Egocentric or Self-Centred — What’s the Difference?

I’ve been thinking about the difference between being egocentric and being self-centred, and for me, they are not the same thing at all.

Being egocentric feels like living from the ego alone. My thinking, my opinions, my reactions are in charge, but I’m not really connected to my inner self — not to my emotions, my body, or my deeper sense of being. It’s a way of existing where everything is filtered through “me,” but in a shallow way. There’s little listening, little awareness, and not much room for others. In that sense, egocentrism feels close to selfishness.

Being self-centred, on the other hand, means something very different to me. It means I am centred in myself. I take care of myself. I protect and defend myself when needed. I know my limits, my needs, and my values. This isn’t about putting myself above others; it’s about being rooted in who I am.

That’s why I don’t see self-centredness as selfish. For me, selfishness is disconnected — it takes without awareness. Self-centredness includes self-love, and self-love is not something you hoard. It’s something you cultivate. And if I don’t have love, care, and respect for myself, I don’t really have it to give to anyone else either.

When I am self-centred in this way — grounded, aware, and caring toward myself — that love doesn’t stop with me. It naturally radiates outward. It shapes how I show up, how I listen, how I relate. From that place, giving doesn’t feel forced or performative; it feels real.

So for me, the difference is simple but deep: Egocentrism is about the ego taking over. Self-centredness is about being at home in myself.

And from that home, the world is met with more honesty, more presence, and more love.