with others, they could not know how to accomplish it or might try connecting but end up baffled as to why it didn’t work.
Being in a relationship with an egocentric person can make you feel very alone and as though you are never heard, noticed, or valued.If you approach your spouse with an emotional need for comfort, reassurance, or encouragement, they might make significant decisions without you, create plans based on their requirements and availability, or appear aloof or indifferent. When their spouse is frequently made to feel invisible and undervalued, the egocentric partner may think the relationship is going well.
Typical Egocentric Behavior
The majority of people frequently exhibit some degree of egocentrism. Adults typically have the following egocentric flaws, according to research:
False consensus effect: When we assume that others share our opinions or preferences more than they actually do. We frequently assume that other people would concur with us or see things our way.
The curse of knowledge is when people who are knowledgeable about a subject prefer to speak more intelligently than those around them. They fail to recognize that their level of expertise on the subject differs from that of those around them.
The illusion of transparency occurs when a person believes that others can clearly see how they are feeling about a particular experience. For instance, we might believe that when we deliver a presentation at work, others can sense our anxiety.
The spotlight effect is when someone overestimates how much other people are observing them or their actions. while we enter a room, we may believe that everyone is observing us closely while, in fact, they may be conversing informally and not see us.
Research has also shown that changing your perspective with the aid of mental images might assist lessen feelings of egocentrism and self-consciousness.