"In egotism we find the person filled with an overweening sense of the importance and qualities of his personality...the things of the 'Me.'" Egotism means placing oneself at the center of one's world with no concern for others, including those loved or considered as "close," in any other terms except those set by the "egotist."
Egotism is closely related to "loving one's self" or narcissism
- indeed "by egotism we may envisage a kind of socialized narcissism." Egotists have a strong tendency "to talk about themselves a great deal...in a self-important fashion"; and egotism may include "a grandiose sense of self-importance...arrogant, boastful, conceited" and self-promoting even at the expense of others – "refusing to recognise others for their accomplishments." This conceit
is a character trait describing a person who acts to gain values in an amount excessively greater than that which he or she gives to others.
When all is summed up, a man never speaks of himself without loss; his accusations of himself are always believed, his praises never.
Be your character what it will, it will be known; and nobody will take it upon your word.
We would rather speak ill of ourselves than not to talk of ourselves at all.
It is never permissible to say, I say.
The more you speak of yourself, the more you are likely to lie.
What hypocrites we seem to be whenever we talk of ourselves! Our words sound so humble, while our hearts are so proud.
The more anyone speaks of himself, the less he likes to hear another talked of.
Do you wish men to speak well of you? Then never speak well of yourself.
He who thinks he can find in himself the means of doing without others is much mistaken; but he who thinks that others cannot do without him is still more mistaken.
Egotism is the anaesthetic that dulls the pains of stupidity.