Egopathy is more
socially acceptable than psychopathy, as self-interest is encouraged and praised in countries where liberal capitalism is the central economic system...but it is certainly not limited only to these types of systems.
It is a general condition of human beings.
On the "pure-self-interest --group-solidarity/altruism" scale Egopaths skew strongly to egocentrism and self-interest;
I didn't think that the DSM definition of
Narcissistic Personality Disorders quite fits the bill and this apparently widespread phenomenon needed a new category: definitely under the DSM Cluster B Group (Anitsocial-Borderline-Histrionic-Narcissistic), but with a more social-/group-mentality component to it.
The term "egopath" popped into my head one morning, but discovered it already had a definition.
There is in my definition the whole aspect of wanting to control and defend, however one has defined it, one's "integrity" -- bodily, cognitive, spiritual, destiny related -- against forces encroaching on, pushing for this integrity's demise, disintegration.
We are all on this continuum, but egopaths tend to be more cowardly, fearful, self-interested and self-preserving.
N.B. Egopathy seems to be a) widespread and b) quite
socially acceptable in many countries.
For example, in German-speaking Switzerland, they say, "Geiz ist Geil!".
Translated: "Greediness is Great/Cool!"
1) During the Covid pandemic, my best-friend
turned out to be a total egopath, not wanting to even visit us despite our double-vaccination and social-distancing, for fear of her
getting it herself or somehow losing her sense of smell.
2) They were such egopaths during the pandemic that they flew to a vacation in Croatia by plane, but then drove back in a mini-bus accross the Italian border to avoid the stringencies of
the controls at their home airport.
