1.
egoism; selfishness; self-centeredness
The attitude or philosophy of prioritizing one's own interests and benefit above those of others. Used both as a philosophical term and in everyday criticism of selfish behavior.
利己主義は嫌われる。
Selfishness is disliked.
彼の行動は利己主義に過ぎない。
His behavior is nothing but selfishness.
社会全体の利益よりも個人の利益を優先する利己主義が問題になっている。
Egoism that prioritizes individual benefit over the benefit of society as a whole has become a problem.
A compound of 利己 (self-interest) and 主義 (-ism). The term has a strongly negative connotation in Japanese, where group harmony and consideration for others are culturally valued. A person who acts selfishly may be called a 利己主義者 (egoist).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 利己主義者: egoist; selfish person
- 利己主義的: egoistic; selfish (adjective)
- 利己主義に走る: to give in to selfishness
- 利己主義に陥る: to fall into egoism
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 利他主義: altruism — the direct antonym; putting others' interests first
- 自己中心: self-centeredness — a more colloquial term (often shortened to ジコチュー)
- わがまま: selfishness; willfulness — an everyday word for being spoiled or demanding
- エゴイズム: egoism — the loanword from English; used interchangeably in some contexts