1.
egocentrism; self-centeredness; selfishness
The tendency to think and act based only on one's own perspective and interests, without considering others. Used both as a psychological term and in everyday criticism of selfish behavior.
彼は自己中心的な人だ。
He is a self-centered person.
自己中心な考え方では、良い人間関係は築けない。
You cannot build good relationships with a self-centered way of thinking.
子どもは発達の過程で自己中心的な段階を経るが、成長とともに他者の視点を理解できるようになる。
Children go through an egocentric stage during development, but as they grow they become able to understand others' perspectives.
Composed of 自己 (self) and 中心 (center). Often used with the suffix 的 to form the na-adjective 自己中心的. In casual speech, frequently abbreviated to 自己中 or even ジコチュー.
USAGE:
In psychology, refers to the developmental stage where children cannot yet take others' perspectives (Piaget's egocentrism). In everyday Japanese, it simply means selfish or self-absorbed, and is used as a criticism.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 自己中心的な: self-centered, egocentric
- 自己中心な考え方: self-centered thinking
- 自己中心的な行動: selfish behavior
- 自己中心性: egocentricity
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 自己中: selfish (abbreviation) — the casual, colloquial form; very common among younger speakers
- 利己的: selfish, egoistic — a more literary and formal word for the same concept
- わがまま: selfish, willful — focuses on demanding one's own way rather than a general worldview
- 身勝手: selfish, self-serving — emphasizes acting for personal convenience without regard for others