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Micah Miller

ENG COMP 1201

Prof. Colvin

3/14/2020

Literature Review

The human tendency to value the validation of one’s own opinion to the extent of

disregarding others is a distinct and interesting phenomena that has occurred throughout history.

But what is it that causes an individual to lean towards this mindset? Is it a natural inclination

that stems from genetics, or is it something that can be gained over time?

The main conclusion that many professional psychologists through studies have shown, is

that egocentrism tends to be present in every person, but it’s degree varies due to different

environmental factors. This tends to be especially present in today’s day in age. For instance

according to Mel Schwartz in an article for Psychology Today, “Our educational system is

rooted in the construct of right and wrong. We are rewarded for what are deemed to be correct

answers and the ensuing higher grades, which generally lead to more successful lives.”

Concentrating on one’s own views of right and wrong is by definition self-centered (egocentric),

and when such views are esteemed above other things by society it leads to a self-centered

populus. These results can be viewed more distinctly within naturally competitive environments,

such as competitions, as shown in the study “Are People Excessive or Judicious in Their
Egocentrism? A Modeling Approach to Understanding Bias and Accuracy in Peoples

Optimism”, by Paul D. Windschitl.

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Nevertheless, there are several different opinions on the matter. This can be mainly

divided into a couple different categories. The first, called psychological egoism, is the belief

that everything is based on selfish principles. For instance, William Irwin discusses in a paper

written for Reason Papers, “The first step in arguing for psychological egoism is to note that the

I, the ego, is inescapable. The word “egoism” itself suggests that the subject is primary. The I

can never do what the I does not want to do.” There are also those who disagree with this

hypothesis however. For instance Robert Shaver in his article on egocentrism published in the

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “A common objection to psychological egoism, made

famously by Joseph Butler, is that I must desire things other than my own welfare in order to

get welfare.” Another belief is that egocentrism is something formed from environmental

factors, and is something that can be changed. This is something that a Psychological Egoist

would most likely disagree on, but something that say, a Psychotherapist and Marriage

counselor like Mel Schwartz would agree on.

There are a few common misconceptions about the topic of egocentrism. Probably the

first major one would be that all forms of egocentrism is bad. That isn’t the case. Egocentrism is

present inside everyone, albeit to differing degrees. The want to do well in life for instance, is
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based on egocentrism. That doesn’t mean that wanting to do well in life is ‘bad’. Another

common misconception is that the disregarding of others is based purely on egocentrism. For

instance, Egocentrism can be used to motivate empathizing with others (e.g. “The Golden

Rule”). It is only when egocentrism is overused that it leads to the disregarding of others (like a

real-life application of social psychological egoism). Finally, a third misconception is that all

different views on the mindset of egocentrism are mutually exclusive. Although it might be the

case for some (Psychological egoism and Mel Schwartz’s views on egocentrism for instance), it

is not the case for others (Mel Scwartz’s views on egocentrism and Rob Henderson’s views on

egocentrism).

In Conclusion, The human inclination to value one’s own opinion to the disregard of

others has roots in many other issues, although primarily in a form of radicalized egocentrism.

Egocentrism is something that everyone has to a certain degree, and that degree is influenced by

environmental factors, such as societal values. However egocentrism is not in and of itself

disregarding to others.
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Works Cited:

Batson, C. Dani, and Et Al. “Is Empathic Emotion a Source of Altruistic

Motivation?” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 40, no. 2, 1981, pp.

290–302., doi:10.1037/0022-3514.40.2.290.

Henderson, Rob. “Are Most People Selfish, Selfless, or Both?” Psychology Today, 26 Feb.

2020, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/after-service/202002/are-most-people-

selfish-selfless-or-both.

Heron, C. Le, et al. “The Anatomy of Apathy: A Neurocognitive Framework for Amotivated

Behaviour.” Neuropsychologia, vol. 118, Sept. 2018, pp. 54–67.,

doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.07.003.

Irwin, William. “Psychological Egoism and Self-Interest.” Reason Papers, vol. 39, no. 2,

Winter 2017, pp. 69–89. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=hlh&AN=128355493&site=eds-live.

Pronin, Emily, and Christopher Y. Olivola. “Egocentrism.” Encyclopædia Britannica,

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 20 July 2016, www.britannica.com/science/egocentrism.

Schwartz, Mel. “Why Is It So Important to Be Right?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers,

7 Mar. 2011, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shift-mind/201103/why-is-it-so-

important-be-right.
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Shaver, Robert. “Egoism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 15 Jan.

2019, plato.stanford.edu/entries/egoism/.

Windschitl, Paul D., et al. “Are People Excessive or Judicious in Their Egocentrism? A

Modeling Approach to Understanding Bias and Accuracy in Peoples Optimism.” Journal

of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 95, no. 2, 2008, pp. 253–273.,

doi:10.1037/0022-3514.95.2.253.