[Signs of Egocentricity:]
1 – Playing the comparison game …
2 – Being defensive …
3 – Needing to display our brilliance …
4 – Needing to be liked and accepted*
Sunil Raheja

Properly speaking, a man has as many social selves as there are individuals who recognise him and carry an image of him in their mind.**
William James

A couple of thoughts on the Ego and the Self:

1. The signs of egocentricity make a lot of sense:
We need to know that we are different to our parents and our peers,
It is important to look after ourselves and be secure,
Expressing what we are good at allows us to live with purpose,
Relationship and connection are meaningful for us;
These are important as we grow from dependence towards independence –
But difference, security, purpose, and connection are multiplied and
transformed when we move from independence to
interdependence.

2. When we seek to be different persons or versions of ourselves
depending on who we are with,
It’s likely our Ego turning up, and, whilst the journey is
far from linear, I’m imagining that our movement from Ego to our True Self,
From independence to interdependence is going to see us becoming
the same person towards the many others.

*Sunil Raheeja’s Dancing With Wisdom;
**Dan McAdams’ The Stories We Live By.