Egotism

Egotism is the motivation to maintain and enhance favorable views of self. Egotism means placing oneself at the center of one's world with no direct concern for others.

It is closely related to narcissism, or "loving one's self," and the possible tendency to speak or write of oneself boastfully and at great length. Egotism may coexist with delusions 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 excessively greater than that which 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.Dubious|date=March 2008clarifyme

Etymology

The term "egotism" is derived from the Latin "ego", meaning "self" or "I", and English, "-ism", used to denote a philosophy. As such, the term is etymologically related very closely with egoism.

ee also

*Rational egoism
*Rational selfishness
*Ethical egoism