What Does Egocentrism Mean?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat It Means to Be EgocentricEgocentric vs. NarcissisticImpact of EgocentismEgocentrism in RelationshipsCommon Egocentric TraitsHow to Become Less Egocentric

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What It Means to Be Egocentric

Egocentric vs. Narcissistic

Impact of Egocentism

Egocentrism in Relationships

Common Egocentric Traits

How to Become Less Egocentric

Close

The term egocentric is a concept that originated withinPiaget’stheory of childhood development. Egocentrism refers to someone’s inability to understand that another person’s view or opinion may be different than their own.

Egocentrism represents acognitive bias, in that someone would assume that others share the same perspective as they do, unable to imagine that other people would have a perception of their own.

Another development theorist, David Elkind, expanded on this idea of egocentrism with regards to adolescence. Elkind described “A heightened self-awareness and self-conscious,” saying that teenagers often feel that others are watching them and that they are extraordinarily concerned with what others think of them.

Although most people grow out of this egocentric mindset, we are aware that others do not and that they tend to bring some of these same self-focused traits in their adult lives and relationships.

Since the term egocentric describes someone who is self-focused and unable to imagine any other perspective than their own, you might wonder if this is the same thing as narcissism. Although there are some parallels, there is a distinct difference between egocentric and narcissistic personalities.

Some of the similarities between egocentrism and narcissism include:

In addition to these traits, however, narcissistic people also demonstrate:

A primary difference between being egocentric and narcissistic is that someone who is narcissistic constantly seeks admiration from others with a need to feel important and valued.

Keep in mind that we all may have egocentric and narcissistic tendencies, but specific criteria need to be met in order for someone to have a clinical diagnosis ofnarcissistic personality disorder.

Egocentric people can find it difficult to connect with others or maintain meaningful relationships for a long period of time. The bias toward self can result in an egocentric person struggling at home, at work, and within their intimate relationships.

The primary reason for these struggles is the lack of ability to empathize or imagine someone’s perspective other than their own.As you can imagine, this might negatively impact things like:

It can feel challenging to be around someone who is egocentric because you feel invisible or feel that you have no voice when spending time with them.

Some of the ways being around an egocentric person might impact us include feelings of:

There may be times when you can simply choose to limit your exposure to an egocentric person, however, there are many situations in which it is not an option and you have to learn how to take care of yourself while in their presence.

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This can create a tremendous amount of pressure for that person, causing anxiety around their decision-making and social interactions.Even when they want to connect with others they may not know how to do that or may make efforts to connect and become confused as to why their efforts don’t work.

To be in a relationship with someone who is egocentric can feel very lonely and you might feel you are never seen, heard or valued in the relationship.

Your partner may make important decisions without you, make plans based on their needs and schedule, or seem distant or uninterested if you come to them with an emotional need for comfort, reassurance or encouragement. The egocentric partner may believe that the relationship is fine when their partner is often left feeling invisible and devalued.

It is common for most people to have some level of egocentrism. Research has shown that adults tend to have egocentric shortcomings in the following ways:

Since we all have an egocentric slant to some degree we can all benefit from softening our egocentric edge. Being self-focused can be a benefit when we are trying to stick to our values or when we are feeling disrespected.

However, when an egocentric mindset begins to negatively impact our everyday behavior it can cause problems. There are helpful tips for becoming less egocentric

Research has also found that using mental imagery to help change your perspective can also help reduce feelings of egocentrism and self-consciousness.

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A Word From Verywell

All of us are a bit egocentric at times. But, a truly egocentric person does not consider others and is heavily focused on needs and desires of self to the point of not being able to recognize or consider the opinions of others or to empathize.

Although it may feel that someone like this is narcissistic, an egocentric person does not necessarily obsess over things like success, beauty, or status. They simply don’t consider other people in their decision-making.

It is important to emotionally take care of yourself if you happen to be around an egocentric person. Remember that their inability to consider your perspective or opinion is about their cognitive bias, not a result of anything you have done. Keeping a thoughtful distance from their behavior can help you emotionally protect yourself around an egocentric person.

9 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Egocentrism.Elkind D.Egocentrism in adolescence.Child Dev. 1967 Dec;38(4):1025-34. PMID: 5583052.Mitra P, Fluyau D.Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Updated November 19, 2020.Mitra P, Fluyau D.Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Updated November 19, 2020.Scholte EM, Stoutjesdijk R, Van Oudheusden MA, Lodewijks H, Van der Ploeg JD.Screening of egocentric and unemotional characteristics in incarcerated and community children.Int J Law Psychiatry. 2010 May-Jun;33(3):164-70. doi: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2010.03.006Riva F, Triscoli C, Lamm C, Carnaghi A, Silani G.Emotional egocentricity bias across the life-span.Front Aging Neurosci. 2016;8:74. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2016.00074American Psychological Association.False-consensus effect.Samuel S, Frohnwieser A, Lurz R, Clayton NS.Reduced egocentric bias when perspective-taking compared with working from rules.Q J Exp Psychol (Hove). 2020;73(9):1368-1381. doi:10.1177/1747021820916707Macrae CN, Mitchell JP, McNamara DL, Golubickis M, Andreou K, Møller S, Peytcheva K, Falben JK, Christian BM.Noticing future me: reducing egocentrism through mental imagery.Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2016;42(7):855-63. doi: 10.1177/0146167216644961

9 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Egocentrism.Elkind D.Egocentrism in adolescence.Child Dev. 1967 Dec;38(4):1025-34. PMID: 5583052.Mitra P, Fluyau D.Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Updated November 19, 2020.Mitra P, Fluyau D.Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Updated November 19, 2020.Scholte EM, Stoutjesdijk R, Van Oudheusden MA, Lodewijks H, Van der Ploeg JD.Screening of egocentric and unemotional characteristics in incarcerated and community children.Int J Law Psychiatry. 2010 May-Jun;33(3):164-70. doi: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2010.03.006Riva F, Triscoli C, Lamm C, Carnaghi A, Silani G.Emotional egocentricity bias across the life-span.Front Aging Neurosci. 2016;8:74. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2016.00074American Psychological Association.False-consensus effect.Samuel S, Frohnwieser A, Lurz R, Clayton NS.Reduced egocentric bias when perspective-taking compared with working from rules.Q J Exp Psychol (Hove). 2020;73(9):1368-1381. doi:10.1177/1747021820916707Macrae CN, Mitchell JP, McNamara DL, Golubickis M, Andreou K, Møller S, Peytcheva K, Falben JK, Christian BM.Noticing future me: reducing egocentrism through mental imagery.Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2016;42(7):855-63. doi: 10.1177/0146167216644961

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychological Association.Egocentrism.Elkind D.Egocentrism in adolescence.Child Dev. 1967 Dec;38(4):1025-34. PMID: 5583052.Mitra P, Fluyau D.Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Updated November 19, 2020.Mitra P, Fluyau D.Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Updated November 19, 2020.Scholte EM, Stoutjesdijk R, Van Oudheusden MA, Lodewijks H, Van der Ploeg JD.Screening of egocentric and unemotional characteristics in incarcerated and community children.Int J Law Psychiatry. 2010 May-Jun;33(3):164-70. doi: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2010.03.006Riva F, Triscoli C, Lamm C, Carnaghi A, Silani G.Emotional egocentricity bias across the life-span.Front Aging Neurosci. 2016;8:74. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2016.00074American Psychological Association.False-consensus effect.Samuel S, Frohnwieser A, Lurz R, Clayton NS.Reduced egocentric bias when perspective-taking compared with working from rules.Q J Exp Psychol (Hove). 2020;73(9):1368-1381. doi:10.1177/1747021820916707Macrae CN, Mitchell JP, McNamara DL, Golubickis M, Andreou K, Møller S, Peytcheva K, Falben JK, Christian BM.Noticing future me: reducing egocentrism through mental imagery.Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2016;42(7):855-63. doi: 10.1177/0146167216644961

American Psychological Association.Egocentrism.

Elkind D.Egocentrism in adolescence.Child Dev. 1967 Dec;38(4):1025-34. PMID: 5583052.

Mitra P, Fluyau D.Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Updated November 19, 2020.

Scholte EM, Stoutjesdijk R, Van Oudheusden MA, Lodewijks H, Van der Ploeg JD.Screening of egocentric and unemotional characteristics in incarcerated and community children.Int J Law Psychiatry. 2010 May-Jun;33(3):164-70. doi: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2010.03.006

Riva F, Triscoli C, Lamm C, Carnaghi A, Silani G.Emotional egocentricity bias across the life-span.Front Aging Neurosci. 2016;8:74. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2016.00074

American Psychological Association.False-consensus effect.

Samuel S, Frohnwieser A, Lurz R, Clayton NS.Reduced egocentric bias when perspective-taking compared with working from rules.Q J Exp Psychol (Hove). 2020;73(9):1368-1381. doi:10.1177/1747021820916707

Macrae CN, Mitchell JP, McNamara DL, Golubickis M, Andreou K, Møller S, Peytcheva K, Falben JK, Christian BM.Noticing future me: reducing egocentrism through mental imagery.Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2016;42(7):855-63. doi: 10.1177/0146167216644961

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