Big word — ego-centrism. It explains young kids. They believe themselves to be the center of their own worlds. Their egos are central to their experience. Somewhere during the toddler years, almost every child has a profound experience of realization. They realize that they are not in fact the center of the universe. That they and others share a larger system in a dynamic dance. Mankind had a similar – albeit slow — realization when the theories of Copernicus in the 1500′s were supported by Galileo in the 1600′s hundreds through the use of the telescope and mathematics. It was at this time that mankind slowly began to accept that the earth is NOT the center of the universe. An interesting parallel.
A funny thing happens when children realize that there are in fact other people that have needs and wants that might conflict with or compete with their own. They start to group. A new phase starts and this new phase is punctuated by the coming together with others in ways that allow groups to identify themselves. It is an extension of ego-centrism that I call social ego-centrism. The structure of singular ego doesn’t go away, but is largely consumed by and morphed into a group ego. This group then thinks that they — their likes and dislikes, their drama, triumph, and difficulty — are the center of the universe. It is from this construct that we see prejudice, distrust of others that are unlike ourselves, stereotypes, and many other less than helpful mindsets that impede growth, development, and performance.
The question that arises from this discourse is: “in your family, social group, or work-group do you transcend social ego-centrism and discover the liberated capacity for high performance, or do you live within your universe center, unable to see the systems you exist within?” Gaining objectivity is the gaining of perspective that leads to the ability to change, adapt, leverage for power, and design systems for positive gain. Living in the center of social ego-centrism is living lost in a tiny yet encompassing universe that generates, feeds upon, and supports itself in impotent ways.
Can your group see itself?
