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Deflective Egotism as a Form of Projection

It is not the individual who expresses a positive fact about themselves that exhibits egotistical tendencies. Rather, it is the person who unjustifiably feels threatened and offended by that individual’s self-confidence. Their very act of taking offence reveals their egocentric view of themselves. They are insecure and overly concerned with how they compare to others. The egotist struggles to openly admit their own faults, and it’s even worse when they have difficulty acknowledging them through attempted introspection. Instead, through psychological projection, they accuse others, particularly those with self-awareness of their abilities, skills, or positive traits, of being the egotists. This phenomenon I’d like to call Deflective Egotism. I shall describe it as a situation where the person who is insecure projects their own egocentricity onto others by accusing them of being the egotists. This concept correlates with the Egocentric Insecurity phenomena I have also previously mentioned.


Possessing a measure of self-confidence should not be mistaken for egotism. It is only those with an open mind, free from the shackles of insecurity, who can truly master their ego. An open mind embraces both external and internal criticism, coupled with the capacity to reason without succumbing to emotional instability, regardless of whether the criticism is warranted. This stands in stark contrast to the overconfidence exhibited by egotists and the covertly insecure. Such individuals often overestimate their abilities and, when faced with failure, seek external scapegoats rather than introspection. The overconfident will not always succeed, and in their egotism, humility is conspicuously absent. This, from a moral standpoint, is indeed a behavioural vice.

From the book, Denial.

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