egoism

/ˈigoʊɪzəm/

/ˈigəʊɪzəm/

Other forms: egoisms

Someone who is full of himself and doesn't give a darn about other people has a healthy supply of egoism. Egoism means "me me me me me-ism."

Egoism has a lot to do with selfishness, which sounds like a bad thing, right? Not necessarily. Some people think that being selfish is the best thing to do for the world as a whole. In other words, if everyone is selfish, everyone will be better off. So egoism can be considered positive or negative — it all depends how someone uses the word. This makes egoism different from egotism — an always yucky type of selfishness.

Definitions of egoism

1. noun

   concern for your own interests and welfare
   synonyms: egocentrism, self-centeredness, self-concern, self-interest, selfhood

   antonyms:

   altruism

   the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others

   type of:

   trait

   a distinguishing feature of your personal nature
2. noun

   (ethics) the theory that the pursuit of your own welfare is the basis of morality
   type of:

   theory

   a belief that can guide behavior