The dangers of egotism run through Emma. It threatens the happiness and lives of individuals.

Despite
Emma's material advantages and positive qualities, her egotism fueled her desire for flattery (however
undeserved), for preeminence, and for power and led her into snobbery, self-deception, and cruelty.
Because of vanity, she believed in the superiority of her judgment, which in reality was led astray by her
fancy or imagination. As a result, she interfered with Harriet's marriage prospects and future, told Frank
malicious, baseless gossip which had the potential to destroy Jane's reputation and future, and believed
she had destroyed her own happiness by putting Harriet in Mr. Knightley's way.

Whether the aggression of egotism is covert, as in Frank's game-playing, or overt, as in Mr. and Mrs.
Elton's treatment of Harriet at the ball, it threatens social stability and cohesiveness. Thinking only of
her own gratification, Mrs. Elton monopolized Jane after dinner and began the unraveling of the social
fabric; she forced the four women into two pairs and so into disunity. At Box Hill, the vanity of Emma,
who was determined to enjoy herself, and the vanity of Frank, who was angry with Jane and petulant at
not getting his own way, contributed to the breakdown of the party into separate groups.