Self-centeredness: what is it?

Psychological features of man have always been of interest to scientists and have been the subject of numerous studies. One of the strong factors affecting the personality of a person and his relationship with others is egocentrism. What is this feature, what impact does it have, how to overcome it? The answers to these questions will be interesting to all who are interested in psychology and their own personality.

Egocentrism is considered a feature of the human psyche, in which he can not and does not want to perceive someone else's point of view and put himself in the place of the opponent. The egocentric refuses to accept the fact that other people have the right to their own opinion, and believes that only he is right. The egocentrism of children's thinking is a natural phenomenon for children 5-10 years old. Numerous experiments conducted with children of this age prove their inability to look at the world from the other side, to imagine what an object looks like from this opposite side. But most often this feature remains in more mature age. In many families and in relations between people, self-centeredness becomes a normal phenomenon. What does it mean? The person is self-centered, insensitive to others and perceives everything through the prism of his own opinion.

People with egocentrism feel themselves at the center of this world, they believe that everything revolves around them and their interests. Most often, the reason for this is upbringing and indulging all the vagaries of a person from childhood. From infancy, a child gets used to increased attention from adults and especially parents. Gradually, he realizes that there are certain ways that you can influence adults and make them fulfill all desires. With age, this feature does not pass, but it becomes even stronger. The need for attention goes beyond the home and parental love. The child wants to be the focus of attention in the kindergarten or school, in the courtyard and in the company. Gradually, these requirements develop into a kind of self-affirmation, in which even love implies ownership, full possession of man. Thus, egocentrism is born. What does this mean for the future life of man? Absence of spiritual development and cruelty towards other people, impossibility to establish sincere relations based on mutual understanding and love.

Overcoming egocentrism begins with a person's awareness of the presence of a problem and the desire to defeat it. The ability to understand that all people are different, everyone has his own point of view and the right to defend one's own interests is not easy. But this is a step in the right direction. Many families, couples and partners have thus maintained their relationships, which were heading for inevitable collapse due to a lack of understanding and a desire to look at the situation from the other side.

Correct education of the child can prevent self-centeredness. What does this mean in terms of the modern view of the upbringing of children? In a world of great opportunities and permissiveness for parents, it is important to convey to the child the value of trust between people based on generosity and understanding.