Occasional selfishness is normal, but showing it regularly is a bad personality trait that prevents others from being compassionate toward you. You should always avoid being selfish whenever possible, so evaluate yourself today with these 18 habits that indicate selfishness.
You’re Ungrateful
Self-centered people don’t feel a need to say “thank you” or show gratitude for a favor done for them. You have so much of a sense of self-importance that you feel you don’t need to show appreciation because “you deserve it anyway,” even if you don’t.
You Have a “Me First” Mentality
Putting yourself first, especially if someone else needs help or attention, is a clear sign that you’re selfish. Sometimes, it’s important to put yourself first, but if you used the last bottle of water to wash your face instead of giving it to someone who’s thirsty, that’s just plain selfish.
You Never Keep to Promises
It’s one thing to make a promise to someone and not follow through, as this person will be hurt and see you as unreliable. However, it’s very selfish to make promises to gain favor from others, especially if you go back on your promises when it’s time to fulfill your part.
You Never Compromise
Selfish people will never give up privileges or be willing to compromise, even if it will make their friends, family, or colleagues happy. Interestingly, CNBC suggests that this works against the favor of a selfish person in the workplace, leading to them earning less money when compared to their generous peers.
You’re Entitled to Others
Selfish people are self-absorbed and only care if a situation benefits them. For example, they may feel entitled to someone’s time, money, or energy without considering how this affects the person. This means they’re being self-entitled and selfish, disregarding the expense of others.
“No” Is Never an Answer for You
Not accepting “no” as an answer is another habit of selfish people. They have an intense desire to always have their way, and they resent anyone who denies their demands. They’ll get irritable and aggressive when someone rejects them, as they don’t see anyone else as important as themself.
You Lack Empathy
If you are a selfish person, your pitfalls are rooted in your inability to put yourself in other people’s shoes. You never understand how they feel, so it’s easy for you to do things that hurt others for your own benefit. If this sounds familiar, try to be more empathetic.
You’re Greedy
Do you always find yourself wanting more? You‘re greedy and, therefore, selfish. This is a particular issue when you are greedy despite having limited resources, such as taking a second slice of cake when there isn’t enough for everyone to have a single slice.
You Disrespect Boundaries
Selfish people take their preferences very seriously but will never respect other people’s boundaries. They will completely disregard others’ limits, pushing them for more because of the benefits they provide, and will sometimes even do this intentionally to spite them.
You’re Inconsiderate
If you are selfish, when you go to the grocery store, you’ll never consider buying something for someone else. You might even take food from the refrigerator without considering who owns it because you’re too inconsiderate to consider other people when you do things.
You Never Accept Criticism
As behavioral health therapist Ken Alexander shares with Cleveland Clinic, being selfish is a way to protect your ego. However, selfish people take this a step too far, never being able to recognize flaws in the things they do. Criticize them, and they’ll become very snappy.
You Blame Others
Part of preserving a selfish ego is the self-centered desire to always blame someone for your faults. You don’t mind staining someone else’s reputation as long as you get away with it, even if you know it was your fault. The consequences of this on the person you blamed are not your problem.
You Avoid Responsibilities
Selfish people struggle to play their part in the greater good, avoiding any communal responsibilities. Working as a team to complete a task would be out of the question, and they would instead leave others to do all the work. However, they would still come back to reap the benefits.
You Love One-Sided Conversations
Another habit that indicates selfishness is dominating conversations. Clinical psychologist Aimee Daramus explained to Verywell Mind that self-centered people love these one-sided conversations. If a friend calls them to vent about something, you can trust the selfish person not to let them get a word in.
You Never Reciprocate Efforts
If you’re selfish, you demand without intending to give back, and your partner will put in all the effort, only for you to just sit back doing nothing. You think this is how it should be and will always avoid contributing your time, energy, or finances.
You’re Envious of Others
Selfish people believe that anything good that happens to others should’ve happened to them instead. Rather than feeling motivated by their friend’s success, they would want this success to be their own. They may even try to sabotage it if they have the chance!
You Love Attention
Attention-seeking is a classic habit of selfish people, even when others deserve to shine. For instance, they’d want the most attention on someone else’s birthday and wouldn’t mind causing a scene just to get others to focus on them, regardless of whether it’s good or bad attention.
You’re Controlling
Finally, Therapist Taneille Smith explained to Business Insider that selfish people are also often control freaks. They want everything to go exactly as planned and will take an opportunity to gain control in a social situation, even if it’s supposed to be somebody else’s special day.
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