Egoists Are Not Humanists

Adjective. Pertains to egoism. Egoistic refers to a person being preoccupied with himself and pushes for personal fulfillment.

There are three types of Egoism:

  • Psychological Egoism- humans are always motivated by self-interest. It is perceived that humans choose to help because of personal gains. It can either be direct or indirect benefits.
  • Ethical Egoism- humans choose between right or wrong depending on how they benefit. A person can choose to help someone if the other person’s interest benefits them.
  • Rational Egoism- rational thinking about a person’s action is a prerequisite when helping others. A person with rational egoism thinks rationally about an offer and how they will maximize their benefits through it.

Synonym: altruism, devotion to the welfare of others.

 

  1. Low self-esteem- ironically, egoists have low self-esteem. They tend to mask their flaws and insecurities by a false competent and confident persona.
  2. Exaggerated thoughts of victory- most egoists spend hours thinking how far their “great” actions go. Elaborated and excessive visions of victory are actually a mental disorder called megalomania.
  3. Exaggerated drama- egoists cover unlikely scenarios of their life with anything that will make up for their lapses. They will most likely to overstate their actions on overcoming challenges they faced.
  4. More- this explains an egoist’s behavior of feeling superior than anyone else. “I am more (Insert trait) than you are.
  5. Spotlights on me- in a group conversation, egoists try to turn the topic to themselves and constantly getting validation for their actions. They tend to step into the limelight every time the story drifts away from them.
  6. My way is the best- most egoists tend to believe that there is no way better than theirs. If they feel like losing control, they may take it as a sign of disrespect and become angry or defensive.
  7. Spy- egoists tend to lurk one someone’s ideas as long as it feeds their interest. They will most likely to present the gathered information as their own.

Humanism has been a long and constant fight against secular and religious groups. Humanism is an ethical stance that greatly emphasizes the value of human beings. Critical thinking and evidence is the foundations humanist thinking.

People who mostly belong to various religious groups tend to be egoistic. These are people who validate everything based on their personal interest. They are sometimes described as people who have excessive concerns for oneself or exaggeration for their emotions and importance.

Being a humanist means that you can take criticisms and take it into account. You would want to dissect every detail and re-think everything to get a good reason. That means you are open for a professional and civil conversation about anything.

Therefore, these traits are the exact opposite of secular humanism. When you choose to help, you must extend your hand not because you are gaining something.
Humanist Alliance of the Philippines, International stands against egoism as an egoist shows traits which oppose the organization’s Humanist Oath.  HAPI’s Humanist Oath clearly states that a member will not cease from helping if there are no rewards. Humanist Alliance of the Philippines, International also provides programs for children through science education to help them practice reasoning skills. The organization looks forward to teaching these children to think rationally before they act.
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Angelique De Oro
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