Meaning of Egoistic According to Psychology

Meaning of egoistic according to psychology - Selfishness is a characteristic of observable behavior through the attitude that we often identify more clearly in others while excusing our own selfish behavior with excuses.

The assessment of a person in which this feature stands out in a significant way is not the result of a specific behavior but frequent and even predictable. Selfishness is the attitude of those who live their reality from constant attention to the self. In this article, we reflect on the meaning of selfish according to psychology .

What is egoism according to psychology?

The selfish person shows a different way of being to those who adopt a lifestyle centered on generosity as a principle of existence. While for a generous person happiness is in giving and in sharing, on the contrary, for a selfish person the goal is to receive and satisfy their own needs.

Without that means experiencing constant joy and satisfaction from this point of view since the egoist falls into an individualism that takes him away from others. Selfishness is reinforced through ego and vanity. However, this ego offers a subjective, distorted and partial view of reality.

4 Characteristics of a selfish person

How to identify the traits of a person who has a selfish profile? Next, we show you 4 characteristics that will help us to know the meaning of egoistic according to psychology:

1. Attachment to the material

The egoist establishes an attachment relationship with things, since it is difficult for him to let go of what he has. He lives more focused on the lack of what he lacks than on the gratitude of what he has. For this reason, one of the characteristics of the egoistic mentality is to want more.

2. Lack of empathy with the other

There are aspects of life that depend mainly on oneself, however, there are also issues that must be negotiated with the other through agreements in the area of the couple, friendship, family or work. The selfish person has difficulty putting himself in the place of others, expects others to give in and act exactly as expected. As a consequence, he shows arrogant attitudes towards others.

3. Does not ask but demands

One of the effects of selfishness according to psychology is that the person is positioned before others giving more value and meaning to their needs than those of others. This leads him to presuppose things, to demand as if he had the right to do so. For this same reason, he gets angry when others respond with a refusal to his own request.

4. Little generous with your time

Time has its own economy because although it is not a personal possession, the person does manage their minutes according to their own expectations . Selfishness also manifests itself in the unwillingness to invest time in an action that does not fully connect with the desire of that moment.

How to overcome selfishness? 5 tips

Although it is very convenient for us to point out selfishness as an observable issue in the lives of others, we grow as people when we identify selfish behaviors in ourselves. Today's society nurtures individualism in many aspects. However, ending up locked in ourselves and in the enormous dimensions of our ego does not make us happier. How to limit selfishness in our life?

1. Consequences of selfishness

Sometimes, you can become aware of the dimensions of this reality through its effects, that is, from the consequences that these behaviors produce in relationships in the form of loneliness, communication difficulties, discussions or distancing from others. .

But to assume the consequences of selfishness on the level of personal relationships is important to assume your responsibility in the course of events and not blame only others for breaking your expectations.

2. Change of beliefs

That someone loves you does not mean that I should constantly like you. Your friends and family also have their own difficulties, expectations, dreams, projects and illusions. Do not delegate your responsibility to anyone to take charge of what you can do for yourself.

3. Practical experience

Selfishness brings you some experiences and altruism gives you different ones. Experience, feel, observe and experience situations in which you position yourself before reality from that vision to discover the joy that is at the base of those moments.

The altruist discovers that he receives more than he gives by sharing his life with others . Even if it takes an effort to make this change of approach, you can try. The objective of limiting selfishness is also a learning process linked to the emotional maturity of those who realize that growing implies taking this look before reality. Life educates our ego through its own wisdom because it breaks our expectations in many moments.

4. Listen to others

When the closest environment of friends and family stumbles habitually with the ego of that person they want, at some point they raise this dissatisfaction with that feature that they observe in so many moments. Therefore, if different people have mentioned information that reminds you of this topic, it might be advisable that you try to attend to those words to analyze what is true about them. If you need more advice, we recommend you read here how to stop being selfish with my partner .

5. Love yourself better

The egoist can believe that he loves himself very much when he attaches such importance, however, the reality is that the way he treats himself does not positively reinforce his self-esteem. How to love yourself better Sharing your life with others from the breadth of seeking the common good.

Does that mean that selfishness can be reduced to zero to the point of never experiencing any behavior of this kind in the future? By educating your ego, you approach the healthy egoism of thinking about yourself without creating a wall between you and others.