EGOTISM

'Egotism' is the doctrine that individual self-interest is the appropriate motive and valid end of all conscious action. Egotism manifests itself as excessive rationalization, denial, or narcissism, as well as the inordinate concern for oneself or a tendency to speak or write of oneself boastfully and at great length. Egotism may also be coupled with an inflated sense of one's own importance, at the denial of others. This conceit is a character trait describing a person who acts to gain values in an amount ''greater'' than that of the values he/she gives to others. Egotism is often accomplished by exploiting the altruism, irrationality and ignorance of others, as well as utilizing coercive force and/or fraud.
Egotism differs from both altruism, or acting to gain ''fewer'' values than are being given, and egoism, a determination to gain and give an ''equal'' amount or degree of values. Various forms of "empirical egoism" can be consistent with egotism, as long as the value of one's own self-benefit is entirely individual.

Contents

Etymology

See also

Etymology

The term "egotism" is derived from the Latin ego, meaning "self" or "I", and English, -ism, used to denote a philosophy.

See also

★ Rational selfishness

★ Ethical egoism