Definition

Noun: - Preoccupation with yourself to the exclusion of everything else: A state of being excessively focused on one's own thoughts, feelings, interests, or situation, often ignoring or being unaware of the external world or other people.

Usage and Examples

• General Usage: Describes a psychological state of intense inward focus.
  • His self-absorption was so complete that he failed to notice his friend's distress.
  • The artist's self-absorption fueled her creativity but damaged her personal relationships.

Advanced Usage

• In Psychology: Can describe a trait associated with narcissism or introspection taken to an extreme.
  • The therapist noted a pattern of self-absorption that hindered the client's ability to form empathetic connections.
• In Literature/Character Analysis: Used to critique a character's lack of awareness.
  • The novel's protagonist is a study in self-absorption, blind to the consequences of his actions on those around him.

Variants and Related Words

• Self-absorbed (Adjective): Excessively absorbed in one's own thoughts or feelings.
  • He was too self-absorbed to listen to her problems.
• Absorption (Noun): The process of being engrossed or occupied. (Note: This is the root word without the 'self-' prefix, meaning deep mental engagement, not necessarily focused on oneself).
  • Her absorption in the book was total.

Synonyms

• Egocentrism: The inability to differentiate between self and other, viewing the world entirely from one's own perspective.
• Narcissism: Excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one's physical appearance. (This is a stronger, often pathological term).
• Introspection: The examination of one's own thoughts and feelings. (This is a neutral or positive term for self-reflection, unlike the generally negative 'self-absorption').

Antonyms

• Altruism: The belief in or practice of selfless concern for the well-being of others.
• Awareness: Knowledge or perception of a situation or fact, especially of others' needs.
• Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Lost in one's own world: An idiom describing a state similar to self-absorption.
  • Don't bother him; he's lost in his own world right now.
• To be wrapped up in oneself: To be excessively concerned with one's own affairs.
  • She's so wrapped up in herself that she missed the big news.

Noun

1. preoccupation with yourself to the exclusion of everything else